Bartering has been around a lot longer than money. I've talked about it before and I remain a fan of this system because it works.

With the economy being what it is and the road to recovery appearing somewhat longer than we had all hoped for, alternative methods seem more and more attractive.

It' surprising what you can barter for. When my truck got wrecked, I traded a body shop owner a set of office cabinets to put it back on the road. And he even bought the materials! I once traded a coffee table for a new set of tires. At the 250,000-mile point my truck engine gave out and I traded cabinet work for a new engine with the mechanic.

It might not be possible to trade for everything you need. The local supermarket might not be interested. I'd be amazed to hear of a bank trading for mortgage payments. But trading for all or part of a particular need can work in many situations. It's a card that can be played in many ways. But it needs to be tossed on the table. You might be surprised at how willing people are to trade goods and services.

D.D.