If money has been tight lately and you've been scrambling to figure out how to get what you need, take comfort: You're certainly not alone. In fact, more and more people in this situation are opening themselves up to the wonders of bartering — that is, exchanging stuff and services for other stuff and services without spending any money at all. Intrigued? Consider these tips.

1Understand how big this is. People are bartering almost anything imaginable these days, from roof repairs to legal services to Pilates sessions to hotel accommodations. To get a sense of the possibilities that exist in the barter economy, visit the barter section of classified ad site craigslist.org for the Tampa Bay area (tampa.craigslist.org/bar/).

8.)Don't pay for books again. Book clubs such as PaperBackSwap.com make it possible for you to mail a book and get a book in exchange, with no strings attached.