Borrow Before you Buy

When you live in a community of average folks, chances are there are going to be a lot of people with similar and different interests to your own. I happen to be enthusiastic about cycling, gardening, writing, and crafts, but my neighbors like reality television, music, and horseback riding.

Sure, there are a lot of differences between us, but when one of us needs a specialized tool the other might happen to have it, and that can save a ton of money when extended over the course of a month or a year's worth of weekend and evening projects.

I recently found myself trying to hand some posters without a hammer, nails, or sufficiently strong adhesives. Sure, I could have made a run to the local hardware store and kitted myself out, but instead I didn't spend a dime, bonded with the neighbors, and borrowed all that I need with an open invitation to take whatever I wanted, since they had a lot of leftover supplies from a construction project last year.

You can easily save 5-10 dollars a week by borrowing tools and supplies that you might need, a savings of well over 250 dollars per year!