Whats up, NubianNewYorkers?
Man,
let me tell you something I’ve been thinking about.
The folks at the
top? They’re not always there because they’re the smartest or the
hardest working. A lot of them are sitting there because they’ve stacked
so much money that it’s like looking up at a wall of gold you can’t
even climb. They use that money like a shield and a weapon—blocking out
competition, buying influence, and keeping the rules in their favor.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are just trying to make it, stretching dollars
until they’re thin as tissue paper.
There were places, especially down South, where people said, “Forget that,”
and made their own little money systems. It kept things close to home,
kept it in the hands of the "little people."
These days, the rich will hide
behind things like cryptocurrency, but since they pretty much run that
game too, it’s not the safe space for regular folks, in my opinion.
That’s
why I think we should talk about bartering. It’s old, sure, but it’s
solid. Imagine your grandma swapping a basket of fresh peaches for a jar
of homemade honey. No dollars, no banks—just trade. It’s you and me
saying, “I’ve got this…I need that…let’s make it work.” You can almost
smell the fresh bread someone bakes in exchange for a helping hand with
their garden.
And
you know what? With the internet, bartering has leveled up. Now you can
swap with people across the city or even the world without leaving your
couch. Imagine the quiet hum of your laptop as you message someone, the
little flicker of excitement when you find the perfect match for what
you’ve got to offer.
Here are some ideas for how bartering could play out:
-
You
design a logo for someone’s small business, and they cook you dinner
once a week for a month. You can hear the sizzle of the food hitting the
pan as payment comes in flavors instead of dollars.
-
You
fix a neighbor’s car, and they fix that drip in your bathroom sink. You
feel the relief of no more leaky faucet keeping you up at night.
-
You
give guitar lessons, and in return, they take professional photos of
your family—freezing those memories you can see forever.
-
You walk someone’s dog every morning, and they cut your hair twice a month. You leave every cut feeling sharp and confident.
-
You
clean a friend’s garage, and they give you that old bike collecting
dust—it’s yours now, ready for the smell of sunshine and asphalt.
If you're looking for bartering platforms where people can trade
goods or services without using money, here are a few popular ones:
A. BarterQuest –
A well-known platform that allows users to trade goods and services
globally. You can list what you have and what you're looking for, and
the site connects you with potential trade partners.
B. Swap.com – Mainly focused on swapping clothing, toys, and baby items, Swap.com allows users to trade gently used goods with others.
C. Craigslist (Barter Section) –
While Craigslist is primarily for buying and selling, it has a specific
section dedicated to bartering. People often post offers to swap items
or services in exchange for something else.
D. Bunz –
A mobile app that started in Toronto and has spread to other cities.
It's a community-driven platform where you can trade anything from food
to clothes to services.
E. Freecycle –
Although it's mostly focused on giving away items for free, you can
sometimes find bartering opportunities here. It's based on local
communities, so you can offer items in exchange for something else you
need.
F. Nextdoor – This is a social
networking app for neighborhoods, and while it’s primarily about local
updates and community interaction, people sometimes post items to barter
or trade.
G. U-Exchange – A free barter
site where you can post your trade offers and browse what others have
available. It includes everything from tangible goods to services.
H. TradeAway –
A platform that focuses on swapping products and services, making it
easy to find like-minded individuals interested in bartering.
The
beauty of bartering is that it keeps things private and personal. No
big companies counting your every dollar, no one tracking what you’re
buying. It’s just two people, making a
fair deal. It’s that warm community feeling, like hearing laughter float
out from a backyard get-together on a summer night.
Money’s
not going anywhere anytime soon, but we don’t have to use it for
everything. Bartering is like a quiet little path through the trees when
the main road is loud, crowded, and full of toll booths. Who knows? The
next connection that changes your life might start with a simple trade.
('Simple' and 'Trade' is what they called me in my twenties 😰)
LOL
Talk to you guys later, be blessed!
NNY YouTube Community!
Tweet With Us!
Support Our Vibe!
NYC Flavor Awaits!
Watch & Subscribe!
Shop Our Picks!
Contact Us
.jpg)
.png)
