NuevaVida
Posts: 6707
Joined: 8/5/2008 Status: offline
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I just kind of fell into this prtactice, but what a great practice it is. I'm doing the books for a friend who owns and operates a salon down town. In exchange, I have free services for life - waxing, facials, microderm abrasion (just started that treatment process this past weekend). Both of us are so grateful to the other for "free" services, but really we're just appreciating each other's talents. To me, it's no big deal to do her books. To her, it's no big deal to give me treatments. Both talents come naturally to us so it's a great trade-off. She does trades with her hair stylist and her massage therapist, too. I do my mom's money - her monthly books, her bills, her investments. I do it simply because she's my mom, but in turn I bring my laundry over when I do it, she takes me to lunch/dinner/whatever, and has helped me out when I needed it. I babysit my sister's boys and she keeps wanting to pay me but I won't take her money. So she packs up bags of produce from her organic garden, and sends me home with it. My cousin is a certified massage therapist and I receive free massages for babysitting her youngsters. Another friend of mine has helped me out financially this past year (I was on disability and then laid off). She does well for herself and doesn't care if/when I pay her back. I stress about it, but she doesn't. To thank her, I clean her apartment from time to time, cook for her, and I'm doing her resume now (she calls me her wife, heh). Each case is just a friend helping a friend, but add them all up and there's a pretty good bartering system going on. With the economic times being what they are, I wonder if more people will exchange service for service more often. Is anyone doing this now, or has anyone considered it? What have you been able to exchange? Is it benefitting both parties? Have you considered incorporating more (or beginning to incorporate) exchanging services in the future? Inquiring minds wanna know... Off to work but will check back this evening.
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Live Simply. Love Generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly.
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