No Cash? Barter

When money is short it can often feel impossible to purchase the items and services we need. You may need your pool cleaned, your shirts mended, or your oil changed but do not have the extra cash to check these items off of your to do list. Instead of letting these items pile up look into the lives of your friends, family and neighbors and offer to barter for services or items.

Barter Your Time

You may not feel like you have something to exchange with someone but there is almost always something you can offer to someone else. You may have a skill such as being able to fix simple plumbing problems or you have mended your own clothes for years and could do the same for someone else. Even if you do not have a skill you may have time that you could offer to someone else. Many parents would love to barter for babysitting duties or a vacationing couple may need someone to watch their home or pets while they are gone. Look around your home and in your own life and job for services and products you have to offer.

Barter For Someone Else's Time

Once you begin looking at the lives and skills of your family and friends you may not find it difficult to find services they could offer you. Your sister may be a tax accountant and would do your taxes for free in exchange for several weekends of babysitting or your neighbor may be a mechanic and would be willing to change your oil if you mow his lawn. You never know when someone else is also short on cash and would love to barter for something they need.

Set Up Your Barter Rules

Before you follow through with a barter make sure that everyone is on the same page. Writing up a simple contract with everyone's duties and having everyone involved sign it will help if conflicts come up later. Everyone's time or service is worth something and you want to make sure that you, or the person you are bartering with, is not doing more work than the other person. If needed, agree on how much each should be "paid" an hour and exchange services or products accordingly. Set up in the contract the dates and times the services will be exchanged and how many days it will take to complete the contract. It is very important that everything is clear and completely set up before you begin the barter. You do not want a barter to cause a bad situation between neighbors or family members that have to continue to spend time together.