Definition of Bartering

“Bartering is the process of exchanging goods or services for other goods or services without the use of money. It is a form of trade that often happens between people who are not familiar with each other and may not have access to currency. Bartering can also be used as a form of alternative currency.”

The Benefits of Bartering

In these tough economic times, many people are looking for ways to save money. One way to do this is by bartering. Bartering is the exchange of goods or services without the use of money.

There are many benefits to bartering. For one, it can save you a lot of money. If you have a skill or service that you can offer, you can trade it for something that you need instead of paying for it with money. This can be especially helpful if you are unemployed or underemployed and don’t have a lot of extra cash on hand.

Another benefit of bartering is that it can help build relationships. When you barter with someone, you are entering into a partnership with them. You are both working towards a common goal, which can help create a strong bond between you. You will be able to keep an eye out for things your bartering partner may be after and they can help you with items on your bartering list.

How to Get Started with Bartering

In order to get started with bartering, there are a few things that you will need to do. First, you will need to find someone who will trade with you. This is accomplished by finding someone who has something that you want and will trade it for something that you have. Once you have found someone to trade with, the next thing that you will need to do is come up with an agreement on what each person is going to give and receive. This is done by negotiating back and forth until both parties are satisfied. Once an agreement has been reached, it is important to make sure that both parties hold up their end of the bargain. If you back out of the agreement or change the bartered goods and services at the last second you won’t be seen as a very trustworthy trading partner and once word spreads no one will want to barter or trade with you.

Local online message boards can be a great way to advertise items you have for trade and meet like-minded people who may want to barter with you.

Tips for Successful Bartering

When bartering, it is important to be clear about what you want and what you will give up in order to get it. Be assertive but also be willing to compromise.

It’s helpful to know what the other person values before negotiating. This way, you can tailor your offer to something that they are likely to find appealing.

It’s a good idea to take stock of the items and skills that you can offer and have an idea of what they may be worth to a potential trading and bartering partner. Knowing the worth of your skills and bartering goods before you attempt to barter will ensure that you are getting an appropriate deal for the items and skills that you have to offer.

Remember that bartering is not just about getting the best deal for yourself; it is also about building a rapport with the other person and establishing a mutually beneficial relationship. Bartering is an opportunity to create win-win situations for all involved. The primary goal is to have everyone walk away from a bartering situation feeling happy.

Best Prepper Goods for Bartering

Food Items

Every culture has its own customs and traditions with food. In some cultures, food is a very important part of the social fabric. It is not just sustenance, but a way to show hospitality, love, and respect. In other cultures, food is more utilitarian. It is simply fuel for the body and not given much thought beyond that.

No matter what your culture’s relationship with food is, there are some general tips that can help you become a master at bartering with food. First, do your research. Know what foods are valuable in your area and what crops are in season. This will give you an idea of what you can offer in exchange for food. Second, be flexible. Be willing to try new things and be open to different styles of cuisine. You never know when you’ll find a new favorite dish.

Keep your ears open to what food people are asking for or complaining about the price of. This can give you ideas about which fruits and vegetables you can plant and grow and barter with in the future. Being able to grow your own food and offer it for trade and barter is a great way to up your bartering game.

Livestock and animals around the home are valuable bartering assets if you have the room to care and provide for them. If you have a small patch of grass or field, you can keep cows and chickens which can provide your family with much needed milk, cheese, meat and eggs, which will help keep your own grocery bills down and make for great bartering assets.

No matter the situation anyone is in, we all have to eat. Therefore, being able to produce and grow your own food in your garden and harvest from livestock and animals means you can shrink your grocery bill and have valuable bartering assets on hand when it comes time to trade with others.

Canned goods

Canned goods are a great bartering tool because they have a long shelf life. This means that you can stock up on them without having to worry about them going bad. Canned goods are also easy to transport, which makes them perfect for trading on the go.

