1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to host a swap as we come 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: to the holidays. Trading items with friends and neighbors can 5 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: help everyone save some money while still enjoying new to 6 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: them treats. Plus, it's fun to build community with people 7 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: who like the same sort of things. Every holiday season, 8 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: I find myself intrigued by the idea of a cookie 9 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: swap party. They are a fun way to end up 10 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 1: with a variety of sweets. If you have six people 11 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: at a swap, each of you would make five dozen 12 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: of your favorite kind of cookie to share. Unless every 13 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 1: one baked the exact same cookie. This would mean that 14 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: each attendee would go home with a dozen each of 15 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: five varieties of cookies, and of course you'd get together 16 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: with five friends to celebrate the holidays. The cookies are 17 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:21,279 Speaker 1: really just a bonus, if a nice one. Some people 18 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: do clothing swaps too. I think they are particularly good 19 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: for kids who often outgrow clothes before the clothes give 20 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: out in a way that just doesn't happen for grown ups. 21 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: Kids also try various sports too, which means you might 22 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: wind up with ice skates that are now too small 23 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: for your daughter who has moved on to lacrosse. Best 24 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: to give them to someone else whose kid is considering 25 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: skating lessons, and if you don't necessarily know who that 26 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:56,279 Speaker 1: might be, a neighborhood swaps a great way to find 27 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: out and maybe to score some used Lacrois equipment at 28 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: the same time. Clothes and cookies are the most common 29 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: fodder for swaps, but you could see how this concept 30 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: could expand to other things too. A hobby swap would 31 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: be a great way to meet other people who enjoy 32 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: a pastime, pick up some new gear, and unload the 33 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: stuff you no longer use. Any serious scrap booker or 34 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: knitter winds up with material that they don't use as 35 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: often as their favorite stuff. Somebody else might want to 36 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: knit a sweater in that exact shade of green you 37 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: elected not to use. Particularly as we get toward the holidays, 38 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: a swap could be a great way to stretch a budget. 39 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: A kid who wants a set of blocks doesn't need 40 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: to know that they are not in the original packaging. 41 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: They are still really cool, packed into a clever basket 42 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: and wrapped up, same with sports gear or cool bigger 43 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: kid clothes. Now, obviously it's a little trickier scoring gifts 44 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: for adults at a swap, though it wouldn't have to 45 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: be if you and your friends and family all committed 46 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: to giving the second hand market a try. But even 47 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: if you won't go that far, as swap could be 48 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: a great way to get some new holiday decorations if 49 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: everyone's feeling a little tired of their own, and you 50 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: can always score some new presents for yourself in the 51 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: process since you wouldn't care as much about the formalities. Personally, 52 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: I love the idea of a book swap. We often 53 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: wind up with lots of books that we've read but 54 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: don't need to keep. Donating is great, so is trading. 55 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: It's a great way to find out what you'd like 56 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: to read next. There are lots of ways you could 57 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: host a swap. Some very serious swaps involve a currency 58 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: of credit, where you get a certain number of credits 59 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: based on the number and quality of items you bring in. 60 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: If that sounds like too much work, don't worry. There 61 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: are plenty that unfold a lot more organically. Just trusting 62 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: that everyone's interest in maintaining the relationships will prove stronger 63 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: then their desire to grab the really nice pair of 64 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: ice skates or golf clubs. If you're doing a hobby 65 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: or game swap, teaming up with a local business or 66 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: organization could help you get the news out and maybe 67 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: provide a space. Inviting people to a swap is also 68 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: one of the best uses of social media. You can 69 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 1: post on local groups about your swap and people will 70 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: spread the word to their own networks too. In any case, 71 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: we often buy new stuff because that's easiest. I know 72 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: I do this and often that is perfectly fine, but 73 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 1: can be really satisfying to find a good home for 74 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: your stuff and to be able to give stuff a 75 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: longer life. A swap can do this and let everyone 76 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: enjoy getting new things. If it saves money, well that's 77 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: just frosting on the cookie. In the meantime, this is Laura. 78 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 79 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: our times. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 80 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 81 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 82 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,840 Speaker 1: before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four. Then breakfast 83 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: p O D. You can also shoot me an email 84 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at I Hurt Me da dot 85 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 86 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,119 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch. 87 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. 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