Trade

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Lets assume this Y2K thingy goes down fairly hard. Specific numbers don't matter - some people are hurting. They need stuff. You have stuff, maybe too much in some areas as matters develop. When do you trade/barter? As an ex smoker, I realize the best time to offer tobacco is (for me) 5-8 days after I run out. Booze? About 2 days. Food? From real life experience, perhaps 7-10 days. Anyhow, Is a one year general time frame realistic? Not for material gain or selfish purposes, that's not the intent, but to allow for excesses to be consumed, and then provide for the genuinely needy, after assuring your own needs are met. If you don't take care of yourself first, you might not be in a position to help others later. And that's not being selfish. So then, the question is; When do you barter?

-- A. Hambley (a.hambley@usa.net), June 21, 1999

Answers

I think that a reasonable person would actually stockpile goods that was designed specifically to barter with. Call it excess or maybe even collatoral losses. When I plan my budget, I make sure I have enough money to pay the bills, and then an extra 5% to cover any unforseen complications, AND THEN put money aside for recreation. I think that sort of standard could be used for goods and commodities as well. But think up your own figures for how long you personally want to prepare for and how much you can reasonably give up without hurting your own interests.

But I think the best thing you could in some cases is to give up those vices or at least cut back tremendously so you wouldn't have to quit cold turkey, especially when it comes to tobacco, alcohol and other "recreational" drugs. Believe me, it's a lot better to discipline yourself to quit now then have an outside force make you quit later.

-- (y2k@sucks.com), June 21, 1999.


> When do you barter?

Pretty simple answer for me:

When they have something I want.

-Greybear

-- Got Extra?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), June 22, 1999.


Greybear,

That was a good response. --A., the neat thing about bartering is you are not required to pay the "middle marketeers" price. You can barter when you want, with whom you want. You can "dicker" on a deal, and you can walk away whenever. I believe if we get to the barter scenerio, the greedy will not last long. Word does get around about who's fair.

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@hotmail.com), June 22, 1999.


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