People have been bartering for centuries. Humans know this is an excellent way to obtain products and services they need without money. They can trade a skill they have for these products or services.
Every person needs to Be Prepared today. Countless individuals are finding they must choose between necessities, as their paychecks can no longer cover all that they need. While hyperinflation is less of a concern today than it was a year ago, money remains tight. Why is this important?
The Cost of Living
When a person looks at the Consumer Price Index for the two years ending April 2023, they find essential items have increased in price by 20 percent or more. This includes gas, utilities, and groceries. All items included in the index increased by 13 percent during that period. With prices so high today, people are finding they can’t prepare for emergencies as they have done in the past.
During this period, people might have dipped into their savings to pay for items they needed. Every person must have food and shelter. Picking up non-essential items to store for an emergency has been pushed to the back burner. Being able to barter has become more important as a result. What skills will be in high demand during an emergency?
What is Bartering?
Before determining what skills will be required, a person needs to understand what bartering is. Bartering is the trading of goods or services. No money is involved, which means any person with skills can obtain the items and services they need even if they have no cash.
A person might assume bartering is no longer a common practice, but they would be wrong. Individuals in Greece returned to the bartering system in 2011 during the country’s economic downturn. Some towns established a formal barter network.
Greeks aren’t the only ones who turn to this ancient system. Venezuelans also returned to bartering in recent years. Runaway inflation destroyed the country’s economy, and many people realized they must find other ways to obtain goods and services. As bartering is a well-established practice, this is where many people choose to turn.
Valuable skills are in high demand during times of crisis. Which skills may be the most valuable? Many factors play a role in this, including the type of crisis. However, the following skills remain in high demand in most emergencies.
Home Repair Skills
Many homeowners lack the skills to fix things around the home. Some problems a person can leave without worrying that additional damage will be done. Others, however, require immediate attention.
For example, if a branch falls on the home and destroys a portion of the roof, it must be handled right away or water will begin entering the residence. The same holds when one or more outlets are smoking in the home or a toilet will no longer flush. A person who can fix problems such as these will find they can barter for items they need by offering their skills.
Carpentry Skills
These same individuals may have carpentry skills needed in times of crisis. Family members might choose to move in together to weather the difficult times. This could lead to the need for a garage or basement modification. The family might require an open-air shelter to hold family and friends in times of need. Outhouses might also be needed if the local water supply is not usable. A carpenter will have plenty of work in these situations.
Mechanical Skills
People need running vehicles, particularly when they might need to evacuate an area rapidly due to local conditions. Cars today rely heavily on computerized parts and systems. The backyard mechanic may soon be a thing of the past, as they cannot afford the tools needed to make repairs to these vehicles. However, passenger cars are only one thing a person with mechanical skills may be able to fix.
This same individual might be called on to fix small engines. Generators are helpful during an emergency or a person might need a snowmobile to get around. Motorcycles and lawnmowers are other items that frequently need the attention of a skilled mechanic. A person can barter these skills for things they want and need.
Medical Skills
A person doesn’t need to be a doctor to have medical skills they can barter in an emergency. Treating minor illnesses or cleaning and bandaging wounds are skills many people lack today. A person might hesitate to help someone else because they worry about legal liability if something goes wrong. To avoid this, a person might wish to become certified.
Red Cross first aid courses are one suggestion. The National CPR Foundation is an option, and this organization offers classes in first aid, CPR, and AED use. However, OSHA offers a range of courses a person might be interested in if they wish to barter medical skills in an emergency. These courses include fall protection and personal protective equipment, along with first aid and CPR.
Midwifery Certification
Babies will continue to be born regardless of what is happening in the world. Women might find they cannot get to a hospital to deliver the baby and they need the assistance of a midwife. A person who wishes to barter this skill during a crisis needs to obtain the proper certification for their safety and the safety of the mother and baby. Once people know a person is certified as a midwife, the midwife will probably remain in high demand, even when there is no crisis.
Gardening Know-How
Every person needs to know how to grow their food. However, some people have a black thumb. Regardless of how hard they try to keep plants alive, they have no luck in doing so. They will appreciate being able to barter skills for food. Provide this food for them with the help of a garden. Begin buying seeds to store, as the seeds are also a valuable item when bartering.
There is no need to grow countless items in a garden. Some people choose to limit their garden to a few select items. They then barter these items with others who garden, so everyone has a wide selection of foods. Many people choose to do this now and find they make friends when exchanging what each has grown.
Living Off the Land
Hunting and fishing are both valuable skills during a crisis. Many people don’t know how to catch or kill their food. Furthermore, they don’t know which plants are edible and which should be avoided. A person who has this information will be invaluable during an emergency. They can help others live off the land and barter for items they need when doing so.
Before trying to acquire these skills, learn which safety classes and hunting licenses are required in your state. In addition, find someone who can be of help in teaching you how to prepare your catch, whether it be a fish, a deer, or another wild animal. This same person might be of help in teaching food preservation skills.
Additional Skills
Many people already have skills they can barter. Any person who owns a car, for example, can take others where they need to go and receive goods and services in exchange rather than cash. A person can take any skill they have and teach each to others as part of a bartering system.
People need clothing, so a seamstress will be essential in a crisis, as will those people who cook, clean, and do laundry. Any person with self-defense skills can barter with others. They teach these skills in exchange for products and services.
Learn to use a ham radio so people can stay in touch when normal communication avenues aren’t working. Invest in snowplow and sanding equipment for when it is snowing and roads need to be cleared or learn how to clear the land. The ideas are truly endless.
Learning How to Barter
A person can barter at any time. Why not try practicing this skill today? Doing so allows you to meet new people and possibly make new friends. If a crisis arises, you will be ahead of the game. However, there are some basic rules people should follow when bartering.
Safety must always be the top priority, particularly when meeting with a stranger for the first time to exchange goods or services. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable paying someone for goods or services, don’t barter with them either. In addition, don’t feel pressured to provide something. Walk away from any trade you may regret in the future.
Don’t rely solely on bartering, as a person with needed items or skills may not be available. A person should work on becoming more self-reliant even while bartering. Knowledge is never wasted, so people should continue learning right up until the day they leave this planet for good.
Pick a new skill to learn today. Men and women who do so will be in a better position during an emergency as they will have something to barter. In addition, each skill a person learns will build their confidence and make them more self-reliant. That is priceless during a crisis or at any time.
