No cash? No problem, if you barter

originally posted by A. Kawlowski on http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/02/bartering.rise/index.html

(CNN) — Miriam Brown has always wanted to visit Cape Cod, but when she recently began to plan a trip and found out she would have to pay $200 or more a night for lodging, her dream vacation seemed out of reach.
Miriam Brown and her husband bartered their services for room and board on Cape Cod.

Brown, who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an accountant. Her husband is a home renovations contractor.

Like many people dealing with a soft real estate market and high food and gas prices, they just don’t have that kind of extra cash for a trip.

“I have traveled a lot in prior years, but after [Hurricane] Katrina, there’s just no money for traveling,” Brown said.

So she still plans to go, but she won’t spend any cash at all on lodging.

Brown has joined the growing ranks of Americans who are bartering — trading goods and services without exchanging money — as a way to cope with tough economic times.

Brown posted an ad in the barter community last month, offering to trade her accounting skills and her husband’s knack for home repairs in exchange for room and board on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

She has lots of company.

“When the economy turns unfriendly, users become far more creative to get their everyday tasks done,” Susan MacTavish Best said.

Swapping ‘to get by’

Other Web sites that put Americans in touch with like-minded people who are willing to trade everything under the sun have also seen a boost in traffic.

“I think a few years ago it was more for fun,” said Jessica Hardwick.

“But we’ve seen a real shift in the last year, and especially an increase in the last few months, where I think people are really doing it to get by.”

Some of the most popular items to trade for late this summer were school uniforms, which some parents found they could not afford to buy for their children, Hardwick said.

Experts aren’t surprised Americans are becoming more financially creative during an economic downturn.
Dealing with the economy

• 67 percent of consumers have haggled in recent months, compared with 33 percent in 2006

• 61 percent of consumers now regularly use a shopping list, compared with 35 percent last fall

• 70 percent of shoppers now look primarily for “the deal” in the Sunday inserts, compared with 51 percent last fall

“Historically, when times get tough, you see a 50 percent-plus increase in bartering as a way for people to be able to buy things or get things and do it economically,” said C. Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group.

The company talks with thousands of consumers every week to gauge their spending habits and attitudes.

A couple of years ago, many Americans had $500 to spend at the end of the month, but that money has evaporated because of rising prices, Beemer said.

“We’ve never had a time, at least in my lifetime, where you have food and fuel going up at the same time. So it isn’t a question of buying things, it’s a question of buying nothing,” Beemer said.

Breast implants and a horse

Businesses have long recognized the benefits of bartering, and there are hundreds of barter networks set up across the country to fill their needs.

They use barter credits as currency, so a plumber in need of a filling doesn’t need to search for a dentist’s office with plumbing problems to make a deal. He can fix a leaky pipe for one member of a network and use the credits he earned for that job at any other.

“Really, there are no limits to it. We trade for just about anything you can think of,” Michael Krane said.

Bartering on this scale is also robust in tough economic times. Krane said his exchange has seen a 20 percent rise in barter transaction volume in the first six months of this year.

A longtime client is Thomas Forrest, an orthodontist in suburban Pittsburgh who barters his services for everything from office improvements to stationery. His practice hasn’t been affected by the economic downturn, Forrest said, but some of his patients seem glad to be able to visit him under the barter arrangement.

“I think if you have a business owner who has children in need of braces, I sense a gratitude that that’s available,” Forrest said.

Barter exchanges must carefully document all trades, since the Internal Revenue Service considers income from bartering as taxable. However, a barter exchange “does not include arrangements that provide solely for the informal exchange of similar services on a noncommercial basis,” according to the IRS.

In New Orleans, Brown and her husband are getting ready to go to Cape Cod after finding a taker for her bartering offer. The couple will work five hours a day in exchange for staying in “a beautiful three-bedroom house right in the center of it all,” Brown said.

“We can do a lot more if we don’t have to pay for room and board,” she added.

Originally posted on http://www.usmagazine.com/momsbabies/news/edie-falco-i-buy-unisex-clothes-for-my-kids-to-save-money—needs-pic-2010287

Edie Falco: I Buy “Unisex” Clothes for My Kids to Save Money

Edie Falco doesn’t go overboard shopping for her children, Anderson and Macy.

“It’s hard to justify spending a lot of money on kid’s clothes because they grow out of them in five minutes,” Falco, 47, tells UsMagazine.com. “And my kids don’t really care what they wear.”

“So I occasionally buy something for my son and he wears it until he grows out of it, and my daughter wears it,” the Nurse Jackie star goes on. “I just make sure that it’s unisex.”

Falco, who adopted her Anderson in March 2005 and Macy in April 2008, says she asks her 94-year-old grandmother for parenting advice.

“[She] raised five kids who back in the day was doing everything. Grandpa was out making the money, and grandma was feeding one kid with her hand and rocking another kid in the cradle with her foot,” says Falco.

“She would explain to me about patience. It’s about teaching yourself to be patient. We all move at a pace and get used to it. And then you’re with kids who have their own schedule and own time frame. Part of me wants to just say ‘C’mon let’s go.’ But they’re not having it.”

