Learn How to Barter for Goods and Services

[@mio.giardino]

Oh my goodness! You hit home on this one! People at my church know that I sew so one day a lady asks me to hem a few things for her, I said sure, “What do you need hemmed?” There was a list of items including a knit sweater. I did the rough ‘math’ in my head for straight time and told her…you’d of thought I was asking for her first born… “Well that’s too much!” She said, and I replied, “That’s the time it’ll take me to come over to your place, fit everything properly, go home, complete the work and bring them back to you. The sweater will all need to be done by hand and that’ll take a good chunk of my time.” She asks, “Cant you do it at my place?” Obviously wanting to save $. I said, “No I’m sorry but my machine NEVER moves as it’s very $ and I can’t risk it breaking.” She walked away. Another lady, who was listening comes over and discreetly says, “She is always looking to get things for free and thought you would do it for less than $20.” I replied, “I’m not sure where it’s in the bible but paying a ‘fair wage’ for work is what we are called to do otherwise it’s slavery.” Edit: Lesson here is know your worth and don’t be guilted from it by ‘friendship’ or ‘faith’. If you’re setting a ‘price’, be fair. If you’re ‘buying’ something, don’t cheat. There will come a day when you might need something and if you’re labeled as a ‘cheat’, no one will want to deal with you.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Sadly, I see this kind of thinking more often in fellow Christians who expect things for free from each other. It is one thing when someone is in need and we feel called to help but to go to another expecting something that is not even necessary without cost to them is pretty selfish. I had people in the various churches I have been in do the same. One lady wanted me to make her a sweater like the one I made myself. I think she thought it would be less than buying it from Walmart. The cost of the yarn alone was more than what one can pay for a completed Chinese made sweater! Once I gave her a price that included a pittance for my time, she lost interest.

[@pattyhansen7563]

I always go with this train of thought...If I approach you & offer my service/skill, then I either charge very little or nothing. If you approach me (with no prompting on my part) then I charge what is necessary to get the job done and don't feel guilty. I used to have a hard time with that, but learned that is the only way to do it. There are times I offer to do something, like cook a meal or run an errand, for my MIL & I do it on my own whim. She will try to pay me. that feels like I would be taking advantage of her so I refuse payment. It is a gift. If she requests a pie or my time canning something, then I charge her the going rate or take the amount she offered in the 1st place. it leaves us both feeling satisfied. her dignity is intact & I am not taking advantage or being taken advantage of.

[@christywright2188]

That's perfect spoken!

[@JVsNorthwoodsHomestead]

Yes! I'm learning the skill of barter from my Amish neighbors. One of them came over and installed our woodstove on Saturday. I offered him a few hundred dollars for his time but he said that he was doing it just to help us. So we came up with a way to help him back by bringing our log splitter over to his house so we can cut and split wood for him! It's weird for me because I still feel like I owe him, that's why I say that I'm "learning" the skill of bartering! Great topic because we will all need this skill in the very near future!

[@brendaweaver6294]

My sister came over the other day with some venison, fish & clothes for my 8 mo. granddaughter. So I gave her canned goods and end of season green tomatoes,handmade soap & body butter & some medicinal herbs ( one from seeds I bought from you. Marshmallow) She did not know I was going to do this. Then I explained to her this was the way we're going to get along soon. The price value ended up pretty equal. Plus she got a lesson in bartering 😊 This could be anything. Thanks Heidi! Great info!

[@brendaweaver6294]

@Rain County Heidi I've been meaning to tell you that Kaolin Clay's are awesome in soap. Especially the plain white kaolin clay. I put about 1/8-1/4 cup in a 3Lb. Batch. It gives it own wonderful scent plain & right along with any essential oil you put in. It's just plain awesome lol

[@salettamyers8845]

For mowing my neighbors lawn she brought me wheelbarrows of her horse manure that my garden beds loved- & when she has "too much" produce I dehydrate it up for her until she says you keep the rest- It helps to have good neighbors💙

[@RainCountryHomestead]

I have done that with our neighbors when they had years their apple tree was producing far more than ours so I took their excess and dehydrated up a bunch for both of us :)

[@salettamyers8845]

@@RainCountryHomestead it always shocks people when you do that- I LOVE IT💙💙

[@homesteadgamer1257]

How cool! What a great a little system you and your neighbor have!

