From the blog archive; originally published on February 20, 2010

For the past few years I have had a barter offer on my web site. I've had some great barters that I'd like to share. I have bartered worms for:

Honey
Eggs
Knit yard socks
Fresh vegetables
Herbal tea
Soap
Candles
Hand cream
Pies
Bay rum aftershave

These have been wonderful barters, and I am grateful to receive these items in exchange.

The list is not intended to state everything I will barter for. In fact , I am surprised now how many things are on it! If you want worms and have something to barter, let me know.

Cheers,
Mark

Postscript:  In the past eight years the list has grown to include edibles, a truckload of manure, a signed book, and more. Please note that not all offers are accepted, but many are.

If you read my solar hot air blog (that sounds funny!), you may have noticed that we replaced the siding and windows on our home. We needed to replace the windows (to more energy efficient models), repair some water damage, and replace some of the damaged siding. Unable to match the color, we elected to replace all of it. When we got our quote, it included dump fees for disposing of the old windows and siding.

I am frugal by nature, so I had an idea: maybe someone would want some the windows and some of the siding. I thought this would avoid sending it to a landfill, and save both me and the recipient a few bucks.

So I listed these for free on Craigslist. It took me all of 15 minutes to post what I had. The response was INCREDIBLE.

The windows were snapped up within a day or two of removing them. And the siding is now gone, too.

Instead of going to a landfill, ALL of it is being reused or re-purposed . The people who came have been happy to get it for nothing and I am happy to have it gone (without sending it to the dump).

Before you throw something away, consider listing it for free on Craigslist. You may be surprised how many people want it.

Cheers,
Mark

Originally published on March 28, 2009