Bartering is not only for rural.If you have things that people want barter is no problem.I barter with one of the largest snowmobile dealers in Ontario.I get parts and service for bikes and snowmachines and he takes fur product in exchange,and sells it in his showroom.
Everyone is open to barter.
You need to have a bit of charisma and get along well with people.You have something they want and they have something you want-no need to pay skimmers.
I barter for all kinds of stuff-welding services plumbing electrical all kinds of stuff.
People wont barter for stuff they don't want or need,that is why if you are skilled at a lot of things and\or are a good worker,barter becomes a lot easier.
Of course you cant barter for everything like tax bills,hydro bills etc.but you can barter in trade for cash to pay those bills.

Boco- what percentage do you guess that your bartering makes up your "income"?

I tried to be part if a bartering group years ago but it kind of fell a part. Not much charisma in me either.

For sure retailers include card fees in the pricing. But everyone pays those whether paying cash, debit, or credit card.

Lets look at a real-world example.

Suppose you have 2500 bucks cash and want to buy a whole lot of new traps. I want the same thing .

You buy yours and hand over the cash. I use a credit card.

We are both satisfied with the transaction. So lets say the transaction took place on February 8. In early March I receive my CC statement and see that I owe 2500$ and that it's due on April 3. That's 54 days after the date of purchase.

In my money market account I am currently earning 2.46% 7 day rate annualized.

When my due date rolls around I make an electronic transfer to my CC company to pay my bill in full.

For the 54 day period between purchase and payment I earned $11.07 on that $2500 purchase. If I was Pass-thru I would also receive an additional $37.50 cash back.

But my card gives me airline miles on Alaska Airlines. That 2500 miles is worth $68.75 in terms of air fare.

So tell me again how I am paying more by using a credit card .

How much does your credit card purchases have to do with your income?I barter for things I buy/need.I have a pension from working 36 years on the railroad on the gangs as a foreman and as a Beaver control foreman.I never heard of a bartering group it is always between me and whoever is supplying what I need.If someone doesn't want/need what I have they always want/need cash money.
Bartering is no different than buying and selling it just cuts out some of the leeches with their hands in your pocket.whenever you can negotiate it.
Same reason the powers that be don't like people using cash,and are always pushing credit.
They say you are paying for their "services"and for some those services may be legitimate,but not for me.They try their best to discourage cash use.When I get a motel room in the city they say they don't take cash but when you pull out the big wad they change their tune,I tell them they can hang on to a grand until I check out in case there are any incidentals.

When I have cash I never pay the asking price on a big money purchase.I always get a lower price for cash,often the taxes are taken off.Which here on 2500 bucks would be 5% or 125 bucks.
In order to use the air miles you have to spend more money,and if you don't fly they are useless.Dont forget what Neil said-they give you this but you pay for that,lol.

I have done that with my dentist once or twice but you aren't going to walk into Timmy"s and negotiate a price for a donut and coffee. That applies to almost everything you buy.

I wouldn't by a timmies and a donut with a credit card either.(or a debit card either).
Credit cards are fine for some I guess,but not for me.
I am constantly being bombarded with gold and platinum card offers,they go into the trash.
Its getting harder all the time to use cash.Especially when travelling.
Can you still get travellers cheques? or are they obsolete now.I used to use those when I was travelling the world back in the 70's.

Having a high credit rating, by wise use of credit cards is a good thing when done right.

That good credit is what counts in financing a home, or a loan for whatever reason. Not a few endeavors wont allow anything but a cc , at very least , in holding till the transaction is decided upon.

Not a thing wrong with using them as a good tool, like any other tool that serves well.

A high credit score can help one get important things done .

I suspect you can still get travelers checks but I'll bet you have to search for them. Credit card is much safer and more convenient than that though.

I bet a lot of people never heard of travelers checks

I bet your right.
Traveller cheques are like a prepaid credit card.I thought they were pretty safe when I was in shady places like the Gorbels in Glasgow,or in Govan in Edinburgh,or some of the steel towns like Corby in England.I could fold them up and keep them in my money belt.They were also easier to use back in those days-no electronics.Today they would be no good I bet.
Probably people never heard of moneybelts either.
Back in the old days don't forget there were no bank machines,computers or anything like that.
When I travel now I don't hang out in those kind of rough places,so cash is king-the US dollar in fact.

Looks like you can;

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/prepaid/travelers-cheques/service-center.html

I have a money belt. Used it all the time in Asia

True, in this day and age no matter what method you pay, a credit rating is out there on you somewhere.

Using your example, I'll do better than that, I'll save approximately 187 using cash minimum

Back in the day you could use traveller cheques in bars,or to get a room,pretty much like cash anywhere.You just had to sign them when cashing and they compared the two signatures-easy to get caught if you tried to forge one.
I remember back about late 70s me and a buddy,a miner from the NWT were in florida for the spring break for 3 weeks,we had traveller cheques.
Anyway my buddy came in one night with two girls and said come on down to this bar.I was hung over bad so passed.Next day he said hey I lost my wallet last night.i said do you remember the bar you were in,its a long shot but maybe someone found it there and turned it in after cleaning it out.he said last thing he remembered was dancing with a bunchof girls and figured he got pickpocketed.We went down to the bar that morning in our rented T-bird went in and asked the bartender if he found a wallet.He threw his thumb over his shoulder and said look in that box.There was a box full of wallets,lol.Joey dug thru the bunch and found his wallet.His cash was gone but all his traveller cheques were still there.LOL
Party on!

I use my credit card at the gas pump other wise cash. Wife and I went on a little vacation last summer, we stayed in motels 5 nights and not one would take cash, couldn't beleave it

I am not even sure I have a credit card anymore but fewer and fewer places are taking cash. It sucks!

I try to use cash as much as possible. For me it's easier to manage money in the hands vs on plastic.

I use cash back CC's. I have saved myself thousands over the years when purchasing new vehicles. I also use my Cabelas to hopefully get me a Henry Golden Boy in the future. I have new Scheels card that sends me gift cards for using their card.

I have heard of farmers using their GM card to pay for as many farm expenses that they can and use the cash back to buy a new pickup ever year or two without putting out any of their own money or at least a smaller amount.