Mar

11

We Blog. We Barter. We’re Baaaaaaaaaack!

Filed Under Saving Money | 1 Comment

Miss us?  We’ve missed you!  So much to catch up on!

But for now,  let’s get back to business.

Lately I find myself surrounded by the concept and practice of bartering.  I helped out a friend at Bike Week in Daytona, Florida last weekend, selling stainless steel jewelry.  Great people, beautiful stuff.  (Check out www.buybluesteel.com; use code Robin10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase. )  But I digress.  There is an understanding between the vendors at this and really almost any show.  They support each other with very discounted prices and by bartering and trading their goods and services.  For instance, we got a break buying t-shirts, just by saying we were vendors.  We ate lots of half-price food too.  We gave away earrings in exchange for Facebook fanning, and traded rings for end-of-day beers.

On a grander scale, there are companies that do this stuff for a living, bringing together business people who want to attract new business and save cash by trading out their skills.  I have a cow, you have a pig.  You want my cow, but I don’t need a pig, I need a hotel room for two nights.  These companies, the newest being POIU Business Exchange, act as clearinghouses and third-party record keepers, and earn their fees as companies join and use the exchange, and as their currency changes hands.

The business owner gets to barter his goods (bought at wholesale) or services ( his time).  He attracts new customers from within the network, who pay with the network currency,  then start to spread the word beyond the exchange into their own networka.  The buzz begins, and new, cash-paying customers start to filter in.  The business owner now has credits to spend, on everything from printing new menus to having his carpet cleaned, from having his business finances analyzed to advertising his business in the local press, bringing in yet more new customers.  And, since he’s the business owner, he can also use his credits for vacations, personal trainers and massages.

A brilliant business, where everybody wins.  Creates jobs for membership salespeople, helps people support each other and gets the money flowing, starting on a local level before it goes global.

If you’re a business owner who would like to know more, please email me at rkd@ILoveAGoodBargain.com.

For more about trade and barter on a more personal level, click here.

It’s good to be back.

Dec

24

Instant Karma

Filed Under Saving Money, Shopping | 6 Comments

chrismukkahOkay, just cause you’ve procrastinated, as I have in writing this xmas eve post, doesn’t mean you have to arrive empty handed tonight.  Here, a few more  Quick Fix Gifts:

1) Something from home.  Feel free to regift, but do it with class.  Re-pot a holiday plant, print and frame a personal picture, fill a pretty basket with food, trinkets, craft supplies or other themed ideas to appeal to your recipient.  Wrap merrily and be on your way.

2) Something on line.  Print out a gift certificate from anywhere — a local or national chain spa or restaurant, Restaurant.com (code SANTA for 80% off), a gym class or workout, or try Cloud 9 Living for that special something.

3) On the way.  Stop at any open restaurant or store for a gift card.  Make sure it’s something your recipient will enjoy.  Also good is a monthly transit cards in some cities, or for fun, gift cards from movie theaters, and scratch-off lottery tickets.  Print out a greeting card to show that you thought about it before you left the house!

4) From the oven.  Supermarkets are still open.  Pick up some ingredients for home-baked goods, and package prettily.  We have a new favorite here, a low-fat, low-cal fruit trifle.   Bake an fat-free angel food cake, break into pieces and line the bottom of a big glass bowl.  Pour in freshly prepared instant pudding to fill in the spaces.  Follow with a layer of fruit, a layer of sugar free whipped topping, and repeat, using a different fruit.  A guaranteed hit for just a few dollars. And you get to enjoy it too.

5) From the Heart:  Donations to charities, especially those that the recipients care about, are always appreciated and really can make a difference in the world we share.  Live, love and laugh with the people in your life.  Have a wonderful holiday, and may all your gifts be filled with love.

Merry Everything, and Happy Always.

We’ll be taking off for the next 2 weeks or so to revamp our site and clean up our homes.  See you after New Years.  Have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season, and here’s to a FRUGALICIOUS New Year!