Bartering For Stuff

This baby bath tub retails for $40.

A couple weeks ago, wifey and I received our first baby freebie. It was a $10 rebate cheque from Similac for Moms to be.

It was a kind of nutrient drink to help expectant mothers provide the nutrients growing babies need in the womb.

Of course, since wifey is already taking her pre-natal vitamins after dinner, she didn't feel like she needed to take the extra nutrients (mostly similar to her pre-natal vitamins) provided by the Similac for Moms.

Well, that's $10 wasted. Or was it?

About a week or so before that, I noticed an ad on Kijiji advertising a trade proposal from a charity 10 minutes away from where we live. In the ad, the charity explained they were looking for things like baby formula or newborn diapers (as they were short) and were willing to trade a baby bath tub for them.

I shot the charity a quick email asking if they were willing to trade the Similac for Moms for a baby bath tub.

They agreed, so wifey and I went to Walmart to redeem the rebate cheque.

Since the charity was open during regular business hours, wifey went on her own to exchange the Similac for the baby bath tub (she happened to have a doctor's appointment that morning).

Seems the charity is a crisis pregnancy centre. Likely for low-income (or even no-income) mothers. They had an abundance of baby clothing and baby bath tubs, but no baby diapers, formula, or toiletries and were happy to take the Similac off our hands.

Wifey browsed the tubs available and liked the whale tub (pictured above) the most.

Wifey took the picture above and sent it to me. I did a quick Google search and determined that Toys R Us is selling a tub similar to this for $40 plus tax. Granted, it was used. But when I got home to look at it myself, it was in excellent condition.

It was in such great condition, wifey's mom (my mother-in-law) commented how great the tub looks (she also thought we bought it brand new... as if)!

Granted not everything works out this way. Most of the time people want cash. But sometimes, bartering doesn't have to be for stuff. It can be for services like setting up a wireless device, or mowing a lawn. It really depends on what people are willing to trade or accept for certain things.

That being said, don't just offer stuff or service in lieu of cash unless the other party specifically said that they are willing to accept things other than cash.

In the meantime, our signing up for Similac's coupons and samples gave us a coupon we were able to use to convert to a baby bath tub that we needed (most likely, it really depends on baby girl and if she likes using the tub) more.

Basically free!