Given the economic downturn, many people are reverting to barter.
Craigslist recently reported that bartering activity had jumped more than 80 percent on the site over the past year. The reason? Bartering is addictive -- and fun:
You can trade just about anything. Want to upgrade your camera? Adorama will quote you a price for your camera and cut you a check or offer a credit toward new equipment (Adorama.com). Want to break your Car Lease? Go to Swapalease.com or LeaseTrader.com. At SwapThing.com, recent trades included a clothes dryer for a high-speed table saw.
Barterer beware. Look for a site that verifies the addresses and phone numbers of its users, such as BarterBee.com, which lets you trade CDs, movies and video games free.
Swap a house. Clubs such as International Home Exchange Network (IHEN.com) let you do that for as little as $40 a year. To find the right club, visit KnowYourTrade.com.
Remember Uncle Sam. If you barter more than casually, you may have to report your transactions. The IRS has guidance at www.irs.gov but check with your accountant. Small businesses trading with others can find help on taxes at sites such as Barter Business Unlimited (BBU.com).
This story posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of your car lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com