[@anitawitt84]

I traded for my daughter’s violin lessons (her teacher was a university staff PhD) by providing a nice, home cooked meal for the teacher and her husband. If she told me she was going to have a guest, I added to it for them. Usually I increased what I was making for us to make it manageable. From fresh breads, to the main course with sides and dessert. From simple as a chicken soup with many vegetables, to New York strip steaks cooked in a tomato base-we all loved that!

[@pattyhansen7563]

I did this very thing for about 5 years for my daughter's dance studio. It was usually something a little bit special & I would just double the recipe & then our dinner was taken care of for the evening, too. They LOVED it. They miss it now that my daughter has graduated.

[@mom4him27]

My father taught me the value of bartering, all you have to do as ask. It is okay if they say no but they might say yes. If cash is leaving my pocket, it makes me ask and try to come up with creative ways. My most creative barter: I know a person with a freeze dryer and another with farm fresh eggs. My part was labor of picking up the eggs and helping prepare them for freeze drying and providing the jars and lids. We then split 60 dozen eggs 3 ways and each of us got 20 dozen freeze dried eggs for long term storage with very little money out of pocket.

[@chasinglife43]

🙌🏻 That was an Awesome barter! ✨

[@francesjuntunen4234]

My husband makes the best jerky!! He has bartered everything from jars of raw honey to car repairs for his jerky! It’s so satisfying!!

[@pamelaporter3683]

Very informative video. My husband purchased a large commercial fan which was not appropriate for our home. I suggested that we speak to our mechanic and barter for an oil change. It was a win win for us both and opened my husband's eyes to the idea of bartering!

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Such a great example!

[@bluebird2416]

Thank you for this! I do have trouble putting a value on things to the point I'd rather give them away, (I've met so many that if it doesn't come from the store it's supposed to be cheap). Also, we live in a neighborhood that, today at least, would never consider bartering for anything. This will take prayer to find a "community" willing to barter. I've been considering/meditating the Scripture Proverbs 31:18a: She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. This is where I'm starting. I appreciate you tackling this subject for us.

[@hibiscus-dreams]

Bluebird, Ikr. I have personally always preferred to make gifts and used to make personalized gifts for both family and my kids teachers. I'm not sure how much the gifting or effort was appreciated but on the flip side I enjoyed the "making" process. I have even tried in the last couple of months to ask others if they would b interested in trade/bartering but they turned it down. I think I tend to agree about the neighborhood aspect...

[@traceymariewade3435]

If we Start Bartering, we can get away from the Monetary System that has us Enslaved And used for the Past Centuries. They have Stolen our Wealth that was Our Birth Right.and Charge us for Everything under the Sun. Let's make a Change Everyone, it's Time! 🌻

[@hibiscus-dreams]

@@traceymariewade3435 I started to realize what you have mentioned a few yrs back. It was just after watching Heidi's treadle vids I started to re-consider how our society got to this point of systemic dependence... that people haven't become fully conscious of yet. (Ps: tracie- unless u deleted comment it's not showing up on this side of thread...I can only read it under notifications)

[@freefoodchef7939]

I can completely relate. I love the idea of bartering, but there are a lot of complications. For one, yard sales (while only an invitation to potential bartering) frequently don't make enough money to be worth the mental and physical wear and tear. Or if you list the items on someplace like Facebook Marketplace, there are so many people who don't show up after making an appointment. In addition, if you live in an unsafe community like I do, you don't necessarily want strangers coming by for any reason. In my case, if I met people through a group like a club or community center or church or something where the membership was usually safer, maybe a group bartering understanding could be worked out. Otherwise, since most of my things have been acquired from thrift stores, yard sales and the like to begin with, I'm probably not out much money or bartering "currency" if I just discard things in the alley next to my apartment building for others in more need to pick up for free. That way, those items are out of my space, they're serving other people who need them, and I don't have to have strangers to my home.

[@freefoodchef7939]

@@hibiscus-dreams I'm the same way. I'm 63 now, but since my early 20s I've always given food or craft gifts that I made myself -- gourmet oils and vinegars, fancy nut butters and whole fruit jams, etc. Also, needlecraft projects. Most of the time, recipients appreciate them, although I've been surprised at the number of people who seemed to think that I cheaped out by not giving them a store-bought gift. My reaction to that has always been to leave them off my gift-giving lists next time. It takes WAY more thought to give someone something hand-made for them.

