101 Low Cost Items to Barter When the SHTF

I would be preaching the choir if I told you that it is wise to gather extra supplies that you can use for bartering in a post-collapse world.  The issue for many, however, is that their budget allows no room for extras.  Finding funds for long term personal preps, let alone daily needs can be an ongoing challenge.

Let’s face it. We all know that the middle class is disappearing.  Food and health care costs are up and even those with comfortable nest eggs are finding that their funds are rotting, earning virtually no interest and suffering the ravages of inflation. So what are we to do?

The first rule of thumb is to acquire skills that can be bartered for goods.  That is the smart thing to do regardless of your financial situation.  Beyond that, there are a number of low cost items that you can accumulate over time, even if you are poor.

Backdoor Survival reader Elaine K. sent me her list of “poor man’s barter items”.  It gave me so many ideas that I expanded the list to include even more items.  Here it is: 101 low cost items to barter if the stuff hits the fan.

Poor Man’s Barter Items

1. Candles
2. Garden tools
3. Fly swatters
4. Insect spray[amazon asin=B006E0QAFY&template=*lrc ad (right)]
5. Rat & mouse poison
6. Rodent traps
7. Scissors
8. Needles
9. Straight pins
10. Safety pins
11. Buttons
12. Thread
13. Elastic-material
14. Dry beans
15. Rice[amazon asin=B005AZU9O2&template=*lrc ad (right)]
16. Noodles
17. Flour
18. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, sage, parsley etc.
19. Coffee
20. Cooking Oil
21. Coffee filters
22. Pepper
23. Sugar
24. Salt
25. Hand crank or manual can openers
26. Canned food – any type
27. Wooden, strike anywhere matches[amazon asin=B002EAQWH4&template=*lrc ad (right)]
28. Old newspapers
29. Wax for fire-starting
30. Large cotton balls with soaked in petroleum jelly (also for starting fires)
31. Bleach (or freshly made pool shock)
32. Baby wipes (Note:  these can be used to clean face, hands, arm pits, groin in case there is no water. If dried out, pour in a cup of water into container)
33. Cocoa
34. Baking Soda
35. Spirits:  wine, whisky, beer, vodka, brandy
36. Coloring books & crayons
37. Scrap paper
38. Pencils[amazon asin=B00CIVTO56&template=*lrc ad (right)]
39. Ballpoint pens
40. Copy paper
41. Lined notebook paper
42. Tooth paste
43. Toothbrushes
44. Dental floss
45. Combs
46. Hair brushes
47. Disposable razors
48. Nail clippers and files
49. Feminine products
50. Bars of soap

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