We forget, but bartering of goods or services has been around since day one. Early man didn't have cash... but he often had something he could trade. My SIL bartered some homemade pies for her doctor visits. I traded cheesecakes as partial payment for childcare. I even made neckties in exchange for dental work (obviously that was when everyone... even dentists... wore ties all the time). For many years I bartered with a newly opened used bookstore... I helped in the store one day a week and in exchange I got to take as many books as I wanted; I just had to return them when I finished reading them. They were happy they could take a day off now and then, and I never lacked for something to read. It was a great way to help a small business with little start-up cash to grow and a way to feed my addiction to reading.