[@loucilehall9281]

A lot of people think if it’s homemade it’s cheap but actually homemade is better all around. I used to make clothes and I was expected to almost give stuff away.

[@alicehayden4118]

Me too. They also wanted to look like the model on the patter when their body shape/size did not cooperate.

[@carmelprayer3724]

My husband is a carpenter and handyman and I am a homeschooling mom. We have traded our skills for hair services, eggs, beef, pork, tree cutting services, milk and bush hog services. People are willing sometimes you just have to ask.

[@wholefoodslifestyles3603]

I am trying to encourage bartering within my own community. Last year I let someone borrow my plucker and in the spring I got some of their Muscovy ducklings. I've also traded laying hens for laying ducks (trying to build up my duck flock). I traded valarian tincture for a different tincture I didn't make. I also traded labor; I needed help setting up my high tunnel so my friend and her family came over and she watched the kids and me and her husband set up my high tunnel in return I gave them a bunch of soap and canned goods (both things I made myself) and am also helping her setup a fall crafting event for the kids in our co-op.

[@PrayerOpensDoor]

Excellent video! I know this will be an eventuality in the future and feel so blessed that the Lord has arranged my retirement so I can learn and work on skills I will need to have for this purpose. You have educated such a vast amount of subjects on your channel , I thank God for you . Blessings, & love from 🇨🇦

[@amandaaskew7606]

I love bartering, and am so glad that more and more people are getting used to the idea of it.

[@DonnaMM6361]

This is probably the most important skill that any of us needs to learn at this time. I appreciate the methodical manner in which you approach laying out the thought process that we must learn in order to start even getting the nerve to barter, and doing so in a friendly and mellow manner. 😊

[@HeyHeyAlabama]

My daughter and I made little baby blankets for church baby showers. Some of the ladies liked them and wanted us to make them for their little girl's baby dolls. When they found out it cost us $40.00 for the material and we thought $20 was fair for labor, it really should have been more, they changed their minds. You could see the 'I can get that cheaper at xyz store' look on their face. Yes they can, but it was made in another country by slave laborers who literally got 2 ozs of rice a day to live on. After a while when someone would ask about a blanket we would tell them to have a baby and they'd get one.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Yep, been there with my crocheted sweaters and denim quilts. On the jeans quilt, I had one lady that thought if she just gave me all the old jeans to go into the quilt, I would do all the labor for free and of course she was not considering the cost of backing, thread, and so on either.

[@blessedbloominghomestead9134]

We bartered with other vendors when we did craft shows. I’ve traded oil lamps, wind chimes, jewelry, beadwork, painted gourds… for soaps, cutting boards, and various other items. I bake bread every week and my friends have given us fertile chicken and turkey eggs once for a couple of broody hens, along with a rooster. They have also supplied us with a nice elderberry bush, and the berries. We also swap produce and herbs. Another thought is when we start our seeds this year to plant more than we need and sell or trade the extra plants. Great topic! Many Blessings!

[@joanhoughtaling9686]

Your skirts are beautiful!

[@brendaeddy274]

My most recent barter was just today. A friend had some nice brewing bottles perfect for my kombucha, so we traded some of my kombucha for some bottles. Another friend traded me eggs for my Elderberry syrup. 🙂 Another more pricy barter is trading my husband's plumbing service for a 3 compartment sink we've been wanting.

[@trishthehomesteader9873]

Thank you Heidi!🙂 I was in an online discussion just yesterday about this! It started from a video of an antique table that had numerous secret compartments all still working!🤩 There was a craftsman in the group who made an excellent point. He said most of this kind of artistry has all but disappeared because people can buy a cheap Ikea table for much less. In bartering, I believe this is where the disconnect occurs. We seem to think that everything should cost the same as something mass-produced. We also have changed our perception about what we need vs what we want. 'Commoners' used to only have 2-3 dresses/shirts and one of those was a Sunday-go-to-church dress/shirt.☺️ In the long run, economically you'd pay the same for 3 quality dresses as you would for 10 junk ones.😉 Love and blessings!💜

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Well said Trish!

[@angiecreech-collier7000]

When I lived a bigger city, I used to barter with my Veternarian! He was a childhood friend that had moved to our city and opened a practice. I would sometimes babysit his kids and one time gave him our kids out grown play set. There are so many things that you can do if, like you said, “Think Outside The Box”😉

[@MsHomesteader]

We have practiced barter for years, many times we trade our manual labor for a product. My husband just traded his labor on repairing hydraulic farm cylinders for two ton of hay. If both parties are happy then nothing else matters.

