Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned resourcefulness? It’s somewhere in our DNA, but it’s been buried by decades of convenience and takeout. Well, it’s time to bring it back, to think, “Yeah, I can do that.” That’s what the “Get It Started” series is all about.
This month we’re building some community spirit while at the same time checking off some long-standing items on our chore list. We’re going to start a neighborhood rental network (well, actually, you are). But rather than being headquartered in Old Man Gunther’s garage, this one will exist in cyberspace, where it’ll be a snap to use and manage. Here’s how to get one up and running in the time it takes to pick up the phone, call a friend, and say, “Hey, would you happen to have a wheelbarrow I can borrow for the weekend?”
Start small. Think of three or four other families in your immediate area that you’re friendly with and who are trustworthy. Make sure they also have a lot of useful stuff. That’s important. The whole point of this is to make their stuff your stuff, and vice versa.
Access Google Docs. To set this up, try using an online program called Google Documents. If you already use Gmail, then simply click “Documents” at the top of your home page (or the tab “More” and scroll down until you find it). If you don’t have a Google account, then go to google.com, click “Sign In,” then “Create an Account Now,” and follow the prompts.
Build your rental menu. Open a Google spreadsheet document and type in seven headings: Lender’s Name, Contact Info, Items to Lend, Borrower’s Name, Contact Info, Date Borrowed, Date Due Back. List all the things you’re willing to loan under Items to Lend.
Recruit others. Click the Share button at the top of the spreadsheet, remembering to name the file if you haven’t done so already (i.e., Neighborhood Rental Network). Then invite other families to view and add their stuff to it, making sure to explain the concept in a brief message. (“We’ll save money and get things done!”)
Start lending. Once everyone has completed the spreadsheet, go for it! The beauty of this setup is that anyone in the network can access and amend the list at any time. It’s a “live” document. And because there is a specific date given for who checked out an item, there’s a public record in case anything goes missing, gets damaged, or is borrowed for too long. In that respect, it polices itself.
Expand the network. If, after a few weeks or months, things are working well, then consider expanding your rental network by turning the “participants” into “collaborators” (simply click that button on the spreadsheet) and allowing them to share the document with others. Who knows? Before long, you may never need to buy or rent anything again.
My neighbors and I barter eveything from stuff around the house cooking to babysitting. Her son will clean off my roof if I will babysit for them to go shopping. every six months or so we have a yard sale whick usually turns in to a swap meet . lol
~Paige.
Grown Up Get Togethers and Bring the Kids
