To Make a Deal Better, Barter

If cash is tight and something you want is not in your household budget, consider bartering.

Bartering is a method by which no money changes hands, but both parties trade a good or service to everyone’s satisfaction. And the Internet is a great way to find barter deals that may benefit you or your family’s bottom line.

On May 5, for instance, a CraigsList ad was placed by a Grafton resident looking to trade, sell, or consider a best offer for a cell phone, as they are moving to where they won’t have service. Instead of hiring another employee, a Worcester yoga studio is willing to let students earn classes in return for some help around the business. In both of these scenarios, a fair trade is preferable and likely a lot less complicated than selling the phone, or advertising for what may be a very part-time or temporary position.

Another barter site is www.u-exchange.com, where you can join to post what you are looking for and what you are willing to offer. A man in the Worcester area, for example, is looking to trade dental work he needs done for carpentry work, a match made in heaven for a dentist who needs gutters replaced!

Massachusetts-based wwww.barterconnectionsinc.com works a bit differently. Members can build up credits to use for other providers of goods or services on the site. “The trade dollars you earn through sales can be used to purchase products or services from any other of our 1,000-plus members throughout New England and nationally through our member companies within our system,” the Website explains.

This way, each provider ends up with a good or service he or she really wants, such as a vacation, printing services, or auto repair work.

On a smaller scale, is there something you could barter with anyone you know? Dog walking for tutoring? Website design for car detailing?

With bartering, the sky’s the limit when it comes to savings.