[@Traditionally_Tanya]

Oh my word! So excited to find & follow your channel! Your skirts are my girls & my favorites! I will be emailing you! 😊

[@karenmckneely5874]

Sounds like good old fashion Friendship to me. I’m glad I grew up when I did. We loved our neighbors it was no effort to help one another it was common. Today is so sad.

[@TheCajunHomestead]

I learned some bartering skills from my Parents and Grandparents , all had tradable skills. whether it was bookkeeping skills cooking , sewing mechanical and welding skills all four had skills that could be traded for other items even though they all had full time jobs. In history there are examples of people such as black Smith’s barbers doctors school teachers a lot of occupations actually trading their skills for food stuff and other items that they did not have time provide for themselves.

[@valholla4499]

This is such a great topic. Love your purple outfit today!

[@homesteadgamer1257]

Such a great point about considering time spent. NEVER sell your hard-made products short, especially if food disappears from stores because you need to be able to feed your family. That cheesecake recipe I shared on another of your videos, a LOT of people ended up loving it and my mom and a couple of her friends wanted me to make them a few times a year, often in the same season. They were wonderful and paid me for it, but my mom kept pressuring me to make it an official business. But the time it took to make ended up being 5 hours of actual labor PLUS overnight (8+ hours) soaking the cashes so I could use them for the recipe. That might sound like a long time of actual labor for a vegan cheesecake, but I made everything from scratch and often it was homemade chocolate (coconut cream, coconut oil, stevia, cocoa powder) took the longest because it has to be Just Right, and that included freezer time for the crusts to set and so on. So the $35 they paid me was not worth it in terms of hours spent, and that's excluding cost of materials. It came to $2.69 an hour for about 13 hours total. My mom was shocked when I told her I didn't want to do that for a living because it was just too hard to do that every day, not to mention if I had like 3 or 10 orders in one day. She was even more shocked to hear how little I actually made just with one cake. With the cost of the materials for each cake being about $22, that meant when someone paid me $35 for a whole cake, I only actually got $1 an hour for 5 hours nonstop labor and 8 hours waiting for the cashews to soak so I could use them AND about an hour trying to navigate sometimes 3 stores trying to find the coconut cream and raw nuts and dates, which were not exactly easy to find in my town. The point of my little story is to urge no one to sell their services or good for only a friggin dollar. You can't barter with a dollar, not enough to sustain you for awhile until you can find another person to barter with or for another batch to whatever you make to be ready. Do NOT sell your hard work short. If you put hours into whatever you're selling, then you've put your heart and precious time and precious resources that may be hard to come by in the future.

[@judithvallembois2744]

Thank you for good solid information. You are right of course. It wasn't cost effective for you at all because if the intensive labor involved. I am new at this barter business but love the idea if it.

[@homesteadgamer1257]

@@judithvallembois2744 Totally! The idea of it sounds awesome! But honestly I can't imagine being like, back in pioneer days and being the husband who trekked for days through the snow to go trade furs and having to wait to see how honest the closest shopkeeper is. BUT I just bartered today with a local lady for smoked cheese for some of the rabbits I raise. So far it's not scary lol!

[@latishamom2eight127]

I would love your vegan cheesecake recipe!!

[@monagriggs6352]

Hey Heidi & thank you for doing this video on bartering 🥰🥰

[@cindybehn9801]

I love that you were wearing! Wow! Beautiful. Love what you made! In fact all of your clothes that you have made are lovely

[@cindybehn9801]

The first one I saw was amazing

[@nenamisabell6595]

Trading kids clothes is always helpful for families. 💚

[@chasinglife43]

Wow! This is awesome Heidi. This is a really important skill that people need to learn in case of a crisis situation / grid down, etc. It’s an important skill any time really. I’ve always felt somewhat uncomfortable negotiating prices in non traditional settings. Bartering feels to me, a step beyond that,so is even more intimidating. While the concept seems like an easy thing, you’ve discussed many points that I don’t think are ever considered. Thank you so much for this great video! 💖

[@christywright2188]

