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Hard on the heels of our recent story about Stockholm’s Clarion Hotel, which lets artists pay for a night’s stay with their work, comes word of yet another enterprise accepting barter payments. The spotting this time? None other than a parking lot in Mendoza, Argentina, that enables patrons to pay for their parking with items they no longer need. The scheme – which accepts any second hand items, even old magazines – is being run at three parking lots owned by Ivan Caraganopulos and his family in Mendoza, according to a recent MDZ Online report. Caraganopulos’s decision came in large part as a recognition of the financial strain affecting most consumers in the area, but so far he apparently hasn’t had cause to regret it. In fact, as a result of the overwhelmingly positive response from drivers, it has reportedly turned out to be a profitable one. Tough times call for tough measures, as the old saying goes, but that doesn’t mean the dark clouds of economic hardship can’t have a silver lining. One for inspiration! Spotted by: Miguel