We’re always banging on about barter, so we decided to take a break. Instead, we asked others why THEY think we should barter. And we were inspired by what they had to say.
Look at the power of a simple whiteboard, now we bring one everywhere we go! And it feels like we’ve discovered a marketing hack - because our community’s answers are often better than our own.
If you’re not in a reading mood, click here to watch the video 😛
People can think of so many reasons to bring barter back - from financial and economic, to environmental and social impact.
So we’ve taken all your answers and divided them into four different brackets:
1) Stretching a Dollar
2) Sense of Satisfaction
3) Strengthening our Social Capital
4) Sustaining our Planet
1. STRETCHING A DOLLAR 💸
The most practical reason to barter - is to combat financial anxiety. Swapping allows us to access the things we want, while also conserving our cash for our basic needs.
“Why are we giving our money away?” (when we could be saving it)
“Barter removes the need for money” (in certain situations)
Barter lets people afford resources they otherwise maybe couldn’t. And it’s such a relief to know there’s another way to get things done, and money doesn’t always have to limit us.
2. SENSE OF SATISFACTION 💪
So in practical terms, barter reduces our costs and allows us to save money. But the answers we received on our whiteboard keep coming back to something else - the feeling.
There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes with swapping stuff and exchanging energy - a feeling of mutual trust, equality, care and genuine community.
“To empower people” “for fun and freedom” “because it just feels good”
“To enjoy and explore our gifts, and those of others”
“To share and receive equally” “it’s fair and kind”
“Because our ancestors were so wise”
A CALL TO ACTION FROM COVID 19 📣
Did you know this app was born out of lockdown? And the very month we had the idea, barter began popping up all over town.
For a lot of us, it was the first time in our lifetimes that we couldn’t depend on the global economy. Many people had to become more self-sufficient, finding ways to meet their own needs.
This boom of barter was covered by media worldwide, as well as academic institutions - like Harvard Negotiation Journal which posed a fantastic question:
“Does bartering strengthen the interpersonal relationship of the barterers, or, more broadly, the social capital in a marketplace?”
If, like us, you wondered what that means - here’s what ChatGPT says:
3. STRENGTHENING OUR SOCIAL CAPITAL 🤝
This is our new favourite term, and is exactly what we’re trying to do with this cashless economy. And it encompasses so many of these whiteboard answers from our community:
“It brings us together” “it brings back community support and spirit”
“To keep the power in our hands and communities” “to grow our own village”
“To redefine our sense of value and exchange in ways that align with our values”
“We’re naturally programmed to be community based - why not lean in to it?”
Collaboration and reciprocity strengthen societies - they inherently empower. That’s probably why our ancestors knew their neighbours better than we do now…
But it’s not too late for us to build a conscious community. One that benefits us financially and socially, AND benefits the environment sustainably.
4. SUSTAINING OUR PLANET 🌱
It’s no secret that us humans have been taking Mother Earth for granted, and that big changes need to be made to offset the already caused damage.
The Ellen MacArthur foundation tells us we need to move to the circular economy! Bartering your goods and services does exactly that - promoting reducing, reusing and upcycling.
Bartering locally also promotes resource efficiency, leveraging capabilities already in the community. This makes individuals more self-reliant and resilient, and strengthens our local economies.
“One person’s trash is another person’s treasure”
“Self care, people care, earth care”
That last quote basically summarises everything we’ve discussed here - our community couldn’t have made themselves more clear.
The benefits of barter are economic, social, environmental - and they compound. And the impact some simple swapping can have is truly profound.
If you’re looking to:
1) Stretch a dollar
2) Find a sense of satisfaction
3) Strengthen our social capital and
4) Sustain our planet
Then join our barter economy, by downloading the Barterchain app.
Get it today on Apple Store | Google Play
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