• About
  • Advertise
  • Guest post
  • Contact
  • Privacy policy

Make Money Your Way

Choose the way. Earn more. Start today.

It IS a crisis, time to barter!

September 24, 2014

It IS a crisis, time to barter!

Something I often hear in the village is “there is no money”. But I found out people rarely realize how much they have to offer in terms of bartering. They have coconuts or avocadoes in their garden, they grow hens and pigs, and most guys have worked in the fields so they are able to clean weeds with a machete. For another guy who may not have money either but could give them a lift next time they need to go to town, or grind their corn into flour for tortillas.

I love the bartering economy, and as I said in this post about how BF is the king of barter, I think one of the most important things about bartering is finding what the other person has and doesn’t want, or can create, and that you find of value. Tonya is bartering her video editing skills for a gym membership for example. Both parties find value as it cost the gym close to nothing to have an extra person go there, and it is super easy for her to make awesome videos.

On our land development, we would accept that a guy works for us for a while in exchange for his monthly dues of a plot. Or we would trade in a car. The guys who dug a well last summer said our land was beautiful and they would love a plot. So next time we dig a well we can offer them a plot in exchange for digging.

Here is how you should proceed if you want to give the bartering economy a try.

 

Bartering 101:

1. Find the things you value. I value travel. So every time I recommend Airbnb to a friend or a reader, they give me a $25 travel voucher. But if I were not a travel addict, I would have little use of those vouchers. So I am happy to barter my online promotion skills for travel vouchers. Take it one step further. I could pitch hotels for free nights, in exchange for a review on my blog. Hotels in Guatemala in particular, as I get a lot of traffic looking up my page on relocating and traveling to Guatemala.

2. Value the things you need: Following on my hotel example, if I were to pitch a $15 a night hotel for free nights, I wouldn’t be making a good deal. I’d rather write an online post about credit cards and make a referral fee month after month out of it. But if I were to pitch a $100 hotel and get 3 free nights, then it would be tempting.

3. Value the things you offer: Now I am up pitching the hotel. If sponsored reviews are usually worth $250 on my site, I am offering them a $250 value in exchange for a $300 value on their side. We are roughly even, except they have operating costs. They still need to change the sheets of the room, clean it, and pay for the electricity I used. It may cost them $25 to do so. In exchange, they don’t have to pay me $250 to write a sponsored review. So $25 out of pocket brings them $250 in value.

4. Sealing the deal: The key to bartering is listening to what the other person wants, and finding a way to give them what they want. If they really want to get rid of their car, so they can buy your scooter, why not offer to take the car off their hands? By removing one barrier, you are facilitating the deal.

5. We all love cash: If the offer is unbalanced (a car for a scooter), add a little cash on top to sweeten the deal. Your $1,500 car for my $800 scooter, and I give you $500 cash. Sure it is not the $1,500 you were hoping for, but you don’t have to list it, attend buyers and time wasters, answer a zillion questions, and we can close the deal today.

6. You can barter anything: We often underestimate how much we have to offer when it comes to bartering. A week in your empty holiday home, an evening of your time as a baby-sitter, a month worth of storage in your basement, your website development skills even if you just have a little blog, your language skills to translate a work presentation, the produce that grows in your garden… the list is infinite. Again, listen to the other party and be creative, you surely have something they can benefit from.

 

How do you barter? What do you get in return?

Pin28
Share11
Tweet
39 Shares

Filed Under: Make More Money, Side Hustles

« Previous post
Next post »

Lovely comments

  1. Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank says

    September 24, 2014 at 4:04 am

    Never bartered yet. I haven’t found the right timing, needs, and courage to do that, but I am aiming to barter for a free stay in exquisite hotel in our area. Hope I can pull it off. You’re, by the way, very lucky to have bartered for so many things in return.
    Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted…5 Financial Tips for 30 SomethingsMy Profile

