The internet is great for many things, and saving money is certainly at the top of the list of things that it is great for. You can research products to make sure that you purchase the one that fits your needs, and just as importantly, you can research prices so that you can be sure that you are getting the best possible deal. There are web sites that offer valuable information about managing your finances, as well as web sites that have budgeting tools. All of these money-saving things and more can be found on the internet.
One money-saving tactic that has been around for centuries is bartering, or trading what you have for what you want. Bartering tends to go in and out of fashion as the economy experiences highs and lows. Right now it is definitely enjoying a resurgence. The internet has certainly helped with this resurgence, and there are a few places that you can go online to barter. I decided to take a look at a few of them, just to see what they are like.
Craigslist is popular for many things, and bartering is one of them. If you go to Craigslist and select your geographic area, you may see “Barter” as a category under “items for sale”. You can check there to see what is available, and you can post your own bartering opportunities too. When I checked the Vermont barter listings today, there were quite a few ATVs, snowmobiles, and the like on there. U-Exchange is another free website where you can go to find items available for trade near you. I like that on U-Exchange, you not only post what you are seeking but what you have to offer in return so that you will attract responses that are likely to work out for both you and the person responding to your post. For example, if I had a motorcycle that I was looking to trade, there is someone in my geographic area that would give me a snake for it. If I don’t want the snake, there other people that want a motorcycle that could trade me some guns, a Jeep, or even a timeshare week in return. Other bartering sites that I found include Freecycle, Trashbank, and CareToTrade. While I have not seen anything that I want to barter for just yet, I will be sure to check back every once in a while in case I can make a trade.