Me again -- I just found another freebie about bartering services... includes some ideas such as carwashing, personal assistanting, help with moving furniture, going with someone to an event, grumble sessions, pet sitting, dog walking, painting a room, watering plants, airport rides, coffee/lunch delivered, exercise partnering, car washing and a lot more.
The site is www.favorpals.com . No charge - not a lot of action on it, none locally as yet... but I can see how we can all help each other out. The notion of course is to trade favors. However, you can also "do favors" for charities or schools, too. At least the site is set up for that.
How about tutoring? Or resume reviewing? Or mentoring? Or making nutritious lunches? Or daily treats for coffee break? Or helping balance a checkbook? Or selecting the right credit card? Or setting up on-line freebies like "free faxing" or "Skype" phone service for folks with computers who aren't really comfortable with them? How about helping out at yard sales or - when the season comes - providing breaks for local businesses or moms?
How about making grocery or kleenex runs for folks who are home sick? How about picking something up when you go to LaGrande or Baker City or Pendleton -- or even Portland or Boise?
Any more ideas? I encourage you to post your "favors" offered or wanted on the site for your town or for Wallowa County generally. www.u-exchange.com is also an option for this as I mentioned earlier.
What I like about bartering is that it is "tax neutral" (equal value for equal value, so it comes out zero) and actually puts the person giving/working in a very equal position.
Sometimes we just don't have enough money to pay what a service is worth -- so folks settle for less than they should be getting. But with favor exchanges, you can agree in a way that gives you the appropriate value for what you do -- you don't have to settle for minimum wage. Of course... you can do that too, if money is what you need most -- but if you are going to spend, say, $100 for a table and chairs, and you can get what it is you need for 4 hours of work -- your "rate" goes up to $25 an hour.
It's "a trade off". You never know what you can get if you don't ask (or offer). Nothing may happen... or something good!
Best wishes K2P