Heidi, It's almost deer hunting season here in Salem Missouri and so I had a taught. I mentioned to my son in law that I have a meat grinder and was willing to provide the service of grinding up deer.meat in return for deer meat. I think this is one of the great ways everyone could benefit. I appreciate everything you do and share, thank you and blessings. Missouri Wrightchk

[@pattyhansen7563]

I have done this extensively. Babysitting is a good one, housekeeping, weeding/tending a garden or livestock, trade plants or seeds.....A lady I know wanted help picking blueberries from her For-Pay U pick orchard. I pick on shares. I pick for her to supply her customers orders & I get to keep half of what I pick & she lets me bring whom ever I want with me. This helps me share the bounty with my friends & family (I let them keep their 1/2 of what they help me pick for her.) The dance studio my daughter attended was very excited to barter with me. I brought a home cooked dinner & dessert 1x weekly in exchange for a significant portion of tuition. It was a very expensive studio. They loved it because I am a great cook, well versed in many ethnicities of food. they were stuck at the studio until 10:30 pm with no options but fast food. At the end of my daughter's last year of dance, I provided them with a handmade cookbook of all their favorite recipes. In addition, my daughter helped as the seamstress assistant, to offset the cost. Even tho she doesn't dance anymore, she still works in the costume dept & they gift us with tickets to the major perfomances. I trade fresh produce all the time. I paid for my other daughter's saxophone lessons with home raised pork. You just have to get creative & make the offer. Sometimes people will turn you down, but often there is a great element of surprise. the big thing is....Gain Some Skills! It will make your bartering more welcome.

[@allieville9864]

Wow what stunning skirts, every single one, Wow!!!!

[@vickinorris5878]

When my 2 kids were taking piano lessons (30 min each), I would go an hour earlier and help their teacher organize her house.

[@opalezell2166]

Thank you. I need this video.

[@jordancooper7812]

Thanks so much for this! I’ve been considering doing this for awhile but been hesitant about asking & unsure of my skills or products or services.. After watching this & finding Barter Up on social media, I feel a lot more confident in stepping out into the barter scene 😅

[@hollyheise8792]

I love your skirts! I will design my own skirts. I need to sew more than I have sewn. I will expand my skirt selection. Thank you for this Idea. I have subscribed.

[@sallyeblen7032]

thanks for sharing

[@allieville9864]

Excellent Proverb verse at the end!!

[@howardjohnson2138]

Super Thank you

[@donnasalvador3070]

so smart. shared.

[@COWELLGIRL]

Yes ! Very important!!

[@Macel_Garcia]

This is very timely. I have to learn and start doing this. Thank you 💕 Blessings

[@dawncierelli1510]

I've actually been bartering for years! when I had my businesses I did it as well it's a great way to live

[@dawncierelli1510]

the fact that I have Bartered for years Heidi? I never questioned the price or the swap especially if I'm getting something homemade handmade

[@kmiller6002]

Thank you Mrs Heidi... I definitely need to learn more about bartering 🙏 Kendra

[@bonneymoseley1159]

OK I JUST GOTTA SAY THIS!!! I LOVE PURPLE AND I LOVE YOUR ARAY OF PURPLE ON TODAY!!! Oh yes thank you for your information on bartering!

[@serenitysealed485]

Heidi, you are worth your skill set and time over the base price of goods, shipping.

[@kellyyoungblom4469]

I love this! I recently traded bottles of homemade wine for service on my moped, and we traded our eggs for maple syrup from a neighbor. Edited to add: I always appreciated help. My mom would come over and bring tomatoes and help me make very large batches of salsa and she would take a part of what we made.

[@stephanygates6491]

I've been collecting old hand tools for years, partly to end up with the best examples, but also with the intention to offer the rest as barter if the need should arise.

[@joanhoughtaling9686]

I used to barter as an art quilt designer

[@chrismaryb.7409]

Thanks Heidi 😊

[@pennylaur7687]

I have grapes in my yard I hate to pick because of spiders. and fruit trees.getting older n dont like getting on a ladder. Im thinking maybe someone would be willing to help pick them if I offer them half of the fruit. Win, win.

[@francesjuntunen4234]

I wish I could sew like you!! Your items are beautiful!!!

