When I Had No Cash, I Bartered

For the past several years I’ve been an outsider, at least in the traditional job market. I traded my secure career in journalism (the idea of job security in journalism now seems quaint) for a less structured life on a tropical island. Though I continued to write freelance articles, made jewelry, and taught yoga, the uncertainty of collecting income from these sources inspired me to explore nontraditional forms of currency. When I still had a steady income, not to mention savings, I used cash for the basics – rent, food, and car repairs. While living in Puerto Rico, participating in an intentional community – a raw food retreat center that felt like a commune — I began engaging in barter…