Saturday, October 15, 2011

Should you be getting extra for barter?

I read about it all the time.  Get extra for barter.  Almost to the point of hoarding something that you use but you can also use it as something to trade.  I was thinking about it today.  I keep reading that I should have extra seeds and bullets so I can trade them for something I need.  While I agree that I need to stock up on what I use and may need, and get extras to share, I don't quite agree with the theory of getting as much of certain items as I can get my hands on so I can barter for something else. 

I will try to have extra.  In fact, my motto is that unless you have enough for your expected lifetime (or the lifetime of the product) then whatever you're collecting isn't too much.  But do I really want to get two or three lifetimes worth of seeds, bullets, or whatever so I can trade?  Wouldn't I be better off spending my money and effort getting enough of what I need? 

Sure you should plan on having extra to be able to give away to family or friend that runs a little short on something but do you really need to start stocking up on the extras before you stock up on your own basic needs?

The kids were good today so they got to go to the football game.  We even went out to dinner!  Taco Bell.  Five items, two for each of them and one for me.  Came to a grand total of $5.25.  They were very excited about being taken out to fast food.  Normally the only time they eat something not home prepared is when we travel, and even then we usually bring our own food.  Driving less than an hour to attend a football game doesn't constitute out of town travel so they thought it was extra special.  

5 comments:

  1. I think it's hard enough to have enough for your own family at time, so adding a bunch of stuff doesn't fit into my plan. If you happen to have extra for barter or charity, great, but to put that into part of your storage plan isn't a good idea (to me).
    A few people I know love to buy ammo and guns. They always ask me if I saw this or that special, or want me to check out what they got for the latest gun or gun-type gear. They only have 3 months worth of food and tell me it's hard when you have a family.... uh, that m4 thingy you just picked up could have added a year or more worth of long term food storage.

    Maybe I'm selfish but I think it's all about the survival of my family first and until that's set in concrete I'm not planning on getting extra for anyone else.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can't afford to get the things people want: cigarettes and booze, for exmple. So what I have started doing is canning things that I can barter, but don't necessarily eat myself. I am diabetic, so that means I can jams to trade. I also just did a bunch of candied jalapenos. I think sweets will be highly desired, but if I stockpile those, I will eat them!!!

    I wouldn't barter things I don't want people to know I have.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kris, I'd like your candied jalapeno recipe if you are willing to share it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Extra beans and rice are really cheap. For 25 bucks you can get 500 servings of food. We have lots of that if someone comes by looking for food. They can do some work and we'll supply them with a good meal with rice, beans, and tortillas. Cheap, easy, and filling.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm all for taking care of yourself and your family first but you are going to need things and to barter is the best way of getting them. Cheap things like needles and thread, fishing hooks, twine, and rope are all good things. They don't take up much room and people are going to need them and will trade you for what you need to get them. They're also cheap and you can pick up a few every time you're in that area of the store. Anyway, just an idea.a

    ReplyDelete