WEBVTT - Host a swap

0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:06.680
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:15.520
<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

0:00:16.720 --> 0:00:21.680
<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to host a swap as we come

0:00:21.720 --> 0:00:26.320
<v Speaker 1>to the holidays. Trading items with friends and neighbors can

0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:30.639
<v Speaker 1>help everyone save some money while still enjoying new to

0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:36.640
<v Speaker 1>them treats. Plus, it's fun to build community with people

0:00:36.680 --> 0:00:42.159
<v Speaker 1>who like the same sort of things. Every holiday season,

0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:46.280
<v Speaker 1>I find myself intrigued by the idea of a cookie

0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:49.720
<v Speaker 1>swap party. They are a fun way to end up

0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:53.200
<v Speaker 1>with a variety of sweets. If you have six people

0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:56.360
<v Speaker 1>at a swap, each of you would make five dozen

0:00:56.480 --> 0:01:00.000
<v Speaker 1>of your favorite kind of cookie to share. Unless every

0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:03.640
<v Speaker 1>one baked the exact same cookie. This would mean that

0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:06.840
<v Speaker 1>each attendee would go home with a dozen each of

0:01:06.959 --> 0:01:11.120
<v Speaker 1>five varieties of cookies, and of course you'd get together

0:01:11.200 --> 0:01:15.560
<v Speaker 1>with five friends to celebrate the holidays. The cookies are

0:01:15.600 --> 0:01:21.279
<v Speaker 1>really just a bonus, if a nice one. Some people

0:01:21.319 --> 0:01:25.480
<v Speaker 1>do clothing swaps too. I think they are particularly good

0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:29.920
<v Speaker 1>for kids who often outgrow clothes before the clothes give

0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:33.080
<v Speaker 1>out in a way that just doesn't happen for grown ups.

0:01:34.360 --> 0:01:38.120
<v Speaker 1>Kids also try various sports too, which means you might

0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:41.280
<v Speaker 1>wind up with ice skates that are now too small

0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:45.360
<v Speaker 1>for your daughter who has moved on to lacrosse. Best

0:01:45.400 --> 0:01:48.440
<v Speaker 1>to give them to someone else whose kid is considering

0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:52.040
<v Speaker 1>skating lessons, and if you don't necessarily know who that

0:01:52.120 --> 0:01:56.279
<v Speaker 1>might be, a neighborhood swaps a great way to find

0:01:56.280 --> 0:02:01.200
<v Speaker 1>out and maybe to score some used Lacrois equipment at

0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:05.360
<v Speaker 1>the same time. Clothes and cookies are the most common

0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.400
<v Speaker 1>fodder for swaps, but you could see how this concept

0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:12.920
<v Speaker 1>could expand to other things too. A hobby swap would

0:02:12.919 --> 0:02:15.120
<v Speaker 1>be a great way to meet other people who enjoy

0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:19.079
<v Speaker 1>a pastime, pick up some new gear, and unload the

0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:24.000
<v Speaker 1>stuff you no longer use. Any serious scrap booker or

0:02:24.080 --> 0:02:27.480
<v Speaker 1>knitter winds up with material that they don't use as

0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:31.800
<v Speaker 1>often as their favorite stuff. Somebody else might want to

0:02:31.840 --> 0:02:35.520
<v Speaker 1>knit a sweater in that exact shade of green you

0:02:35.639 --> 0:02:41.799
<v Speaker 1>elected not to use. Particularly as we get toward the holidays,

0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.120
<v Speaker 1>a swap could be a great way to stretch a budget.

0:02:46.120 --> 0:02:49.280
<v Speaker 1>A kid who wants a set of blocks doesn't need

0:02:49.320 --> 0:02:52.200
<v Speaker 1>to know that they are not in the original packaging.