[@theresaglass1831]

That was really awesome information! Thank you so much for sharing that. Definitely gonna be a learning curve to awaken those memory muscles. 🥰

[@rosegruden5575]

Your skirts are beautiful

[@ana2722]

Thank you my dear, you know I'll be seeing this video more than a few times 😃💛👍

[@daniellemarceaux7937]

This is kind of along that line of bardering my mom doesn't have a lot of upper body strength and she needed some weeding done buy her shed but when I came to these what I thought were irises showed her where I dug them up she said those are devil tongue lilies and I love Lily's because my dogs name is lily 😀 ❤ so I am getting as many Lily's as I can and o my that was lot of Lily's and she still paid me but I was happy to to have the Lily's but there is a little bit left and I will get that done when we get out of this cold season and

[@irenepeek3211]

Excellent information, thanks so much for sharing 👍❣️

[@markkristynichols845]

Loved this Heidi! Great info as always! ❤️ y’all, Kristy in Missouri zone 6b 😃🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@monagriggs6352]

Your aprons are cute too🥰🥰

[@clementinaepelle7048]

Eye opening for me! Thanks so much, Rain Country.

[@lynettetucker544]

Thanks again for sharing Heidi very interesting

[@sandivernay6569]

I've bartered house cleaning, dog sitting, and garden weeding.

[@WendyK656]

Heidi, you sure have some great ideas on bartering. My problem is I just give everything away. We don't have very many people that barter. Thank you for some good ideas

[@judithvallembois2744]

I usually just give things away too. It seems I always have free stuff coming in. So this may be one type of barter and we have the more specific type of barter that Heidi is teaching. Since the eggs I buy with money have increased tremendously due to cost increase for chicken food, there seems to be room for many different types of barter.

[@anna7118]

My dad bartered a lot and usually left the other person thinking they got the better deal…but he got exactly what he wanted and usually for just a hour of labor. (Like Pat he owned heavy machinery.) I have learned with bartering sewing to be up front with how many hours I think it will take and how much I expect the fabric and miscellaneous costs to be. I have one lady who just decides to pay cash for the total, but have traded services with some other friends.

[@joycewedel9084]

Yep.... Been bartering for over 40 years & was wonderful being a single parent of 2

[@Cindysmiths-homesteadlife]

My husband is working on a friends motorcycle for a rear tine tiller cause we just do not have the funds to buy it.

[@kleineroteHex]

You are an excellent teacher!!!

[@opalezell2166]

If you have veggies, you can trade to someone who has a tractor and disk to break up your fall garden.

[@paulone-off7286]

This is a video worth watching, thanks for the insight into bartering. This will be a survival mechanism soon the way thongs are going. I have multiple skills and really need to learn my value.

[@snoway397]

This is definitely a healthy video for one such as I that knows nothing of bordering or I'm very bad at it. [Heidi makes the world sparkle].🎇

[@tracyflenner]

Excellent video and information, Heidi. I need to work on my bartering skills abs try it out. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but never tried.

[@MrRKWRIGHT]

Good Tuesday morning Heidi. Thanks again for your advice regarding bartering.

[@howardjohnson2138]

I always enjoy your presentations

[@hickoryhillinthebigwoods-r759]

We just bartered our quail for raw milk. It is nice since we do not have goats in milk at this point.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Nice!

[@shangrilahomestead9930]

Thank you Heidi. This is great information. 😊

[@saia2205ify]

Thank you Heidi. I always wanted to understand the value.

[@potpourrioflife]

A great explanation. It is how I have always recommended charge and how I personally charged.

[@cyndiburns7932]

I sewed curtains for a barter almost 43 years ago. And the person I was bartering with got very angry with me, because she had no idea the value of the fabric and my time. Even though I only charged less than a dollar an hour, she was still angry. And stopped being friends. Too bad.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

That is very sad. I have seen people complain on social media about the cost of my skirts and it is clear they have no idea what goes into them in time AND material. People who expect local, hand made items for China Mart prices are very much disconnected from reality

[@milliemrrobinson1074]

Great advice!

[@howardjohnson2138]

I bought small bottles of booze several years ago, though I don't drink, and still have them in my closet so I can barter them.

[@jeaniepartridge6701]

Over the summer we vendors at the farmers market bartered among ourselves.

[@MichaelR58]

Good video , thanks for sharing , God bless !

[@maria_w311]

Hi Heidi 👋

[@tbone9194]

Great ideas. Thank you!

[@brightstarr57]

Great ideas! 👍

[@woodsie5796]

I bartered weekly eggs to have my dogs groomed. It worked out well!