For bartering, canned goods are a versatile commodity. You can trade them for other food items, or even for non-food items like tools or clothes. If you’re looking to improve your bartering game, be sure to stock up on canned goods.

Canning and Pickling Supplies

Being able to can and pickle your own goods from your garden is a great way to ensure your household will always have food on hand and make valuable bartering goods as well.

Before you can start canning, you need to make sure you have the right supplies. Here is a list of essential canning supplies:

A canner – There are two types of canners, a water bath canners and pressure canners. Water bath canners are less expensive and are good for high acid foods like fruits and tomatoes. Pressure canners are more expensive, but they are necessary for low-acid foods like meat and vegetables.

Canning Jars – You will need canning jars with lids and rings. Get the right size canning jars for what you want to preserve and have a few different sizes on hand. You will want various sized canning jars for family sized servings and individual serving sizes for lunch, snacks or condiments.

Canning Funnel – A canning funnel will help you fill your jars without making a mess. Make sure to pickup up a funnel that will fit the various sized jars your purchase.

Canning Ladle – A canning ladle will help you transfer hot food into jars without burning yourself.

Taking a bit of time to learn how to pickle and can your own food is a great hobby, cuts down on those expensive grocery bills and provides great bartering items.

Sweet treats, Home Baking and Chocolate

In order to become a master at bartering, it is important to have a few key items in your repertoire that are sure to sweeten the deal. Sweets variety packs and chocolate variety packs are always popular bargaining chips, as they are delicious and universally appealing and offer a multitude of choices to offer. Here are a few tips on how to use sweets and chocolate to your advantage when bartering.

Have a variety of options on offer when offering sweets and chocolate, so there is something for everyone. Being able to offer a variety of options will help cater to different people’s preferences.

Home baked goods like muffins and cakes will also always be a welcome sweetener for your bartering goals and is a great hobby to have in order to fill up your own pantry with delicious goods.

Sweets variety packs and chocolate variety packs tend to have a long shelf lives as well, so you can stock up when you see a good sale on them and use them for great sweet addons when you’re bartering with your neighbors.

Pots, Pans and Cooking Supplies

Cooking supplies such as pots and pans will always be in high demand in the coming years. As the recession continues, more and more people are bartering to get the supplies they need. Cooking supplies will be in high demand as people try to save money by cooking at home more. If you have extra pots and pans that you don’t use anymore, then you can leverage these into a bartering trade with a neighbor for something they have that may be helpful to yourself and household.

Toilet Paper and Personal Sanitation Supplies

Most people’s worst nightmare in survival situations is getting caught without toilet paper on hand. Stock up on extra rolls of toilet paper when you do your next shop especially if it’s on a great sale when you go to the grocery store.

Wet wipes, antibacterial gel, feminine hygiene products and band-aids will be items you will always want to have a few extras stashed away to accommodate for those who need them. They can also become great bartering items if someone is caught without these must have items.

All these items will always be in high demand and items that people always run out of so having a healthy supply of these items can up your bartering game.

Clean Drinking Water

In a survival situation, clean drinking water is one of the most important things you can have. If you have a water source on your property, then not only will your household not have to worry about water for showers and coffees, but you will also have a precious and sought after bartering item.

If you don’t have access to a water source of your own, you will want to place sourcing water at the top of the list of things you will want to barter for. There are also lots of rain collection systems that will be handy for future proofing your household as weather patterns become harsher in both winters and summers. At the very least, collecting rain water can help keep your garden and plants watered when drought situations are happening.

Fire Starters: Flint and Steel, Matches and Lighters

If you want to see your way through any emergency, you will want to have plenty of lighters, matches and even a flint and steel and on hand for fire lighting purposes. Recently we’ve seen whole city power grids go down and the frequency and intensity of infrastructure destroying storms are on the rise.

Having a reliable way to start a fire is essential for survival in an emergency. Whether you’re trying to cook food, stay warm, or signal for help, fire is a crucial tool which could save your life so keep plenty of fire starting options in your household and will become important bartering goods for anyone that is caught without a fire starting device in an emergency.

