Meet the Vancouverite who's challenged herself to make 50 trades in 50 days
Want to make a trade?
Bunz, the Canadian-born app that’s spawning a community-driven movement across Canada, is picking up steam in Vancouver.
The Toronto-based start-up, based on a collection of Facebook groups, has now amassed 100,000 members in over 250 cities around the world.
At the core of the Bunz concept is bartering, the simple cash-free exchanging of one thing for another. And, Bunz have swapped everything from the practical to the bizarre; houseplants, haircuts, and leftovers, to resume editing, tattoos, and sex toys.
The app provides users with an alternate economic model and a way to keep things out of the trash. It’s also emerged as a social forum and way for neighbours to meet and interact in real life.
In Vancouver, one Bunz member leading the charge is Jill Rusaw. She’s a recent transplant to the city from Toronto and she’s trying to get to know the city better one trade at a time.
The self-appointed challenge is simple: complete 50 Bunz trades in 50 days. She has a list of “ISOs” (things and services she’s “In Search Of”), and a number of items up for trade on her profile.
Of her time on Bunz, Jill says, “I feel like being a Bunz makes me a more socially conscious individual, and has taught me so much.”
So far, she’s done a trade every day since January 10 and has no end in sight. Bunz has helped her discover her city and meet a ton of new people. “I am normally a very socially anxious person, however it’s never been a factor that holds me back when it comes time to make a trade. I know I have nothing to worry about when meeting a Bunz because, well, they’re a Bunz and that alone makes me feel kindred with that stranger.”
Keep up with Jill’s trades as she makes her way through this ongoing project, by following her on Bunz and Instagram, where she’s using the hashtag #JillOfAllBunzTrades
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