The stock market is down, our savings may be wiped out, and layoffs are in the air. But kids grow out of shoes, we still need the occasional new pair of jeans, and you’d like a good book to take your mind off the troubles. Swap till ya drop!

A plethora of websites and online communities make bartering, trading, and swapping as easy as going to the neighbor’s house for a cup of sugar. Sure, it’s great to exchange goods with people in town (Freecycle is an excellent resource for that), but sometimes the people down the street don’t have exactly what you need. You might find more types of items or specialty goods online – and even with postage, the costs are lower than buying new. Reusing items is more environmentally friendly too, because no additional resources are used to make new goods.

General swaps

These are websites where you can list all kinds of items to swap and find things others are offering. You arrange a trade online. Sometimes goods can be sold as well, if a suitable trade can’t be worked out. Usually there are no fees involved, but read the fine print for each site.

• Swap at Home
• Swap Online
• Swap Treasures
• U-Exchange
• UI-Swap

Books, CDs, DVDs, video games

You read a book once, and then it becomes clutter. Today’s hit CD is tomorrow’s bore. Media comes and goes, so it’s the ideal thing to trade. These sites help you barter everything from paperbacks to video games.

• Frugal Reader — Books
• What’s on My Bookshelf — Books
• Title Trader — Books, CDs, DVDs
• Swap Simple — Books, DVDs, video games
• Swap Tree — Books, CDs, DVDs, video games

Kids stuff

Parents know how fast kids outgrow and outlast their things. Perfectly useful clothes and toys can be passed down to siblings, but if there’s nobody nearby who can use this stuff, trade it online.

• Kizoodle — Swap children’s and parents’ items on this community website.
• Hand-Me-Downs — Buy, sell, give away, or donate children’s gear.
• Tot Swap Shop — Swap children’s items through a points system.

Clothing and makeup

If you want high-fashion looks without the big price tags, consider these sites. Fellow fashionistas swap their wardrobes, including accessories. Some sites may charge a small fee, but it’s still a lot less than the garments actually cost.

Makeup may seem like an odd thing to swap, but many women take one swipe of an eye shadow and realize it’s not for them.  The products are still safe and usable, so better to pass them along then add to the landfills. And don’t forget about all those “gift with purchase” items that clutter bathrooms; surely someone can use them!

• Dig ‘n Swap — Clothing and accessories
• My Fashion Swap — Clothing and accessories
• Swap Style — Clothing and accessories
• Makeup Alley Swaps — Makeup and personal care products
• Swap Makeup — Makeup and personal care products