I have been so blessed by people who allow us to barter with them for services.  It gets a little hectic at times, but it is fun and it helps us realize more tangibly the value of the products or services we barter for.  Right now we have three barter arrangements. 

1.  We work on an organic farm once a week in exchange for organic, raw dairy products and other items as needed.  My second child and I and sometimes the oldest will go for 2-4 hours and work cleaning mostly.  We are also benefitting from the farmer's extensive knowledge as they teach  us new things.  We also get to see just how much work even a small farm can be.

I keep a barter ledger for the farm, showing number of hours vs. dollar value of goods.

3.  I work 2-3 hours per week at a Montessori school in exchange for registration and suppy fees for our youngest to attend there 3 days  per week for 2.5 hours each day.  Actually now that I am working over lunch time she gets to stay an hour longer on 2 days and get "free" lunch --which she just loves, I'm not soooo thrilled with.

In addition to receiveing services, I have decided to formally offer this same opportunity to other families.  I teach Bradley Natural Childbirth classes and in our area the other teachers are insistent on charging a rather high rate which makes these classes unachievable for many young couples.  I will therefore be adding a barter or partial barter option for  those who can't afford the higher cost.

I would be delighted to hear about other people's experiences with bartering.  Positive or negative.  I think there is an opportunity for a whole "off grid" economic system to develop in local communities.  And as our financial system gets more and more shakey I suspect that barter will become  a norm not an exception or an oddity.

Thanks for reading and sending me your comments on bartering.