Generators, Solar Power and Batteries

In an emergency, having the means to generate your own power will be very important. With a generator or a bank of solar panels and a battery wall, you will long be able to keep the lights and heat your home.

Having the means to generate your own power opens up an entire world of interesting bartering options. If the power isn’t costing you anything to generate, then you can let people come into your home to use and charge their laptops or phones for goods or food items or anything else that you may need.

These days, gas generators and free standing solar panel setups are getting more affordable and are quickly becoming a necessity just to ride out the up and downs of power grid outages and worsening storms that seem to happen with greater frequency each year. If you can generate your own power you will be prepared for any emergency that comes your way and have access to a profitable bartering resource.

Flashlights and Lanterns

In a power outage or other emergency, a flashlight can be worth its weight in gold. But even if the power never goes out, a flashlight is a useful tool to have around the house and to keep in your car’s glove box. Here are some tips on how to choose the right flashlight for your needs.

First, consider what you will use the flashlight for. If you need it primarily for general household use, look for a small, lightweight model that is easy to carry and store. If you need it mainly for outdoor activities such as camping or hiking, look for a model with long battery life and durability features, such as waterproofing. Next, think about the type of light beam you want. A focused beam is best for long-distance visibility, while a wide beam is better for general illumination of an area.

It’s best to have a variety of flashlights on hand for emergency situations. A flashlight with a manual crank handle with a radio built in will be valuable in an emergency as you will keep up with the latest news and alerts for your area.

Being able to provide a flashlight for each member of your household, including any children present, will also help keep everyone calm in an emergency. Any extra flashlights on hand can become valuable bartering tools as well for anyone caught without one.

Candles

Candles may seem like an unlikely item to barter with, but they can be extremely useful. In a power outage, for example, candles can provide much-needed light, can help start a backyard fire and can help provide warmth for a small room in the event of a power outage.
Candles are easily transportable, reusable, and a great bartering item in emergency situations.

Wood and Materials for Starting Fires

In emergency situations where the power and heat go out, being able to build a fire in a fireplace or backyard outdoor fire pit will be an essential skill to have. Not only will it keep you warm in the event of a power outage, but it can also cook food and boil water.

To make starting your fires in a fireplace or backyard, you will want to keep a good supply of different sizes of wood and fire starting materials on hand:

Tinder material collection is a great place to build your fire starting emergency supplies and can be a great bartering resource as well. There are a lot of useful tinder materials that you can find around your household and even your own backyard. You can collect and store pinecones for extended periods of time without losing their usefulness. Old egg cartons, dried leaves, twigs and even lint from your drier can be collected and stored in old toilet paper tubes to be used for fire starting. All these items make great bartering resources in an emergency.

Besides plenty of tinder material, you will want to keep a supply of kindling on hand, which comprises mainly of small pieces of wood and sticks that can be added on top of your tinder material in order to build up your fire. A good thing to do after you have chopped your larger pieces of wood for the woodpile is to take a couple of minutes to pickup all the small bits of wood that will be lying around on the ground as these will be useful for kindling.

The main thing you will want to do to in order to be prepared for emergency situations is to keep a healthy supply of firewood stacked somewhere on your property and keep it topped up at all times. If you’re cash strapped, then there are plenty of areas you will collect pieces of firewood from old logging areas and putting the word out to friends and family that you’re in the market for any tips on where you can collect your own firewood for your stock piles and will keep you in shape while you collect, chop and store it. If you don’t have access to free firewood, then you will want to budget as best as possible and look for good deals to buy wood during the warmer months and store it until winter when the price of wood will go way up.

Having a good supply of firewood, tinder and kindling on hand will ensure your family can make it through emergency situations and have a great asset to barter with in the future.

