How to save money on occasional-use items
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There are some things that it’s better not to buy. For instance, my church has needed a “lift” twice in the last year to change the lighting hanging from the 40 foot ceiling. I have no idea how much a lift costs to buy, but I’d be willing to bet it’s a whole lot more than the $160 or so we spent to rent one twice.
Mary Hunt had a similiar experience (though unfortunately, it was the opposite: she bought instead of renting) with a chipper shredder. She relates that “hard lesson” in one of her Everyday Cheapskate newsletters. She concludes:
If it’s bigger than a breadbox, does not bring incredible beauty to your life, and will not be used and enjoyed on a regular basis, rent it! Let someone else buy it, maintain it and store it. I’d rather pay a few bucks to use it.
But here’s some great news: coming very soon (I think August 31) is BorrowMe.com. The point of this site is to facilitate neighborhood and perhaps city-wide and regional borrowing of things when it makes sense.
I’ve often thought that it would make much more sense to share a lawn mower with our closest two or three neighbors (because really, how often do we all mow at the same time? In three years of living here, that would be exactly never). It probably says something about the state of American neighborhoods today (or me) that this hasn’t happened. But BorrowMe.com is following up on the success of ideas like Freecycle and other similiar “breakthroughs” and I have very high hopes that it will make its participants’ lives better.
Have a look at it. Do you think you’ll use it? Why or why not?
Related Link: Best Cash Back Credit Card to save on every item.
looks like they have pushed it back to sept. 15 for the launch date.
I was just thinking this morning that it was weird that I hadn’t received an email from them if they launched; they’ve been very communicative so far. I really am looking forward to this!