Family bartering

[Tink]

My Mom and I have made several swaps over the years that were to both our advantage. A china hutch for a bedroom set, a dresser for living room tables, etc. Now Mom is planning to move and we've agreed to swap her freezer for my making curtains for her new apartment. It works out well for both of us since neither likes to spend a lot of money unnecessarily.

I'm just curious whether other families do this or if we're unique in this.

[Janet]

I don't remember any one in my family doing anything like that. We usually sell what we don't want anymore in a garage sale. I'm getting ready to have one before school starts in August. Sooo I guess the answer is no.

[judy]

Yes - my daughter and I have traded back and forth all kinds of things. I have 2 desks that we must have swapped 3 different times!

It's fun and a good way to get things.

[DianaB]

In our families we don't move or change furniture very much. I could see if you moved that you could trade furniture around. My daughter has a lot of my old furniture. She got it when I bought new stuff. We either sell stuff we don't want at a garage sale or give it to someone who needs it. It sounds like a good deal, Tink.

[Lindsey]

In my family, it's more like if I have something I don't need, it goes to my parents... They might use it, they might not, but either way it's out of my hair! Haha my brother and I are the cause of a lot of clutter back home. We tend to collect things from other people like our grandma. If she gives us tables, chairs, desks, beds, etc. we just feel like we can't say no! So most of it ends up in storage at my parents house, or out at the cabin. She's only giving it to us because she doesn't want it anymore!