Gardening Tools and Supplies

For bartering, having the right supplies can make all the difference. This is especially true with gardening tools and supplies. Here are a few things to keep in mind when stockpiling for your next bartering session:
First, think about what types of plants you want to grow. This will determine what kinds of gardening tools and supplies you’ll need. For example, if you’re planning on growing tomatoes, you’ll need a tomato cage, a trowel, and some Miracle-Gro. If you’re planning on growing roses, you’ll need a rose bush, pruning shears, and some rose food.

Second, consider where you’ll be growing your plants. If you’re going to be growing them indoors, you’ll need different supplies than if you’re going to be growing them outdoors.

Alcohol

Your favorite tipple can become a powerful bartering tool in an emergency. A few relaxing drinks at night can help take the edge off of an emergency. Just make sure you don’t have too much to drink if you need to take action during the night. If it’s just the power going out and you have plenty of wood on hand, it’s nice to have a couple of drinks with friends and family to pass the time. Making your own DIY whiskey and home brew beer is a great hobby to take up and very satisfying once you’ve brewed your own homemade alcohol products.

DIY whiskey and home brew beer will always be a sought after bartering asset and can help you get the items that may you may be after for your household in a bargaining situation. This is especially true if you home brew your own beer, home brew wine or DIY whiskey spirits. If you can brew your own alcohol, you be paying a fraction of the what you would pay in the stores and be able to get a great return on your sweat equity with bargaining. These days you can buy home brew beer making kits to home brew beer at home or you can check if there are local brewing shops that will supply you with the equipment and storage area to home brew wine or home brew beer and all you need to do is book in a time to come bottle it yourself normally which is a great option if you don’t have the space in your house or apartment.

Medical Supplies

Medical supplies such as a well stock first aid kit are one of the most important things to have on hand when SHTF and make great bartering assets. They can mean the difference between life and death, so it’s important to stock with a variety of medical supplies and equipment.

There are a few things to keep in mind when stockpiling medical supplies. First, you’ll need a good supply of basic first aid kit items like bandages, gauze, and antiseptic wipes. It’s also a good idea to have painkillers on hand, as well as any prescription medications you or your family members take regularly.

Besides the basics, there are some other medical supplies that can be useful to have on hand. Things like tourniquets, splints, and sutures in case of serious injuries.

Camping Equipment

Major catastrophic events like earthquakes and hurricanes can damage your home, break windows and crack walls, leaving you and your family vulnerable to the elements. In the event this happens, you will want to have a few basics of camping equipment kit tucked away in a garage or attic somewhere.

A camping tent is a great place to start. Buy an appropriate sized camping tent that will house all the people in your household or at least enough tents if you would prefer the kids to have their own camping tent. Buying a camping tent a couple of sizes larger than you think you need is a good idea as nothing worse than living out a camping tent that’s too small and can’t store all the clothing and equipment you would like inside of it.

Next must have camping item is a good quality sleeping bag. These can be picked up fairly inexpensively and easily stored for emergency situations and you will always be able to have a comfy night sleep at least.

Third would be a good camping stove and a small camping burner, so you will always be able to boil some water and cook a bit of food.

There’s no doubt that camping is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the camping equipment can become invaluable if your home is damaged in an emergency event. You will also be able to barter with anyone that is caught without these items if you have an extra tent or sleeping bags surplus to your own requirements.

Heating Devices

If your power goes out in your home, you will want to have a few ways that you will keep you warm on chilly nights. Having a few extra wool blankets tucked in the back of your linen closet is a good start. A sleeping bag works really well to keep you warm and ensure that you will be warm throughout the night as well.

Hang onto a couple of old sweaters and jerseys in a drawer somewhere or stored in the trunk of a car can be handy if you suddenly find yourself in a situation without power and chilly nights.

Keeping a kerosene heater on hand is a great idea and can mean the difference between being able to stay comfortable and being miserable.

