Thrifty Thursday: Modernistic Bartering
Everyone has a talent or skill, yet in a society that highly values money, I don't think these skills get utilized nearly enough. We live in such an amazing time! Our ability to access products from all over the world with the touch of a button is miraculous, and the ability to sell items from our homes has grown exponentially with the growth of technology.
But is money really everything? There are so many things that I'd love to have, but frankly, I can't afford them, and in our increasingly expensive economy, more and more people are passing on their "wants". This is not a new concept, and we are not the first generation to experience financial issues; however, even with all of the tools at our fingertips, and so many capable people in the world, we are not coming together as a global village.
What am I getting at?
With such a money-driven society we often forget to tap into each other's talents. In a word: Barter! I love to crochet, make posters and quote graphics, and edit papers (well, basic ones at least). Things I am not so good at? Arts & crafts (though I try so hard), cleaning, mechanics, gardening, painting, carpentry, drawing, photography (I am learning, but definitely beginner) budgeting, organizing, staging, dancing...well, you get the point. While there are so many things I want to do and am always willing to try, I am not good at everything. NO ONE is. But I can make your niece a super cute amigurumi in exchange for you helping me up my gardening and cooking game.
Each of us has different skills and backgrounds. Moving away from simply using money to get what we need is paramount to recovering from our downward societal spiral. The more we tap into these talents in our neighborhoods and communities, the more we see each other as amazing human beings and appreciate our individuality, thus increasing self-esteem and esteem of others. We create a community of self-reliance and support.
Do YOU have a special talent? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
