Day 4: The Barter

Today we engaged in our first barter. We have enough liquid dish soap (I might have some buried in home storage, but I haven't found it yet) and dishwasher detergent to last this week, but next week will be a challenge. So I decided to barter for both today just so I don't spend the rest of this week freaking out about "what if?"

I went the easy route and called my son to barter. At least I thought it was going to be the easy route, instead it turned out to be what I imagine will happen if I am bartering "for real, in the day." I explained that we were on this home storage challenge so I couldn't go to the store to buy these items, and I need to barter for something he needs or might need. He responded "but Mom, I don't need anything, I'm stocked up."

Now because he's my son, I could lay the Mom card down, and I replied, "well I need dish soap and detergent so I need you to think of stuff you MIGHT need or want that I would have so I can trade with you! <grin>" He thought about it and said "ok, actually I'm getting low on laundry detergent and I'm almost out of hamburger." So I brought a pound of hamburger and enough (for him) laundry detergent to last 2-3 months.

His initial response was telling though, and one of the problems inherent in a barter transaction: you have to find someone who needs or wants what you have. When I taught couponing classes I used to joke that I don't need to stock a lot of wheat, I'll stock a majority of rice; that way "in the day" I'll be bartering a 3:1 ratio with all those who have only stocked wheat." 

In any negotiation, rule #1 is, negotiate from a position of strength. That's why I chose to barter today when what I 'needed' was simply to salve my anxiety that I might need it next week. Next week I could possibly be negotiating from a position of desperation. 

On the point of desperation I'm going to remind you that you do NOT want to be out of toilet paper!! My family of 5 goes through a 1000 ct roll of toilet paper a day...just so you have a yardstick measure for your home storage. I told people when I taught couponing and now when I signed up for the challenge--I'm willing to barter with anyone for anything, except my toilet paper. In California, I would joke "they'd have to pry it out of my cold dead hands," now that I'm in a gun friendly state, I leave that sentence out, lol.

Today's barter taught me something I hadn't thought of before: establishing a network of barter-ees. I went to my son because I knew he had what I needed (since I'd stocked him up) but also because I knew he'd be willing to barter. When I signed up for this challenge, one of the requisites was you had to also be willing to barter within the group. They might have set that requirement with intention, but I think it was more accidental--done as a way to help you stay out of the store. Having a pre-designated group to barter among can be important, if only because it might save me from having to go door to door with my neighbors. 

Expanding it further, it also illustrates the importance of expanding your network including people outside your normal circle. I attend a church which has for decades, encouraged storing "the basics:" wheat, oil, sugar etc. It's only been the recent past where they have encouraged folks to store a 3 month supply of "real food and supplies." If my only network is within my church membership, I doubt I'm going to find what I need, unless I'm looking for wheat, lol. At least here in Texas regular folk are inclined to stock up a little, in California I'd be out of luck, period. 

I like storing barter items which don't cost me anything. Back in the day I used to get 45 coupon inserts a week, so it was pretty easy to build up a huge stockpile of things which make life easier for little cost, (toothpaste, shampoo, bar soap come to mind), things people don't normally think of for their food storage. These are items which I hope I could easily barter from my excess as it is unlikely "you" thought to stockpile them (current reality is I've gone through most of ours and we are just starting to rebuild.)

Life Lesson for Day 4: plan ahead so you can barter from a position of strength, focus on stockpiling food, but also include non-food items; establish a circle of barter friendly folk.

Vaya con Dios.