Clothing and Footwear

In a bartering situation, what you offer is key. If you have something that the other person wants or needs, you’re in an excellent position to get what you want as well. Clothing and footwear are significant items to barter with because everyone needs them and there is always a wide variety of items to choose from.

Rain poncho, hiking boots, winter hats and winter gloves; all these items are great things to have on hand and barter with in an emergency and can easily be stored in the back of a closet or garage in the event they are needed in an emergency.

Hand Tools

In the event of an emergency, you will want to have a few hand tools tucked away, such as a hand saw, wood chopping axe, hatchet, hammer, pliers, etc. These tools can cut trees and branches wood into firewood and help you make small repairs to your home if it’s become damaged in a storm.

You may not always have access to fuel to power a chainsaw or electricity to power other various hand tools, so keep a few manual hand tools at the ready can make your survival situation that much easier and great bartering items for those caught without them.

Basic Building and Repair Materials

With bartering, having the right materials can make all the difference. In an emergency, they can be lifesaving and help you make repairs on-the-fly as needed. If a piece of your roof comes away or your windows shatter and need boarding up, you will want to have a few of these handy repair items on hand.

Here are some basic building and repair materials to keep in mind for emergencies that you will want to keep on hand. Nails and screws of various sizes, hammer, screwdriver, plywood, lumber, cement, paint. These materials will come in handy for a variety of projects and repairs on the fly. Whether you’re boarding up broken windows or repairing cracks or holes in a wall having these items on hand will make repairs a breeze and be very handy and sought after goods for bartering.

Vehicle Maintenance Tools and Supplies

Every good motorist that’s striving to be self sufficient will want to keep a few of these items handy in the trunk of their car. Jumper cables are inexpensive to purchase and easily stored and can help you get back on the road again if you’ve accidentally left your vehicle’s lights on. They are also handy items to have, as you will be able to help other stranded motorists if they don’t have any jumper cables themselves.

A car battery jumper kit is very handy, so keep it charged and sitting in your trunk so you don’t even need another vehicle present in order to get yourself back on the road.

Towing straps for towing and securing items to the roof of your car can be invaluable if you find yourself when you or someone you come across has gotten themselves stuck or you need to secure something to the frame of your car.

Precious Metals

In order to be a master at bartering, it is important to have a variety of items that are valuable. One way to ensure you have valuable items is to stock up on precious metals. Precious metals are always in demand and can trade for other goods and services. It is important to have a mix of different precious metals so that you can barter for what you need. Gold, silver, and platinum are all good options to consider when stocking up on precious metals.

The local mint will sell you gold coins so you can always have a bit of emergency funds that’s going to keep it’s value and is easily transportable in an emergency.

Pet and Animal Supplies

If you have a four-legged friend, you know they are an important part of your family and will need to various items ready to go in case of emergency. You will want to have dog food cans and dog water bottle and containers, dog lead and dog muzzle.

Luckily there are plenty of pet merchandise that’s been designed to be easily transportable when walking and hiking with your four-legged friends so making sure that these items are easily reachable in case you have to leave your house in a hurry and get to a pet friendly shelter. Having extra food rations and a dog jacket for warmth will make sure your pet will be happy in any situation and become great bartering assets with others that might not be as prepared as you are.

Entertainment

Entertainment is a necessary part of life. It can relieve boredom, stress, and tension. It can also improve one’s mood or create an atmosphere of fun and relaxation. There are many ways to entertain oneself and family in an emergency, including card games, board games, and reading books.

It’s always handy to keep a few decks of playing cards, board games and books on hand in emergency situations in order to relieve stress, relax and can help stressful situations pass by more easily.

Conclusion

When you’re bartering, always remember to be respectful and open-minded. Be willing to offer more than what you’re asking for and be prepared to compromise. In these difficult economic times, many people are turning to bartering to get the goods and services they need without using cash. However, bartering can be a tricky business, and unless you’re prepared and know what you’re doing, you could end up getting the short end of the stick. The tips in this article will teach you how to improve your bartering game and become a master.