Day 206
Can you imagine opening the door these days to your neighbor standing there asking to borrow a cup of sugar? While you may view it as a scene reminiscent of a 60’s sitcom; I would actually argue that this tradition is one we should reestablish.
That’s right, I AM the slightly wacky next door neighbor that has been borrowing things next door during The Simple Year instead of dashing out to a mega-home store anytime I need a tool or cooking implement that I don’t have on hand. Which, I admit was very typical behavior for us just last year (the dashing part).
Anytime, anyone wants to borrow one of my shovels or ratchet straps, I will be ready.
At first, I was a little sheepish when asking to borrow a rake or bike pump. I mean, borrowing things basically started to go out of style when The Partridge Family went off the air. And, I am new to the neighborhood. Maybe, it is because it’s akin to asking for help, which I have difficulty with.
I’m not sure why I was so reticent, I was a child during an era when the phrase “May I borrow up a cup of sugar,” was a part of popular culture. Andy Griffith, Lucy and Ethel and even Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner were often portrayed borrowing things like sugar or anvils.
In fact, I don’t think my parents had a lawn mower for years. Instead, I remember them borrowing my grandparents’ or the neighbors. I also remember periodically running to the neighbors for my mother to borrow things to complete our dinner like an egg, onion and once, embarrassingly, Velveeta cheese (which I didn’t realize until I was in my late teens, wasn’t cheese at all).
Then, there wasn’t a strip mall on every corner so it wasn’t convenient to “pop out” and people didn’t run to buy a power washer or nail gun with their credit card anytime a need arose.
So, once again, during The Simple Year, out of necessity, I have gone a bit old school and have found it has been a great way to meet my neighbors. But, beyond that, I think it makes a lot of sense, not only does it save money, but there aren’t so many “tripping hazards” in my garage. Although, I would recommend that you are willing to return the favor when someone wants to borrow your tent or table saw.
There are also several websites dedicated to connecting neighbors to share items like Neighborgoods and Share Some Sugar. Although, I am not sure how widespread their use is because I signed up for one and there were only two items listed to lend (but neither are items I own). But, if a few of us start to use them, perhaps the idea will sprout in our communities. Incidentally, I noticed an octopus listed to loan on the Neighborgoods website. There was a picture and everything. There are many questions left unanswered there…
So, if you find yourself needing a post hole digger or pressure cooker, perhaps it is time to go meet your neighbors.
I’ve been needing a post hole digger to hang my clothes line for ages! Can I borrow yours?
I completely agree. In the past week alone, me and my neighbor have shared coffee, eggs, milk, trips to the grocery, a lawnmower, q-tips, gycerin and loads of parenting advice. I don’t know what we would do without each other. This is how communities should be.
You’ve abviously not heard your Mother say: “If the Howard’s don’t have it, you don’t need it.”
Why don’t I learn to read what I’ve written before I send “Obviously” Also: we have
Bob’s log splitter stored at our house. Just FYI – but you might want to bid on it
for the cabin. FYI –
log splitter, huh? I bet you guys could rent that thing out for some additional cash…tell Bob you’ll split it with him 🙂
Kerry that is how I have all the children from another mother (as I call them). One calls everytime he needs something. Two weeks ago it was a cup of sugar 🙂 and he realized how long it had been since he had been over.
hello
I do it a lot. Actually between neighbors we exchange products, borrow everything. Why do I need to buy a ladder if my neighbor has one? the same for many appliances that we usually use only once a year or so.
saves us money and create connections between people.
Love neighborly sharing and borrowing! Which is one of the reasons I love my neighborhood. I’ve had neighbors come over on Sunday morning with a gravy boat asking if they can borrow some syrup for waffles. I’ve sent my kiddos to the neighbor’s to borrow, yes, a cup of sugar. I’ve had neighbors come over asking to borrow my vehicle. I’ve gone to the neighbors asking if I could borrow their camping gear. I’ve had neighbors come over asking to borrow my kid (no, I’m not kidding). I’ve sent my kids to the neighbors asking the neighbors to please borrow them for the afternoon 🙂
I agree that we need to get back to neighborly borrowing – it creates a great community, and the convenience is icing on the cake.
