By Marta Nowinska
Everybody loves a good swap! It benefits you, the community and the planet. Items, skills, services, knowledge and time are all barter-worthy. Here are 12 reasons to swap more in 2012:
# 1 It makes you realize that
you’re
richer than you think! You have a wealth of
knowledge,
skills and pre-loved stuff that can be used as currency
in a
swapping community. It can afford you things you may
not otherwise
have a budget for, like art, massages or a cottage
retreat.
# 2 It's financially
smart to
barter! You keep the same standard of living and
savings even with
the rising costs of living. Aim to swap for 5% of your
income each
month. The average Canadian is a whopping $26,000 in
debt. Swapping
leaves more money in your pockets and doesn’t max
out your
credit card. We've seen swappers save up to $4,000 by
bartering
kitchen renovations for a car or a cottage.
# 3 We currently consume 1.5
planets worth
of resources when we only have one. Passing on
your
pre-loved items extends the life cycle of products and
keeps useful
items in circulation.
# 4 99% of all those things we buy are
not in use
after 6 months. By swapping what you no longer need,
you
get to de-clutter your space and free
yourself of
things you never use. Knowing that the other person
will make
better use of our pre-loved items is also
rewarding.
#5 Swapping strengthens bonds and
reinvigorates community spirit. It
gives any
community—office
colleagues, neighbours, friends—a way to share
resources and
help each other out.
#6 Swapping makes you
smile.
It’s a lot of fun to go treasure hunting at a swap event or to
complete a swap
transaction with a fellow swapper. It just makes
you want to
swap more!
#7
It opens you up to new experiences and
lets you
learn new things without spending a dime. Would you
have taken that
scuba diving lesson if someone didn’t barter you
for it?
#8 Swapping creates value for
both
participants as each swapper receives
something they want
and gives up something they don’t need.
It’s a win-win
situation!
#9 Swapping has a human
element
that’s often lacking in customer-to-clerk store
transactions.
It’s a community of people eager to help each
other out. You
meet new people when swapping and build valuable
skill-swapping
relationships with them.
#10
Swapping is a fun and easy way for parents to
instill green
habits in kids. Children will discover first
hand just how
much fun recycling can be by attending a swap meet or by
swapping their
outgrown stuff online with the help of their
parents.
#11 You’re part of the
Collabor
ative
Consumption movement—a
socio-economic movement
that has the power to build community, engagement in
sustainable
living and a vibrant peer-to-peer sharing economy.
#12 Swapping is just plain
awesome! Just ask our
swappers and
start
swapping
to see for yourself.
Tell us, what makes you wanna swap?
