Disaster Skills: Pros and Cons of Bartering

Editorial note: Bartering could easily be part of your homesteading strategy, trading the things you grow and make for the things your neighbors have grown and made. Given the state of things, however, I’ve chosen to post it in Disaster Skills and keep the original theme of emergency preparedness. As you can see, the skill set of bartering has value in many situations. Now, back to the post.

Could you live off of the barter system? It makes an interesting hypothetical scenario. Bartering for your necessities can be traced back to pre-literate cultures at least 6,000 years ago. And surprisingly, barter is still happening in modern times through various online barter systems and networking opportunities. But could you really survive off that system, if you were out of cash? What if the electronic payment systems were down? How about after the economy crashed?

You’d have to muddle through the same barter system problems that our ancestors faced, and all of this is assuming that everyone was playing nice and acting civil (which is a hell of a presupposition if we’re talking about an emergency situation). Still, if it works - the benefits are plentiful.

Barter Benefits

  • Anything can be traded for anything, if both parties agree.

  • The barter system works under any conditions, regardless of a failure of utilities or infrastructure.

  • Barter lets you trade different combinations of services, goods and supplies for your needs

  • It can transcend language and cultural boundaries

Barter Pitfalls

  • It can be hard to determine fair trades, as “supply and demand” creates a heavy impact on barter situations.

  • Some things are difficult or impossible to divide without losing value, like one live chicken or a PAIR of shoes.

  • Barter requires that both parties have a desire for something that the other party possesses.

  • Some barter items cannot be saved for the long term. One of the primary functions of money is to act as a store of value. You can’t keep your fresh eggs to trade next season, or save rice for your retirement.

  • You end up showing others what you have, which could incite theft (or worse problems).

It’s an interesting situation to consider, bartering for your needs and even for your wants. If a good trade worked out correctly, each person walks away with something valuable and willingness to trade with that partner again.

So would you trade with your neighbors and friends? If so, what would you trade?

If you’re interested in bartering, don’t miss our Disaster Crash Course - which contains an actual barter scenario in which you can test your haggling skills!

Written by Tim MacWelch First draft published on outdoorlife.com

Tim MacWelch