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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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You give guitar lessons, and in return, they take professional photos of your family—freezing those memories you can see forever.
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You walk someone’s dog every morning, and they cut your hair twice a month. You leave every cut feeling sharp and confident.
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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!
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