The joys of the informal economy

[Reynard]

One of my friends is always happy to give me lifts to cat shows if I'm not judging - sensible given we live in the same village. She never asks for petrol money, which is usually par-for-course in the Cat Fancy. In return, I ask her if she wants anything whenever I go yellow stickering, as it's no problem wanging some extra bits in my trolley - ergo she gets good deals on meat, fish, fruit & veg.

The same friend keeps chickens, and every often I get a dozen fresh eggs. I make preserves, and every so often, I divert a jar of marmalade, chutney or pickle in her direction. Sometimes it's a loaf of my homemade bread rather than a jar of something.

The eggs-for-bread did us both in good stead last year when bread was hard to get in the shops.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Red wine keeps, so it is as good as currency. When you are invited to a party or round to someone's house, bring the bottle as a gift to the host. If they are teetotal or don't like red wine, they can do the same.

Absolutely! Our veterans on the forum will recall that in the forces a "slab" (case of beer) was used as currency for decades. A slab (or multiples of it, depending on the size of the favour) was the usual accepted payment, whether it was for some car work, help with an unruly garden, or a lift to an airport. If you received beer for doing someone a favour but you didn't like beer, it didn't matter, you could put it in the garage until you needed to pay for a favour and then you used your surplus slab. It was a staple of the armed services economy. Not so much now, I gather, what with cheap slabs of beer (and overseas postings, where it was cheaper) being a rarer thing.

 

[Accy cyclist]

My neighbour asked me last night if I'd drive her to pick up a watch she'd bought on fleabay. It was a 14 mile there and back journey. She offered a tenner for my time and fuel. I took a fiver, as our conversation in the car was my only one of the day. She was happy with the watch. I was happy with the 'social interaction'.

 

[biggs682]

When I make a crumble I always make two one for us and one for my elderly parents .

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I do a few odd jobs and give lifts etc to my mam, and the friends she's had from her school days in exchange for the help and support they've given me all of my life, despite me not always deserving it.

 

[Drago]

I foo am a lgitimate businessman.

Local restaurants and small businesses give me money, I ensure that no accidents or mysterious conflagrations afflict the premises.

 

[fossyant]

When I make a crumble I always make two one for us and one for my elderly parents .

We used to make extra cottage pie. What FIL didn't realise, we added quite a lot of veg into our recipes. He only ate peas, well we made sure he got a lot more in those pies.

 

[Hicky]

OH’s dad is a trailer fitter so we get lots of random stuff off them. Usually snacks or cleaning products….sometimes ovenware.
We share them with our neighbour(large Asian family). In turn we get food, he used to be a chef….ie great food. We also share garden produce and they’re kids get my kids stuff, bikes etc when mine have grown out of them.
We both have young babies of a similar age so share stuff to keep them entertained. Win win for us both.

 

[steven1988]

It makes the world go round, I take a friends son to CX races on a saturday, in return he does the other local league on a sunday

 

[Drago]

Proably best to keep fairly Q about these mutual arangements. The HMRC - spit - do have their own list of equivalency for such things, and if they think theres the slightest chance of getting away with it theyll slap you for BIK.