CHAPTER 21 - INITIAL STORAGE BARTERING CHOICES

When considering what luxuries to store for bartering purposes, you should first determine which items would be in the greatest demand in your community, what kind of shelf life they carry, and the versatile uses of the items. 

It would be wise to choose some luxuries to barter with that you (or your family) would not personally desire in order to avoid some of the emotional conflict that might come into play if you need to barter with items that you or someone in your immediate family would struggle with the necessity of trading instead of keep for personal use. 

That being said, it is also wise to stock a few luxuries that would be a treat in your family or easy to barter with – whichever was needed at the time.  That is part of the versatility needed when choosing bartering food supplies.  Another aspect of versatility would be storing food staples that are considered unnecessary for survival but could be used in different ways to make survival more pleasant. 

Ideally, when you are in the beginning stages of getting your emergency food storage system and supplies established, your choices in luxury storage should fit 3 criteria – long shelf life, commonly desirable for most people groups, and versatility in usage. 

Once your storage is well rounded and adequate, you can then turn your attention to more specific bartering choices and consider which people you are most likely to have occasion to barter with and what would be the most valuable to them.