The borrowing neighbor thing has always been in effect in Pittsburgh. Some have tall ladders, some have a certain type of tree lopper, and yes Nadine still remembers a phone call from me asking for ANY tomato based product to complete a dinner. It is what we can do for each other.
I have a neighbor next door who is an absolute mooch. So I went looking to see just how common this is, and I found this blog.
Ok, I have no problem with those who “pitch in” to the bartering system. I lend you a ladder, you lend me a sledgehammer, that works, sure. But what about when you have a neighbor who makes it a practice to NEVER BUY ANYTHING, and MOOCH EVERYTHING?
I was moving in, didn’t even know the guy’s last name, and he was asking me to borrow a $1000 piece of power equipment as I was wheeling it off the truck, before it even went into my new garage!
Then comes the other requests which I’ve averaged at every 3 weeks since we moved in 2 years ago. ALWAYS something. …and that’s just ME. I watched this guy borrow a regular carpenter’s hammer from another neighbor once. How do you get to be 50 years old, own a home, and not own a hammer? It’s unfathomable to me. So it seems to be at least a weekly activity for this guy.
Meanwhile, he talks about how much money he has in the bank, with no debt.
Oooh, I have so many stories about this guy, in such a short time. Once I told him “I have to go get some dirt from a construction site (they give it away) so I can fix the slope around the house”. This clown generously offers to ride along with me, help me load the dirt, and then take half when we got back. Yeah, because I really need someone to help me load 50% of the dirt so I can give 50% of it away to this person. Because after all, in return I get to spend my gas money and put more wear and tear on my truck in return. I should be thankful. Seriously, he didn’t ask for a favor, he pitched it to me as a generous offer, lol.
Yes, I’ve had to drop the window on this guy already. The last request was to use my truck to go pick up a sofa someone was giving to him. YES, that’s right, he makes more money than I do, and not a single piece of furniture in his house was bought from a store. All 2nd hand, most of it mooched. 9:30pm at night he’s asking me to go pick up a couch with him.(FOR him) I said no, and shut the door. I would have said yes to any other neighbor, but this guy, absolutely not. He visited the well one too many times.
So, that’s my perspective on excessive mooching. Everyone should buy certain things. Basic hand tools, a lawnmower, weed trimmer, snow shovel, you get the picture. A post-hole digger is a special item. That I wouldn’t mind lending out. I don’t even mind lending out the staples, provided I know yours broke down, and you’re not just trying to mooch your way out of buying necessary items that any responsible adult should purchase. The other thing is, if you’re going to make constant requests to borrow, buy things that others might want to borrow too. Don’t just be that person with the bare necessities, that has nothing else. If you want to live that way, fine, live that way, but don’t constantly try to borrow from those who worked to pay for what they have. It gets on people’s nerves that DO spend the money and make those purchases.
I just bought a new snowblower a month ago, during an off-season sale. I almost didn’t buy it. Why? Not because I don’t want it, but because I don’t want to deal with the entitlement issues facing any number of my neighbors, and the shameless requests to borrow it. Incidentally, that first item the mooch next door asked to borrow was an expensive pressure washer. I DID lend it to him once, at the behest of my good-hearted sometimes doormat wife. As he was wheeling it over to his yard he dropped the tip I gave him. So instead of looking for it, he comes back to tell me he dropped the tip somewhere and asked me if I had another. THAT is what I’m dealing with.
Well- I love and appreciate your story (it is probably a blog post in itself). So, my husband is a guy that likes to have all kinds of tools and whatknot also, and will use any home improvement project as an opportunity to buy something like a dremel or a paint sprayer. I just think those items that only get very occasional use might be better “passed around” But, I guess you are right. These things work better when they are in balance.. but, I still like the idea “less” things out there that only get occasional use, your garage would be more spacious that way if you borrowed things. Maybe you should stand outside of your neighbors garage and scope out what he has and then ask to borrow it….even if you don’t need it 🙂
Borrowing a cup of sugar actually means hello welcome to the neighbourhood