Bartering and Trading is Making a Strong Come Back"All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter." Bartering and trading, while not the norm for doing business in the past fifty years, is making a strong come back. With tightened budgets, people are once again bartering and trading to acquire everything from designer purses to piano lessons for the kids. The concept of bartering is not a new one. It's mankind's original business model - an ancient form of getting goods and services. The sluggish economy almost begs for bartering to make a resurgence in communities all over America. I have practiced bartering and trading many times in my life - in both good times and bad. Being a writer, I'm in a unique position to barter. I've traded my services for all sorts of things, such as photography, accounting services, kids clothes, haircuts, gym memberships, and new hardwood floors. I even bartered for a television once. Financial experts (the ones really worth their salt) are predicting that bartering and trading will soon become a common form of doing business in our "new economy." They may just be on to something. Think about it. Federal and state deficits are piling up at rapid speeds, while budgets get leaner and leaner. The American dollar continues to plummet, seemingly on a crash course. Our modern system of exchanging paper money for goods and services may be crumbling before our eyes. When the dollar bottoms out and is worth nothing, your paper money will be useless. Many Americans find themselves out of a job, putting themselves in an even tighter spot. How are you supposed to continue buying the things you need, when there is no cash flow? Work with what you've got. When you're cash strapped, you have no choice but to work with what you've got on hand. Just ask your kids. Most kids have very little money available to them, but they're experts at bartering and trading. Don't believe me? Spend some time watching a few kids at the lunch table. Bartering, when done right, can be a most valuable asset to anyone in any economy. Most of us have something to offer that someone out there will need or want. As I mentioned earlier, I trade writing services for all sorts of things. You may be an excellent seamstress or repairman. You may have bookkeeping or barbering skills that can be traded. Think about what you have to offer...it's likely that someone out there will need your goods or services at some point. Still don't know what to barter? Try this. Food is essential to human survival. Once upon a time, long before grocery stores and big-box chains, food was our most valuable commodity and cherished to the point it was considered a form of money. Given the current economic climate and global food crisis, we may be headed right back to those days sooner than most people would like to think. Think about it... people need to eat. It's that simple. In a real crisis, food supplies will probably be interrupted or non-existent. Having extra food that you can barter with will prove to be more valuable than money, or even silver or gold, especially to someone who's hungry. I can hear you now. It's hard enough to make enough money to feed your own family day in and day out, so how on earth can I manage to come up with enough food to feed my family AND have some left over for bartering and trading? It's easy. Plant a garden. Veteran gardeners will tell you that even a small garden, when given enough TLC, will produce enough food to feed a small army. Imagine having more than enough produce to feed your family, your neighbors, and your friends... with excess pounds of fresh, organically grown produce, you could barter for just about anything, in good times or bad. But, it doesn't stop there. While fresh food meets an immediate need, seeds are even better for bartering and trading. Saving seed from heirloom crops year after year gives you access to a future harvest. In these circumstances, you may just have people lining up to trade anything for your superior seeds! Just Add Dirt The Survival Seed Bank provides everything you need to get started right away. You'll only need to provide the dirt. In fact, your Survival Seed Bank will give you enough seed to plant an entire acre. (Don't worry if you don't have access that much land - that's just more seed you can save, give away, or trade!) This kit makes growing your own food easy. Our carefully selected seeds are the best of the best - not genetically modified in any way. Our seeds are pure heirloom varieties that you can plant year after year. Simply save some of your seeds at harvest, and you'll have more than enough for the next growing season. Repeat this each year, and you'll never need to buy seeds again! The 22 varieties of heirloom seeds that come in the Survival Seed Bank have been handpicked for superior performance. They include:
Our seeds were carefully selected to guarantee the best germination rates, exceptional nutritional density, and long-lasting storage life. And of course, we made sure that our seeds yielded only the best tasting, mouthwatering garden produce. We've even included detailed growing instructions so that you'll get the most out of your harvest, especially in a survival situation. Each seed pack is individually packaged using the best technology for maximum shelf life. In fact, our seeds keep fresh for 20 years at 70 degrees. Freezing your seed bank could increase the shelf life even longer. There's even a special waterproof container, should you wish to bury it somewhere for safekeeping. In a tough economy or crisis, the Survival Seed Bank will not only provide your family with enough food to live on, the seeds themselves (which you can harvest year after year, giving you an unlimited supply) will be more valuable than gold or silver. They will make the perfect bartering item. It's a win-win situation. To order your Survival Seed Bank, click here. Solutions From Science 815 W. Main St. P.O. Box 518 Thomson, IL 61285 Email us at info@solutionsfromscience.com |