  2. Glen @ How To Save Money says

    September 24, 2014 at 4:54 am

    I love bartering, it is so much fun and you can really score some great deals if you are good at it.
    Glen @ How To Save Money recently posted…Money Q&A with J. Money (Budgets Are Sexy)My Profile

  3. Holly@ClubThrifty says

    September 24, 2014 at 7:18 am

    I barter all the time. It is crazy how many things you can get for a discount or for free with a little bit of effort.
    Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted…Could Your Family Survive on SNAP Benefits?My Profile

  4. Kim says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:04 am

    I used to barter with eye exams and glasses. I’ve gotten lots of awesome stuff that way, but I can’t really do that anymore since I don’t own the practice. I don’t know that I would call it bartering, but I do trade of child care with another parent. Between our schedules, one of us can usually keep kids if the other has to work. If we do have to hire a sitter, we share one, so it saves quite a bit.
    Kim recently posted…Owning Rental Property: Year TwoMy Profile

  5. Tonya@Budget and the Beach says

    September 24, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    I think the key to bartering is to make sure it will be worth your while and make sure you aren’t being take advantage of. I have done a couple video things in exchange for something else that I regretted, but the gym one is working out great. You need to set boundaries.
    Tonya@Budget and the Beach recently posted…Half the DesireMy Profile

  6. debs @ debt debs says

    September 24, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    It’s a nice way to help your cash flow. I just read on another blog about bartering the use of your guest room for the use of a guest room in someone else’s place. Sounds promising.
    debs @ debt debs recently posted…Travel Cheap: Went to Paris, Skipped The LouvreMy Profile

  7. Myles Money says

    September 25, 2014 at 9:34 am

    I love the barter idea… it’s ideal for me because I have no money!

    One of the things I want to do this year is travel, and exchanging some of my time for accommodation along the way will help stretch my budget further: I’m thinking of something like WorkAway which is like a matching service for people who need jobs doing and people who are willing to spend a few hours a day helping out in return for a bed for the night. Do you need any help in Guatemala?
    Myles Money recently posted…Credit VirginsMy Profile

  8. Shannon @ Financially Blonde says

    September 25, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    When I was getting my professional head shots done last year, I spoke the whole time to my photographer about my job and how I help people. At the end of the shoot, he asked if we could exchange financial planning for photography services. I LOVE my pictures, plus he also does our Christmas cards, so it has worked out great for me and we have gotten his finances in order along the way as well.
    Shannon @ Financially Blonde recently posted…Why Working Moms RockMy Profile

  9. KK @ Student Debt Survivor says

    September 25, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    We barter (sort of) with a friend of mine for dog sitting services when we’re on vacation. She watches our pets and we “pay her” in beer, snacks, and subway fare. I’ve also bartered knitted goods in the past for handmade soap.
    KK @ Student Debt Survivor recently posted…Oops they did it again: 8 Tips for Buying a Used Car on a BudgetMy Profile

Trackbacks

  1. 3 Frugal Ways to Get More From Your Business Efforts - Single Moms Income says:
    March 6, 2015 at 8:52 am

    […] … let’s not forget the fact you can go digging for coupons, network and barter with other professionals, and work with virtual […]

Subscribe by email!

Enter your email address:

Airbnb voucher code

follow MMYW in feedly

Follow MMYW on Bloglovin

RECENT POSTS

  • 3 Tips for Finding Success as a Freelance Content Creator
  • Tips for Starting a Successful Podcast
  • 3 Ways to Use Your Unlimited PTO
  • 6 Essential Benefits and Perks You Should Look for When Applying for Jobs
  • Taking care of yourself while working on your side hustle
Peratree Investment Philippines

Worth Reading

  • How I made $1,500 renting my house to travelers
  • Make money with your parking space
  • Achieving a 100% saving rate
  • Discover new ways to make money from home
  • How does currency trading work?
  • Archives


    Thank you for reading! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Never miss another post and subscribe via Pinterest RSS feed or email. Or come and say hi on Facebook and Twitter

    Copyright © 2025 Make Money Your Way · Site by Moonsteam Design