Swap To Save: Shopping By Swapping

Today’s article is an introduction to an age-old system called “bartering” that has met with resurgence, now more commonly referred to as a “swap.” Bartering becomes better in modern times, it is still a “cashless” way to do business—yet now it is more fun—it is internet-based for your convenience to save you time,
and many of these sites have interactive social networking, where you can share and discuss information with other members, much like social media.
What we love about this concept of swapping items is that it is a wonderful way to recycle.  By reusing goods you are helping our planet. We also like that these exchanges of goods is a method by which you get to swap what you no longer use for what you need and/or want for FREE—another form of “leveraging”—one of our favorite topics here at Secrets For Money™.

There are many online membership-free new and also some older, already-established websites with online communities where you can swap, barter and trade new or used items and services.  Trade with others for FREE, and get your items for FREE you just pay for postage.  Do familiarize yourself with the how-to-trade guidelines posted at these sites so you can become swap savvy in no time.

Here at Secrets For Money™ we have selected what we consider to be the current top 6, each different, swap destination sites for you, where you can swap a wide range of products.  Imagine:  Now you can get FREE video games, DVD’s, CD’s, Comic Books, Books, Furniture, and much, much more.

Have fun and swap ’til you drop!

(1) http://www.zwaggle.com A national network of parents to swap a range of gently-used products covering the parenting categories from Nursery Décor and Halloween Costumes and other Holiday goods through to Children’s Clothing, Summer Fun items and Baby Gear.   You can also create a “Wish List” for items.  In addition, this website has an area where you can easily donate items to charities and families in need.


(2) http://www.swapz.co.uk/ This website is very user-friendly in that it has a handy “Swapz” and “Wantedz” list front-and-center of the Home Page.  They have numerous items for exchange from cars to jewelry and everything in between.

(3)  http://www.switchplanet.com Swapping merchandise and socializing is promoted at this website, complete with profiles of members and even “Featured Switchers” the most recently active members and their total number of “switches” (trades), marvel at superstar-status members such as those we saw profiles for today who near 1,000 swaps!

(4) http://www.swapthing.com What sets this website apart is that in addition to being able to swap “Things” here (one of their aptly-named three large categories for barter) they also have “Services” and “Skills.”  Dear readers: Yes they have an affiliate program; no we are not members of their affiliate program.  SwapThing also introduces a “Swap Circle” a very intriguing aspect of swapping.

(5)  http://www.swaptree.com Swaptree is set up to do much of the trading for you—Swaptree’s algorithms determine everything you can receive in trade for your item!  The way this feature works is that you type in what books, CDs, DVDs and video games you want and what items you are willing to trade and Swaptree finds matching trades for you.  When they find you a trade, they send you an e-mail which allows you to accept or reject the trade.  You also have the option to use their automatic shipping label feature to print postage directly from your browser via their website to mail your item(s) for swap.

(6)  http://www.swap-bot.com On Swap-bot, you can host swaps, join swaps, and chat with other swappers from all over the world!   Here you will find hosted themed-swaps (or start your own swap-bot gives you the how-to’s).  One such example of a theme swap you can join is a current international “Holiday Ornament Swap.”  Here’s a very fresh angle for a swap: “Secret Santa’s Holiday Swap” or a “QuoteCard Postcard Swap.”

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RELATED ARTICLES:  Get Cash For Your Gift Cards And More: ‘Tis The Season To Save (This article has sites that you can swap Gift Cards online!) Located in our Secrets for Money™Blog Archive and 25 Gifts For $10.00 Or Less for The Holidays Or Any Occasion also located in our Secrets for Money™Blog Archive