bartering for goods and services

In a world where plastic is king and cash is still well-loved, you may wonder if bartering for goods exists anymore. I’m happy to tell you that I am proof that indeed it does!

A few months ago, my daughter began taking gymnastics. I talked with the owner of the gym (whom we already knew from when my older daughter took gymnastics a few years back) and told him about my blog. I asked him if he would be interested in bartering a post on my blog plus some social media mentions for some gymnastics classes. He was super interested and we soon struck a deal- I wrote the post, and he gave me 2 months of free classes since that’s about the cost of my normal sponsored post. Easy!

And just last week, I had my hair colored from the guy that’s been cutting it for years. I had mentioned that I’m a blogger and loved helping brands procure a bigger online presence. We are in the process of working out a bartering system- I’ll teach him all I know about marketing on line (which is a TON after doing it for 7 years!) and he’ll keep my hair looking good! It’s a win for both of us.

So before you think bartering for goods is dead, think about your talents. Maybe you’re not a blogger but are still interested in bartering for goods.

What can I barter?

Are you really good at teaching? Maybe offer your stylist tutoring for her child in exchange for hair cuts.
Are you a stylist and don’t have time to keep up with your lawn? See if you can find a yard man who would exchange hair cuts for grass cuts.
Are you proficient at a musical instrument? Maybe you could barter lessons for some light housecleaning.
Another idea: exchange child care evenly- you keep your friends’ kids one Friday night so she and her husband can have a date night, she keeps yours the next Friday night.

Getting started:

Make sure that both parties have realistic expectations. For example, I shouldn’t expect free hair cuts for a year for giving one hour of training to my stylist. Figure out how much each other’s services are worth and go from there.

Put it in writing. I know it can seem weird, especially if you’re bartering with a friend, but having something concrete to look back on is never a bad idea.

Give it a “trial run” period. No one wants to get stuck in an arrangement forever that they’re not happy with. Give it a month or two and then evaluate how it’s working for each of you.

The options really are limitless! I would love to know if you have used bartering for goods as a way to procure services you might not normally be able to afford, or as a way to pocket some extra cash! Let me know in the comments!

(Please note that some people will think you’re crazy and not want to barter. But many people think bartering for goods is a great idea!)