Tip Tuesday: Your Old for New, the Art of Swaps!

I first saw the concept of swapping in an article from Parents Magazine in October of 2009. Intrigued by the idea so much, I ripped the titled page out, "Let's make a Deal." I always wanted to try swapping for myself, especially as a means of survival in this down turn economy, but never seeing the opportunity to do so.

Then this spring a swapping opportunity actually fell in my lap! One day I had received an mass email message via face book from a political acquaintance. The message read, "I started a new job this week, and need a few more tops. Anyone have some extra business-casual shirts they don't need or were planning to donate somewhere? Size S/M. I'd trade you for some of my garden produce (Strawberries, Raspberries, green beans?) or babysitting or house/yard work if you do."

Bingo...I knew this gal was as small as I used to be before I had Judah. And I just happened to have a whole bunch of non-iron, button down dress shirts along with pants and skirts leftover from my garage sale that I was still hanging onto for such a mission.

So this acquaintance, now more friend actually, came over one afternoon to go through all my clothes. I even gave her some straight out of the closet that was borderline too small. She went away with three bags full.

Then a couple of weeks ago, she dropped off fresh strawberries right out of her garden. And she is planning on bringing green beans soon as well. Since we buy fresh produce all the time, this swap is perfect to save money for our summer long desire of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Then almost simultaneously, my sister-in-law, filled me in on her own goldmine swap this spring. She got together with a whole group of friends that had just cleaned out their closets. Instead of getting rid of the clothes as originally planned, they decided to swap through the items first. She found brand new clothes from J Crew, Buckle, and others.

So I am here to prove that swapping does work. Swapping works in so many ways; you can swap objects, labor, or services. In fact people are willing out there to do it if you are. I am learning that you need to be brave about initiating the process and have a goal in mind of your end game. Offer something of value in return that you can do. Always hold up your end of the bargain. Otherwise you miss out on some neat opportunities and lose out on saving some money in the process.

Back to the article in Parents Magazine....here are some sights I might try next per their suggestion: zwaggle.com and swapstyle.com. Happy Swapping!




For more Frugal tips, visit Learning the Frugal Life!