[@rogerlyons209]

check around found out what some need. then find it trade canned fruit for it make quilt ever one want a quilt and they are easy to make but take some time

[@ediemurray1692]

Ty. You must get more for your items on that end of the country than we do.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Yes because cost of living expenses are higher here

[@monagriggs6352]

Heidi your skirts are beautiful 🥰🥰

[@lindastritzel4729]

I bartered for sod for my backyard one time. 😂

[@jeaniepartridge6701]

I used to do custom clothes so I know what you mean. I started charging too little and the clients became more demanding. I also quit doing it.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Yes, when they start getting more demanding, I find myself needing a break and needing to set some boundaries. It is one of the reasons I am not currently doing custom orders.

[@poppywallace9759]

I make custom cakes, and it is hard. People think "it's just a cake" it should be free right? Well that "just a cake" took hours and hours to plan, and make.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

ARGH! Well, if they feel that way, they can just go ahead and make it themselves!

[@BonesAndButtons]

Not slave labour. Exactly.

[@rosehavenfarm2969]

I think that's the biggest problem for artists and artisans: putting a fair price on their time and expertise. Edit: I know I've said this here before: A woman exclaimed how much we charge for a dozen eggs ($4). I told her, well, you're getting free- range, properly fed and housed hens, or fed costs, our time costs... if I charged just to break even, I would be charging $11 a dozen. (And that was 6 months ago or so.) The look on her face was priceless. Lost a customer, but perhaps she learned something. Sigh... Another edit: LEARN your value NOW, so that when you must barter (or your kids go hungry...?) you don't get cheated out of the with off your skills, time, or items.

[@RainCountryHomestead]

Right!

[@sueperkins8853]

I pay $6/dozen for free range eggs at our farmers' market (west central Alabama) and I am GLAD to pay that. Our small farmers must be able to make a profit or they cannot continue to produce our local, high quality food.

[@homesteadgamer1257]

SO true! So many people only charge about $4, too, because everyone else is and they don't want to look stingy. But you're absolutely right, the costs for feed and coop maintenance and the nutrition benefits alone are worth SO much. And to complain about $4 eggs when even stores charge $6+ for the brown eggs alone just goes to show how when you barter or sell, there is always going to be someone trying to rip you off for their benefit alone.

[@homesteadgamer1257]

@@sueperkins8853 Totally! I personally think $6 isn't a bad price for farm fresh eggs. I do, however, have an aversion to those farmers who want to charge like $46 for a pumpkin or $25 for quail eggs. Maybe it's a super-small town thing, but otherwise totally agree.

[@alicehayden4118]

Those same eggs in the Seattle area are$6-$9

[@kristinacoulthread6600]

I sell products and i have traded some for nights camping on their site. I also trade home grown veg for yoga class and I have cleaned for people in return for stuff I need. We are looking at and practice this a lot we helped some friends move house and they came to help us with the garden .we help at a community garden and jn return we get some produce when it's ready if we need it

[@michaelkaer]

I think a common denominator will be the price of eggs. In the past it may have been salt.

[@tracieshaw8043]

I try to offer things for barter rather than cash, but most people do not understand. It’s easier for them to give cash. Even now, I tithe eggs to my church rather than cash. Sadly, though, people are very eager to give me their empty egg cartons to feel good about themselves. These egg cartons come from eggs they’ve purchased at the store, rather than my eggs-which are now half the price of store eggs! 😞🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️🙄

[@brendaweaver6294]

It is hard to get people to understand bartering. I have a neighbor next door that wanted to purchase my soap. I told her I just wanted to trade her for some produce I did not have growing in my garden. She did it but wasnt sure about it all. A year later she gets it wonderfully. Sometimes it takes patience and sometimes it doesnt work. If it doesnt work well we all need money rn.

[@tracieshaw8043]

@@brendaweaver6294 Scripture says to go back to the old paths. I’m trying to exit this Beast system by unhooking from all these hooks in my jaw. Money is one of the last strongholds, so I’m waiting on The Lord to guide me (and to direct others). Bless you!

[@brendaweaver6294]

@@tracieshaw8043 yes I totally agree. I'm heading that way also but I rent a home in town,pay the utility bills. The Lord hasnt lead me out of here as yet but hopefully He opens a door. I want out of the beast system also. Still working my way as best as I can to the old ways of the Lord. God bless you.