The economy just keeps getting worse. Inflation eroded much of our purchasing power that what purchased a quarterpounder 10 years ago buys an shriveled meat that’s tinier than the cushion of your shoe. It’s for this reason that online auction sites and flea markets like ebay, atomicmall and craigslist draw crowds. People hunting for bargains find goods at rockbottom prices. That make much more sense than paying retail, right?
Just last week, I purchased some nearly new iphones as incentivized gifts. These were 16GB 3G models that had nary a scratch. Guess how much I got each one for? $300? Hell no. I paid for each one at about $170. Now that was cheap. The receipients even thought they were brand new.
But auction sites are not the only way to save cash. A new breed of service to help the consumer beat the crunch is found in the form of online bartering sites. Remember what it was like to barter? Back in primary school, you traded your ice cream or little Johnny’s frog. Today, you can trade your 4GB ipod for some writing services. You can trade anything in fact. There will always be someone needing something of yours.
So what makes online barter so attractive?
It Saves 100% Cash. Instead of spending retail or even reduced prices at auction sites, you simply trade your junk for someone else’s junk. There’s no exchange of currency. There’s merely a transfer of ownership. Think of it as a way to channel your funds to other income generating endeavors.
It Recycles Resources. Everytime you dump things in the trash, you contribute to pollution. Right now, we have enough cellphones, mp3s and laptops to create a medium sized country. Do you want to leave that to the next generation? Don’t trash your stuff. Let someone else use them!
It Lets You Gain Free Services. You don’t just barter products, you barter services. Look at your skills. Maybe someone needs snazzy graphics for his friendster profile. Maybe someone want a thesis. You can do work for, say, a second hand Asus eeePC. Cash saved!
Bartering predated the invention of modern currency. Don’t assume it’s irrelevant today. It can save not just your cash, it can save the world. Are you ready to barter?
