BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM

In a world where we’re used to swiping cards and tapping phones to pay, it might seem old-fashioned to exchange a jar of homemade jam for a haircut. But for a growing number of people, bartering isn’t just nostalgic—it’s practical, personal, and community-building.

Take Cyndi Benitez, for example. She manages the Okanogan Family Barter Faire in Washington state and doesn’t think twice about using her handmade soap to get what she needs. “I exchange it for tea, honey, earrings, scarves—you name it,” she says. One of her favorite trades? Deer fat from local hunters, which she renders into soap and then barters back to the same family.

That’s the heart of bartering: using what you already have or can offer to meet your needs, without spending a cent.

“Bartering allows us to get back to those roots as human beings who care about each other,” says Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, a professor at John Jay College. She believes in the power of bartering to restore “reciprocity, solidarity, and balance” in how we live and interact.

Find your thing: what you can offer in a barter

The first step to bartering is figuring out what you can bring to the table. The good news? You probably have more to offer than you think.

Cyndi Benitez suggests thinking about what’s in your skillset or backyard. “People trade everything from watercolor portraits to home-cooked meals to sewing services,” she says. At the Okanogan Family Barter Faire alone, an estimated 250,000 dollars’ worth of goods and services are traded every year, including big-ticket items like cars.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Homemade goods and crafts: Knit a scarf, bake bread, or make soap like Benitez.
• Food and garden items: Got extra tomatoes or fresh eggs? Those are always in demand.
• Professional skills: Graphic design, tutoring, massage therapy, carpentry, even business advice. If you use it to make a living, someone else might value it too.

Theo Mendez, who works in the music business, barters his marketing expertise for songwriting lessons. “It’s been two years and we enjoy each other’s help,” he says. Just remember: if you’re trading business-related services worth more than 600 dollars in a year, the IRS requires you to report it as income.

How to find people open to bartering

Bartering only works if you’ve got someone to trade with. The good news? There may already be people in your circle who are up for it; all you have to do is ask.

Start by thinking local: neighbors, coworkers, friends, or members of community groups you’re already part of. Alannah Hurley, who grew up in a Yup’ik community in Alaska with a rich bartering tradition, says a simple question can open the door: “Would you ever be open to trading?”

The idea often sparks curiosity. “It perks people’s ears, like, ‘ooh, intriguing,’” she says. “And they start thinking about what they could swap.”

You can even turn a potential purchase into a trade. If someone is selling something you want, you might try saying, “We could do this in cash, or I have a more exciting idea: What about bartering for it?”

The worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised how many people are open to a different kind of exchange.

Make it a fair trade

So, you’ve agreed to a trade. Now what?

The key to a good barter is making sure both sides feel like the exchange is fair. That means having an honest conversation upfront about time, energy, and value.

Say you’re a massage therapist, and your neighbor is a carpenter. How many massages equal rebuilding your deck? Talk it through. “Whatever the trade looks like, you want it to be respectful and reciprocal of time, effort, and energy,” says Hurley.

Behind every service or handmade good is often more labor than meets the eye, especially when something is crafted with care. Acknowledging that helps keep the relationship strong and the trade worthwhile.

Keep the kindness flowing

Long-term bartering can become a beautiful part of your community rhythm. Just ask Jan Nelson. Who has been bartering with neighbors in Wisconsin for 40 years.

Her secret? Go the extra mile. “Return that favor, but one-up it,” she says. For her, that might mean gifting someone handmade mittens after they helped her stack firewood. “You don’t start out by saying, ‘Oh, you look like you need help.’ You start out by asking for help, then returning it in kind, plus one.”

This mindset turns simple trades into acts of generosity and fosters relationships that go far beyond the exchange.

Ready to trade?

Bartering isn’t just about saving money (though that’s a big bonus). It’s about creating a more connected, creative, and compassionate way of getting what you need while helping others do the same.

So next time you want something, don’t reach for your wallet. Reach for your talents, your garden surplus, or your handmade treasures. You might find that what you have is exactly what someone else needs.