“You can come to loggerheads if you don’t learn how to breathe and learn how to let them take the time they need. You have to let them be sometimes — to let them look at a book to let them brush their teeth,” adds the Emmy winner.

Originally posted by Jules Vandermint on http://tinyurl.com/25wwwh4

Some Top Advantages Of Using Bartering For Your Small Business

Barter is something that is becoming an increasingly popular method of commerce. If you would like to take advantage of the benefits of using bartering for your small business then this is certainly something you could look into. As such, here are some of the benefits that you will see when doing so.

One of the main benefits is the fact that barter increases new business opportunities. You can attract customers and referrals who would not have known about your business had you not joined a Barter network. Members of the network will be a lot more likely to choose you over your competition as there will be no outlay of cash and you can instead use Barter credits. This will then increase your cash sales due to the additional exposure and through referrals.

Your customer base can therefore be massively expanded through your network as well. While you can maintain your current base it will be possible for you to add new customers and new clients into your business through referrals and good word-of-mouth.

You can also improve on your current way of life through joining a network like this as well. You can use your barter credits for any sort of service that you want in the network. And even if it does not, you are able to recruit any other business into the network. In many cases, by doing this you may even receive a bonus for doing so in the form of credits.

If you are interested in joining a Barter network then it is probably best to do your research online. This is another benefit and you do not have to live in the state in which the network operates in order to take part.

All in all, these are some of the primary advantages that you will see if you want to use bartering for your business.

Writer Jules Vandermint describes herself as a “versitile author.” Jules enjoys writing about just about anything including previous articles about , 4 mil poly bags and clear poly bags.

Originally posted on http://mioritausa.com/how-to-afford-summer-camp-in-a-recession/

How to Afford Summer Camp in a Recession

When you think of summer camp, the word “affordable” probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. And if you’re like other parents concerned about money in this awful economy, you might be wondering how to afford summer camp for your kids this summer. But don’t worry!

There are many things you can do to make the cost of camp more affordable and lesson the financial burden of giving your child a fantastic camp experience this year. Here are three top strategies you can use to save money at camp for your kids right now:

Early Bird Discounts

Early bird discounts are perhaps the best known and highly publicized of your available summer camp discounts. Here’s how Early Bird Discounts work.

Camps generally offer two sets of tuition rates: the regular price, and the Early Bird Price.

If you sign up for camp by a certain date, the Early Bird Price can save you money. For example, one camp in Los Angeles charges $5 per day less when you sign up for camp by March 1.

Since the price increases by $5 per day after March 1, it obviously it pays to sign up for camp sooner rather than later!

Barter

In bleak economic times (like this recession!), bartering can be one of the smartest money-saving strategies you can use. Summer camps want to save money just like you do, so this is a win-win strategy for you both.

Maybe you own an advertising agency and you have a few kids you’d like to send to camp. You might be able to provide advertising services to the camp in exchange for a fantastic camp experience for your kids.

Here’s another bartering concept that actually happened last year. A day camp in Los Angeles needed a nurse, and the nurse wanted to send her kids to camp. So the nurse ended up working at the camp and sent her kids in exchange.

The best way to start bartering is to consider what you might have to offer, and then pitch your idea to the camp director. He or she might be very open to your suggestion!

Sibling Discounts

Most camps offer sibling discounts, but they may not advertise the fact these discount are available. So, if you have more than one child attending camp, make sure you ask the camp director if they offer sibling discounts.

The discount will vary from camp to camp, but generally, the most common sibling discount we’ve seen is 5% off each additional camper beyond the first child.

Five percent may not sound like a lot, but given how much a high-quality summer camp experience costs these days, 5% off can save you a load of money!

Hopefully these three money-saving tips will help you save money off your camp tuition this year. Good luck!

Originally posted by Sequoia on http://tinyurl.com/24blygt

4 Ways to Succesfully Barter for Real Estate

If you are short of cash, it is possible to barter for real estate. You may not qualify for a mortgage that covers the purchase price, or you may not have enough cash for the down payment. In these scenarios, you may be able to barter for the real estate you want to purchase.

Step 1: Determine What Part of Deal to Barter

There are many different parts of the transaction that you will be able to barter including the down payment or a discount on price, commissions or closing costs. You can barter for part or all of the real estate purchase.

Step2: Determine What to Offer

For bartering to be successful, you must offer something of value that the other party will accept in exchange. The most common items used in barter are cars, boats, services, goods or other properties.

Step 3: Determine Value

Both parties must agree to the value of the item that is being used in the barter. Value can be determined by appraisals, sticker cost or comparables. The value will be used to determine the monetary value offset in the real estate transaction.

Step 4: Exchange

The attorney or title agent handling the closing will need to account for the value of the barter in the settlement statement. He or she will need to verify that the items to be bartered are exchanged.

Originally posted by Shawna on http://www.atouchofbusiness.com/info/business-cash-crunch-barter?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Is Your Business Going Through a Cash Crunch? Consider Barter!

