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Monday, September 08, 2008

No Cash? No Problem, If You Barter

Miriam Brown has always wanted to visit Cape Cod, but when she recently began to plan a trip and found out she would have to pay $200 or more a night for lodging, her dream vacation seemed out of reach.

Miriam Brown and her husband bartered their services for room and board on Cape Cod.

Brown, who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, is an accountant. Her husband is a home renovations contractor.
Like many people dealing with a soft real estate market and high food and gas prices, they just don't have that kind of extra cash for a trip.
"I have traveled a lot in prior years, but after [Hurricane] Katrina, there's just no money for traveling," Brown said.
So she still plans to go, but she won't spend any cash at all on lodging.
Brown has joined the growing ranks of Americans who are bartering -- trading goods and services without exchanging money -- as a way to cope with tough economic times.
Brown posted an ad in the barter section of the online community Craigslist last month, offering to trade her accounting skills and her husband's knack for home repairs in exchange for room and board on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
She has lots of company.

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