Bartering In A Crisis

Keith Thomas  00:02

Welcome to typical prepping the podcast for those who would like to start their own disaster preparedness plan, or those who have gotten started, but are not quite sure where or how to take the next steps. Each week I'll present a disaster preparedness topic with actionable tips and strategies that you can implement to start or grow your personal disaster preparations. Thanks for stopping by to listen today.

Keith Thomas  01:02

Hi, I'm Keith, and welcome to typical prepping. In this episode, we'll be talking about how to use the barter system during a crisis. 

Keith Thomas  01:12

Introduction

Bartering is a way to exchange goods or services without using money. It's been used to help civilizations successfully thrive for 1000s of years and may prove to be highly valuable during a crisis. Living in a currency-based economy, this may be a valuable skill that we've lost. And major drawback for the barter system of old was the difficulty of determining the value of an object or service as people became more sophisticated and goods and services more complex. At present, this is not a real problem, since most people have a working knowledge of what things cost or should cost related to our money system. The bottom line though is that any item is worth what someone will pay for it or barter for it. People still use the barter system and during a slowdown in the economy, it becomes more prevalent. This is also true in areas where disasters taking place, and the normal avenues of obtaining necessities are temporarily closed. People who are continually preparing for manmade or natural disasters, also us known as preppers, will find it beneficial to learn all they can about the present-day barter system, and how to make it work for them should the need arise. While seasoned preppers generally know the system well, those new to the lifestyle will enjoy the following tips and suggestions.

Keith Thomas  02:47

What to Barter?

 In order to barter or trade, you must naturally have something to trade. Preppers first stockpile whatever they think they will need for their own families during a time of crisis, and after that, they stock up on items, they believe will be useful to other people who may want to trade for things they have. Any item can actually be used as currency to get something else you need. So long as someone else wants what you have. Food may be number one on most people's lists, especially if poor conditions persist indefinitely. It would be good to have a supply of some of the following items for foods, salt, and sugar. Both are flavorings for food of course but they're also preservatives. Canned foods naturally come to mind. The kind with pull-top lids would be good too. Ground coffee, It may not seem necessary, but someone will want it. Also, a variety of tea. Almost any kind of non-perishable food would be welcome if grocery store shelves are empty. As far as supplies first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, candles, waterproof matches, personal items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet tissue, feminine products and diapers, hand tools, cleaning supplies, water filters, and purifiers. Whatever people normally use on daily basis can be bartered; warm clothes, boots, gloves, and blankets are all important as well. Bartering or trading small items would be done on an even-up basis. While you may not get a major item for a few batteries or candles, it still depends on how much someone wants what you have.

Keith Thomas  04:39

Bartering Rules & Safety

 Keep in mind, there are rules for bartering and you must keep yourself safe while bartering with others, especially those that you don't know. Although bartering means trading goods without money, you need to treat and guard your supplies just as you treat your actual money at present. 

·         Try to form alliances with your friends and neighbors and reach out to other communities. 

·         Safety in numbers will still prevail. It's better to meet people in group swaps and set up a system of how to barter. 

·         Do not meet someone alone and show a car full of items to swap

 And,

·         Do not swap in your home and show your stockpile. There will always be unscrupulous people thieves and scammers about and that will be worse after disaster economic collapse.

If you're unable to stockpile goods to barter, perhaps you have a skill that will be needed, and you can trade your expertise for goods. Skills such as;

·         medical knowledge, 

·         carpentry, 

·         mechanical ability

 And,

·         knowledge of using herbs for medicine

 will all be needed after a disaster as society recovers or rebuilds. 

Keith Thomas  05:53

Negotiating

Also, when bartering you need to know the art of negotiation. Lots of books have been written on the subject of negotiation. But here are some of the most important lessons that many of these resources seem to highlight.

Keith Thomas  06:09

 Negotiation is an art and there are quite a few strategies to get what you need.

Keith Thomas  06:15

·         Do your homework. The more you know about the other guy and his or her needs, the better. Nothing is too unimportant to be left out.

·          Set exceptions. Know exactly what you want from the negotiation.

·          Use visualization techniques to see with your mind's eye how the meeting will unfold. See yourself leading the other party to agree to the deal that you want.

·          Become a good listener. The more you listen, the more information you can acquire from the other guy, then you can use that information to your advantage. You can use his words and body language to mimic him, so you can build rapport. 

·         Don't be afraid to say no. And don't be afraid to make offers to them that will get them to say no do you. 

·         Use deadlines and scarcity to pressure your counterpart to make a decision? 

·         Review the agreement before you seal the deal. This is to ensure you're both on the same page and will stay on it.

·          Know exactly what you want out of every negotiation.

·          Never try to screw your partner. You never know what he's capable of, particularly in a crisis situation. 

·         Be prepared to walk away from any deal. In other words, avoid bartering when you're desperate. And if you are, do your best not to show it.

·          Learn how to build rapport.

·          Let the numbers do the talking. If whatever you're looking to trade has features or benefits that can be expressed in numbers. Do share them.

·          It's okay to brag about your product or service, so long as you're not lying. 

·         Learn to bluff. 

·         Talk in a pessimistic manner. I can't afford it. I'm sure I'm not sure it will work for me etc. 

·         Make a lowball offer.

·          Use ultimatums. You either take it or leave it and make future promises.

Keith Thomas  08:22

 Go to a modern-day flea market and negotiate everything. Schedule a meeting with your boss and negotiate a raise. Use every argument you can to prove to him you deserve it. Even if you're not sure you do, the more you practice, the better you become at negotiating, and the easier it will be for you when these skills become necessity.

Keith Thomas  08:44

Conclusion

 Just remember, we're talking about real people with real needs. These needs don't just disappear because a hurricane blew through your town, or the power went out. Plan for basic survival needs as well as personal preferences and desires. Plan well. take reasonable steps to be self-reliant and meet the needs of your family, store a little extra so that you're prepared to barter or share with those in need. Build relationships today, so that when disaster strikes, we all strive together. 

Keith Thomas  09:20

Well, folks, that's going to do it for this week. Thanks for listening and join me next week for another preparedness topic. And until then, stay safe and be prepared!

Keith Thomas  09:34

 If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with your friends and family leave us a five-star rating and a review on your favorite podcast app. This really helps the show and gets our message out to others looking to start or improve their prepping skills. If you found value in this content, feel free to leave me a donation at buymeacoffee.com/typical prepping your donation helps with the production calls to the show so I can continue to bring you more amazing content. Also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. If you're unable to access these links in the show notes on your favorite podcast platform, you can access them on our website at typical prepping.com Until next time, stay safe and be prepared!