There is a new article at A Touch of Business well-worth reading during these still trying economic times, business to business barter exchanges

This new article explains how to get around in the world of bartering including what you need to know about how taxes work, how to keep track of paperwork, how to ‘price’ barter exchanges along with many more tips, hints, guidelines, and packed full of resources.

Although bartering has been around for hundreds of years, it has regained new growth as a way to get what you need without spending cash—cash you may not have at the moment.

Do you need a new printer? How about computer repair? Signage? Advertising media? Why not learn the ropes of how to do business-to-business bartering and save!

Read the full new article at Business-to-Business Barter Exchanges.

Originally posted by John Tomy on http://www.aveic.com/business-finance-tipse/

Business Finance -Tipse
More residential absolute acreage investors are exploring bartering absolute acreage and business accommodation alternatives as a aftereffect of the added anarchic investment ambiance for residential financing. In these affairs -to-be bartering acreage owners, business investors and business owners should brainwash themselves about choices for the business befalling costs and bartering accommodation altitude that currently prevails throughout the United States.

Environmental requirements for business accounts will be a circuitous affair for abundant business investments. Environmental issues complex in a business accommodation will primarily depend aloft the bartering lender as able-bodied as the blazon of business. Added all-encompassing requirements can appulse both the amount and timing for a bartering mortgage loan.

Tax allotment and banking statements for a business accommodation are acceptable to be a affair for all bartering borrowers. Whereas residential mortgage costs is acceptable to absorb alone claimed tax returns, a lot of business costs will cover a analysis of business tax allotment as well. Business banking statements and claimed banking statements will be appropriate for assertive kinds of business befalling costs and bartering absolute acreage financing.

Secondary costs will generally be a agency of accepting adapted bartering loans. The use of agent costs or accessory costs is a advisable business costs action to abate basic requirements for the borrower. Accessory costs will not be accustomed by all bartering lenders.

An abrupt claim for abounding bartering loans involves sourcing and condiment of funds. When purchasing a business, some lenders will crave that borrowers certificate area the down transaction is advancing from and how continued the funds accept been in that area . If a borrower cannot abundantly accommodate this documentation, the best of bartering lenders will be added restricted.

Posted on December 14th, 2009
Original posted by: Alexander Fowler
http://www.thebizownerblog.com/index.php/2009/12/14/barter-resources/

Here are some useful resources for those looking to get started with barter.

1. Barter Agreement

When we barter through Geektime, we ALWAYS use a barter agreement. You can download the sample barter agreement (in PDF form) that we use from this site. It’s a simple one page template we found on the Internet, but it spells out who is bartering, what is being bartered and creates an official record of your trade.

2. Barter Sites

There are a number of free barter sites on the Internet, in addition to professionally managed barter clubs or barter circles. Keep in mind that the professionally managed clubs charge a fee, but handle all of the administrative paperwork AND open up a larger network of potential partners. Here’s a list of some of the freebies, (try searching for your barter clubs or barter circles in your city or region for a list of the barter networks):

• Craig’s List – the online classified giant has a free barter section for each region in which it operates.
• BarterQuest – a well designed interface designed to match up partners based on “wants” and “haves”. Easy to use and search.
• U-Exchange – a no frills bulletin board system with filtering and search capabilities.
• FavorPals - very similar to U-Exchange, with time and date stamps to indicate freshness.

3. Tax Information

Don’t forget the IRS. They want to be paid on any and all compensation you receive, including bartered goods and services. Topic 420 on the IRS website covers bartering income from their perspective.

If you have any information you’d like to add, please comment. Happy Bartering!

Posted on November 28th, 2009
http://www.trcb.com/employment/getting-the-job/bartering-instead-of-going-bust-9006.htm

Bartering is a system of trade that predates the use of money, whereby you trade your skills, services, or products for something you want from someone else.

About 25 years ago, during a recession in the early 1980s, a lot of bartering clubs sprang up, so people who were out-of-work or having financial problems could increase the funds available to them. Once people joined the group, they could turn their skills, services or products into points; then others could employ them or purchase their products using the points they had accumulated in their own accounts. And if no one wanted to use one’s skills, services, or products, they would accumulate negative points up to a cap, until they found a way for others to want what they offered. Through this system, these clubs sought to achieve a fair balance between what people were getting and giving.

As an organizer, think of running a barter service as a new business, which can be very successful if you have the skills needed to run the business, such as a good head for figures, an attention to detail for everyday operations, and good communication, marketing, and sales skills to promote the service. If you simply want to participate in bartering, you might do this directly by offering an exchange with your own contacts or try posting whatever you are offering on one of the social media sites like LinkedIn.

To determine what to list, think about what you have done in the past and list what you can offer that might be of interest to someone else. If you have a lot to offer, divide up your skills, services, or products by category and post them separately.

We recognized that a lot of people are very concerned about bartering and taxes. They even consider barter as illegal. But it isn’t. There are some parts of bartering, especially in cases of trading with services, where small businesses have to mention their exchanges in their tax computation. we are actually no expert in terms of taxes either. who actually is? But we did find some helpful information of the IRS, where you can print out a form to make sure you follow the rules of Uncle Sam.

Another great source of information is this video by CNN, where they describe bartering and different tax implications.