More social sharing:
Sharing, borrowing goes hi-tech online
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/consumer&id=7665643 LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Sharing is one of the first lessons we learn as children, but lending things like toys and books isn't just child's play anymore.
These days, penny pinched consumers are taking sharing to the Web and trading anything and everything - even their set of wheels.
From books and electronic gadgets to appliances and more, borrowing has gone high-tech. On sites like sharesomesugar.com, neighborrow.com, frenting.com or neighborgoods.net, you can post and share items you own and borrow things that you need, all from others in your area.
"Tools, airbeds, the list is really endless. Someone listed their car even," said Adam Berk of neighborrow.com.
Think of each site as a match-making service. Consumer psychologist Matt Wallaert said temporary ownership is a hot trend.
"A lot of people are feeling the pinch of not having enough money right now and so they're turning to borrowing, particularly for more expensive items," said Wallaert.
By borrowing just once, Wallaert said you can save tens of hundreds of dollars, sometimes even thousands, depending on the item.
Keara Schwartz, the creator of sharesomesugar.com, said the sites also give users the chance to go green.
"It's environmentally friendly to be more resourceful and to not buy as many items," said Schwartz.
Each site works a bit differently but the basic idea is the same. Simply search for the item you are looking for based on where you live. Some sites allow you to search by zip code while others require you to form local groups and share among those you've invited in to your circle.
Borrowing Goes High-Tech With 'Sharing' Websites
http://cbs2chicago.com/consumer/sharing.borrowing.online.2.1916480.html Sharing is one of the first lessons we learn in life. But lending things like toys and books isn't just child's play. Forget borrowing the traditional cup of sugar. These days, penny-pinched consumers are taking sharing to the web, trading anything and everything; even their set of wheels.
CBS 2's Mary Kay Kleist shows you how to play fair when borrowing goes high-tech.
New homeowner Stephanie Johnson "digs" gardening in her backyard.
"I like the chance to be outside and relax, and not worry about anything," she said.
Recently, she bought some dirt to build a raised vegetable garden.
"With any other method than a wheelbarrow, it would have taken forever," said Johnson.
But she doesn't own a wheelbarrow. Rather than resort to retail, she set out to borrow.
On sites like
ShareSomeSugar,
NeighBorrow,
Frenting and
NeighborGoods, you can post and share items you own, and borrow things that you need, all from others in your area.
Adam Berk from NeighBorrow said, "
Tools, airbeds, the list is really endless. Someone listed their car even."
Think of each site as a matchmaking service.
Consumer psychologist Matt Wallaert says temporary ownership is a hot trend.
"A lot of people are feeling the pinch of not having enough money right now, and so they're turning to borrowing, particularly for more expensive items," said Wallaert.
Electric trimmers could cost $75 at the store. If you borrowed it, you could save the $75 and not have to find a place to store it.
Keara Schwartz from ShareSomeSugar said, "It's environmentally friendly to be more resourceful and to not buy as many items."
Stephanie Johnson used ShareSomeSugar. She paid a $15
deposit and now she's watching her garden grow.
"Fortunately, I was able to find someone less than a mile away that had a wheelbarrow, so it worked out great," she said.
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