Bartering: Gets You Things You Need ...

... and releases you from things you don't.

Bella was able to barter in her local coupon group this week. She had Free Item coupons for cat food and something else cat related (it's slipped her mind). Bella does not have a cat. She wants a cat. But the Husband would be itching, and scratching, and sneezing. There is no cat.

She put a shout out, and was able to swap the unneeded coupons for the following items:


She is very happy with not having to pay for baby wipes again, and the rest of the stuff was a nice bonus. The baby coupons were very welcome too!

Sometimes saving money is not a case of what you know, but WHO you know. Or at least being in an active community of like-minded people. You might want to search the yahoo groups to see if your area has an online group dedicated to couponing/saving money.

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Bella's Tips For Bartering

1. Make sure it's fair - preferably value-for-value or like-for-like (if you're not comfortable with the swap re-negotiate, or decline politely);

2. Make it clear what you have and what you want;

3. Barter for things you need and will help reduce your budget;

4. Keep an account of your barters, they should be claimed during tax season;

5. Find a local group, or create your own this will help eliminate shipping costs (plus you'll make friends and contacts);

6. Have fun! Give yourself a pat-on-the-back for getting things for your family, without pulling out your purse/wallet!

Happy budgeting (bartering) and freebie hunting!

Want to read more about Bella's Bartering? Click Here!

Entered the giveaway yet? Still have more entries to use? Click Here!