Are you ever low on cash? Wish you could purchase a few extra items but don’t have the funds? With a little effort, you may be able to find the things you desire without spending your hard earned money. “Trading up”, on the internet, allows consumers to trade and barter their items with others who wish to do the same.

Consumer Reports Shop Smart magazine suggests three reputable sites for those who are looking for a sweet deal. The first, www.swaptree.com, matches potential traders for swapping books, CDs, movies, and video games. The only thing you will need to pay is a small shipping charge (usually $2.50 or less). Do you have a gift card that you will never use? Go to www.giftcardrescue.com and find one you like. Any gift card with a value of $20 or more can be traded. You can also purchase cards at up to 35% off face value.

If you don’t have an item to trade, barter your services or skills. Check out www.u-trade.com to see what is available. This free site is “all about the swap”. You can trade service for service such as tax preparation for house painting or exchange for an item you are looking for such as a love seat or a sailboat. Don’t skip www.freecycle.org where you can give away unwanted items and pick up other people’s castoffs for free. There is no exchange necessary.

So if you find yourself short on dough, check out these sites for great shopping opportunities.

Fun fact for the day: Bartering began in Egypt over 4,500 years ago.

So until next time, keep reaching higher…

Jayne Corey, Bensur Intern

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 10:29 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.