As we reported back in September in "Shake On It: Bartering Booms During Tough Economic Times," more Americans seem to be turning to bartering. And according to "New Buying Power, Despite the Economy," in The New York Times, an increasing number of folks are bartering during this recession-era holiday season as a way to "buy" gifts without cash. A San Francisco building contractor, for example, secured a passel of holiday presents by trading for them with his services via the International Monetary Systems network, according to the Times.

Barter networks like IMS allow members to exchange goods and services according to predetermined values and redeem them in a more flexible manner than traditional one-on-one swaps. "Anything is better than nothing. I take my profit in trade," the building contractor said in the Times' article. Other IMS members cited the ability to move excess inventory without having to discount merchandise.

The New York-based Hudson Barter Exchange, which we covered in our earlier post, recently added a holiday event during which its members can use their network credits to buy and sell gift-worthy items and services.—Gian Trotta | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Learn more smart ways to buy, sell, or swap goods through online classifieds like those on Craigslist and garage sales, and get the best deals by haggling effectively. Stay on top of the shopping news by reading Tightwad Tod on our Money blog and use the resources on our Holiday Shopping Guide.