I started a frugality co-op..

**Thevail** · 03-26-2009, 05:01 PM

So I've been hanging around FV for a bit and I can't (or just won't) stop talking to all my friends about how useful it is.
We were in another discussion about how to save money the other day.

And friend A says, yeah, but the stuff that's worth like a penny a week isn't really helping that much because even if you do all of it, it only saves about $200 a year. And no one is going to do all of it.

The rest of us had to agree that the amount of people who were actually going to do all of it was pretty slim. (I'm looking at you grainlady, you over achiever!)

So we were brainstorming away trying to figure out how to do something frugal that would save some serious cash...when friend B tells us that she inherited her aunt's serger..and friend C said yeah, she'd always wanted one.

And the collective lightbulb went off....why buy more than one of something expensive when we can all share the expensive things we purchase individually!

Now we're all happily loaning each other power tools, and barbecues, and sewing machines.
The agreement is:

We'll loan each other things for periods of up to one week and then they have to be returned. (They can be checked out again so long as no one else needs it right then.)

The original owner has first claim on the item if they need it, as they are the most likely one to need it since they actually went to the trouble of buying it.

No matter who broke it, or used it everyone chips in to have the item serviced or fixed if it gets broken because then we ALL still have access to it.

We'll see how it goes...but we think we'll be able to save several hundred dollars a year for each household just by not buying stuff.

**mommy4ever** · 03-26-2009, 05:04 PM

Neat idea! Hope it works out

We used to do that with a toy co-op. But there was always some one who kept or "lost" something, so it didn't last.

**Judi Dial** · 03-26-2009, 05:09 PM

Cool idea!

I hope it works out...

Judi

**mauimagic** · 03-26-2009, 05:18 PM

You people are brilliant!! Love this idea. I'm borrowing a friend's dehydrator right now and a friend borrows my car when she needs it. Our own mini version. Let us know how it works out!!