I’ll trade you some toothpaste for an ibuprofen

Good old barter. This method of commerce made the world go ‘round back in the day. Considering the state of the United States economy, the fine art of barter might be back again sooner than you think. Barter is a pre-currency technique that simply involves an exchange of goods or services. Let’s say the world has deteriorated to a Mad Max state of anarchic existence – no government entity and, of course, no currency.

Let’s further say you have a splitting headache. If societal collapse doesn’t give you a headache, nothing will. Trouble rears its ugly head when you head down to the basement for the ibuprofen cache only find that the entire supply was eaten by a pack of rats. Now what?

Suddenly, you remember, Molar Bob, from down the street, whom you know for a fact to be loaded with over-the-counter pain relievers and who was complaining on the CB radio the other day about his poor state of dental hygiene. Luckily, before the collapse you had the foresight to find a vendor of overstocked, outdated items and have a three year stash of toothpaste.

Voila! The basis for a barter exchange now exists. You get your headache solution. Molar Bob can kiss his wife again. Government and currency have now become unnecessary.

The Holistic Survival Team