0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:56.440
<v Speaker 1>They are still really cool, packed into a clever basket

0:02:56.880 --> 0:03:01.520
<v Speaker 1>and wrapped up, same with sports gear or cool bigger

0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:06.720
<v Speaker 1>kid clothes. Now, obviously it's a little trickier scoring gifts

0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.120
<v Speaker 1>for adults at a swap, though it wouldn't have to

0:03:10.160 --> 0:03:14.200
<v Speaker 1>be if you and your friends and family all committed

0:03:14.480 --> 0:03:18.240
<v Speaker 1>to giving the second hand market a try. But even

0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:20.880
<v Speaker 1>if you won't go that far, as swap could be

0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:24.320
<v Speaker 1>a great way to get some new holiday decorations if

0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:28.600
<v Speaker 1>everyone's feeling a little tired of their own, and you

0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.360
<v Speaker 1>can always score some new presents for yourself in the

0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:36.880
<v Speaker 1>process since you wouldn't care as much about the formalities. Personally,

0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:40.760
<v Speaker 1>I love the idea of a book swap. We often

0:03:40.800 --> 0:03:43.320
<v Speaker 1>wind up with lots of books that we've read but

0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:48.240
<v Speaker 1>don't need to keep. Donating is great, so is trading.

0:03:49.240 --> 0:03:50.960
<v Speaker 1>It's a great way to find out what you'd like

0:03:51.040 --> 0:03:54.480
<v Speaker 1>to read next. There are lots of ways you could

0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:59.120
<v Speaker 1>host a swap. Some very serious swaps involve a currency

0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:02.280
<v Speaker 1>of credit, where you get a certain number of credits

0:04:02.320 --> 0:04:05.560
<v Speaker 1>based on the number and quality of items you bring in.

0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:10.560
<v Speaker 1>If that sounds like too much work, don't worry. There

0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:15.080
<v Speaker 1>are plenty that unfold a lot more organically. Just trusting

0:04:15.120 --> 0:04:19.640
<v Speaker 1>that everyone's interest in maintaining the relationships will prove stronger

0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:22.800
<v Speaker 1>then their desire to grab the really nice pair of

0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:27.040
<v Speaker 1>ice skates or golf clubs. If you're doing a hobby

0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:30.520
<v Speaker 1>or game swap, teaming up with a local business or

0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:33.760
<v Speaker 1>organization could help you get the news out and maybe

0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:37.919
<v Speaker 1>provide a space. Inviting people to a swap is also

0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:42.320
<v Speaker 1>one of the best uses of social media. You can

0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:45.720
<v Speaker 1>post on local groups about your swap and people will

0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:49.719
<v Speaker 1>spread the word to their own networks too. In any case,

0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:55.120
<v Speaker 1>we often buy new stuff because that's easiest. I know

0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:59.640
<v Speaker 1>I do this and often that is perfectly fine, but

0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:03.920
<v Speaker 1>can be really satisfying to find a good home for

0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:08.120
<v Speaker 1>your stuff and to be able to give stuff a

0:05:08.200 --> 0:05:13.440
<v Speaker 1>longer life. A swap can do this and let everyone

0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:19.760
<v Speaker 1>enjoy getting new things. If it saves money, well that's

0:05:19.839 --> 0:05:26.279
<v Speaker 1>just frosting on the cookie. In the meantime, this is Laura.

0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:32.040
<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of

0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:41.080
<v Speaker 1>our times. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:43.960
<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:48.280
<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:53.840
<v Speaker 1>before Breakfast pod. That's b the number four. Then breakfast

0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:57.000
<v Speaker 1>p O D. You can also shoot me an email

0:05:57.040 --> 0:06:00.479
<v Speaker 1>at Before Breakfast podcast at I Hurt Me da dot

0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:03.400
<v Speaker 1>com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:06.119
<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, should I look forward to staying in touch.

0:06:11.920 --> 0:06:15.039
<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For

0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:18.160
<v Speaker 1>more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart

0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:21.640
<v Speaker 1>Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:22.320
<v Speaker 1>favorite shows.