Want to simplify your life in 2011? Consider borrowing instead of buying.
I often wonder how much money we could save if we borrowed things instead of buying them. How many items in your house are only used once or twice a year? When I first started homeschooling I borrowed the entire curriculum, minus a few workbooks, from a friend. This saved us a few hundred dollars and we returned the books in good condition. When I recovered my dining room chairs, I borrowed a few tools from my father instead of purchasing something I would need for a one time project.
Borrowing or trading with your neighbors, friends, and family can save you a lot of money. Just remember to follow a the borrowing golden rules so you don’t lose a friend to saving money.
We’ve loaned everything from a cup of sugar to a car with no regrets, what about you?
We save money by all in the family borrowing or trading Dvd’s instead of everyone buying or renting them…As soon as one comes out whoever decides to buy it calls everyone (there’s 6 of us) so everyone gets to see new ones for free about 5 out of 6 movies..and the one we buy I research to find who has it on sale for $13 or lower… so we pay about $2 per movie on average….
We have a friend who we have borrowed a TON of clothes from for our little one. She let me borrow so much that I didn’t have to buy a single thing this winter, and my daughter even had 10 different Christmas outfits! We are so thankful for that because there have been some low times the past year.
We are currently borrowing our couch, it has been so nice not to have to drop the money for new furniture.
We have borrowed a dining table in the past, as well as let a friend borrow a dining table for us, unfortunately that didn’t go so well. My new lending rule for myself is don’t let someone borrow something that you would be very upset if it didn’t survive.
I have let friends borrow baby gear, and a car once as well.
Advance Auto has a tool loaner program that we’ve used several times. They charge your credit card and you get the tool for 30 days. If you return it in that amount of time, they credit your card back the same amount; if you don’t, the tool is yours! (But at a higher price than if you’d just purchased it in the first place.) This is great for specialty tools you might need while working on a car or something.
This is so good! Thanks.
I tend to “not wanna bother” friends, but when they ask to borrow my
tools, kitchen things, etc, I’m HONORED & excited that they’re doing
something that I really enjoy/appreciate.
Thanks… great reminder.
I wish I had more people to do this witH!
We have Netflix but we do borrow movies from mil, we use the library alot, borrowing books, cd’s, dvd’s even toys!
I would like to borrow things that I wouldnt use often, like a pressure canner when it comes time to bring in garden produce, etc
I’ve never regretted loaning or borrowing from friends/family.
My husband routinely shares tools with neighbors and family.
I have often joked with my sister about making a list of kitchen supplies we each have to avoid duplicates of infrequently-used-items…Bundt pan, large roasting pan, large serving dishes, 11×15 cake pan, springform pan, shaped cake pans, etc. Maybe that’s not such a bad idea!
um… My husband and I pretty much borrow EVERYTHING from his father and step-mother. He has every man’s DREAM garage equipped with every tool, every piece of equipment needed to paint…ANYTHING! We are so blessed by their helpfulness and its awesome having them justa few miles down the road.
My husband and I borrow from our family things like small appliances, tools–even a truck if we need to haul something. It’s such a blessing. I am sure it has saved us a lot of money.
I couldn’t agree more about the concept of borrowing! We are quick to loan things out, and to tell neighbors when we have a new tool/gadget, so that they can use it too.
Why store things that you only use a few times a year? I love to lend things out.
Our ‘new’ neighborhood in the country is a bit different than the ‘burbs, but I’m hoping to cultivate the same kind of relationships we had with our neighbors previously.
Great post!
While I love the idea of sharing and not being excessively or unnecessarily spendy, borrowing curriculum sounds like it could be teetering on the verge of unethical if that curriculum was sold with the understanding that it was intended for use by one family. Someone worked hard to put that curriculum together and by borrowing rather than purchasing a new copy, you may be taking a bit of that person’s livelihood.
Now, I’ve never bought homeschooling curriculum so I don’t know if it works the same way something like a digital copy of a book or a song does (ie, just because you can make a dozen digital copies doesn’t mean it’s legal), and this may be perfectly all right; it may be just like borrowing a physical book (which I have no problem with, obviously, because I’m not crazy
), but I thought I’d raise this issue since it’s one that isn’t always considered by those who don’t create that kind of content.
This is my first visit to your site, and, though I am neither a mother nor a homeschooler, I love reading about such things (I hope to be both someday), and I look forward to checking out the rest of your site and learning some stuff! Please don’t read any disrespect into this comment; I’m just raising a question that I trust you will be able to answer satisfactorily for yourself.
Amaris,
When I mentioned borrowing curriculum, I mean borrowing a textbook, similar to a public school setting where kids use a book, then the next year another student uses that same book for the same class. Personally, I would never make a copy of something and then return it. When I borrow textbooks, I buy the workbook from the publisher to use with my child.
Hope that makes sense!
Toni
Oh my gosh Yes! Yes. A thousand times YES!
This is particularly true with tools and other “man toys.” I don’t understand why men want to spend hundreds of dollars on a tool they will use for ONE job around the house? Why not rent or borrow that specialty item?
Of course you have to be a good lender too. We have a ton of “specialized” items and are happy to loan them out to people who return them promptly in great condition. Some of our items were even bought knowing, happily, that so-and-so can get a lot of use out of this too! It’s a double-value!
This is a great sentiment. Now remember that just as you are “honored” so too will your friends be if you ask nicely of them!
Oh good, that does make sense and makes me feel so much better! I knew I didn’t know the whole situation…thanks for taking the time to reply!
One day my girfriend said she was going to have to buy some new clothes. I suggested we trade clothes. She was excited and agreed. Then another girlfriend found out and said she wanted to do it too. So we are going through our closets and getting out what don’t fit us anymore and trading. Another one wanted too, but she is a size 2 and we are all 8 to 12′s. We are also trading shoes.
Then I had a friend that wanted a new box springs and mattress and her old one was still in good shape. They wanted $75.00 to deliver and haul off the old one. I told her to let me check around to see if I could do better. I called a friend and he said his son needed one and would do it for the set with no extra cost. This was great timing.
We have Amish neighbors who come over a lot to borrow a tool or a cup of sugar and what-not. They have realized that I usually have a fully stocked pantry. I have on occasion sent a kiddo or two over for a cup of oil or a few eggs if we’re out. She is so happy when we ask to borrow something. That’s what being neighbors is all about.