As UK neighbours face the rising cost of living, we wanted to find out how communities are turning to one another to offer help and support to each other. More connected and kinder communities will surely make you feel good, but can they help you save money?
To help us explore value within communities, we teamed up with Finance Expert and founder of MoneyMagpie.com, Jasmine Birtles, who knows first-hand the value of tapping into the neighbourhood as she found her PA on Nextdoor within hours. Jasmine believes that the key to saving money is right on your doorstep:
“From borrowing a ladder or a drill to handing over a bag of food from the fridge before going on holiday to watching each other’s kids for an hour or so, sharing goods and services with neighbours is a fantastic way of saving money. I am fascinated by the amount of freebies people pick up within their communities and the way neighbours can help each other with everyday services to bring the cost down.”- Jasmine Birtles
The results of our research are really positive and show that over a third of us believe we have saved money thanks to the kindness of our communities even as much as £200* a year!
Helping with groceries, repairing a household issue and pet sitting are the top three ways in which neighbours have helped each other out in the last year. But it’s not just odd jobs and lending a hand, 69% of us also say we have no problem giving away unwanted items to our neighbours, and over a third (35%) of us say we have borrowed something from a neighbour in the past year – a saving of up to £50 for a quarter of people.
“Not only does it make you feel happier and safer to have regular contact with neighbours, but it can also save £100s a year. The more we can share with each other the richer all of our lives can be.” – Jasmine Birtles
Worried about asking for help?
Don’t be! Our research shows that 66% of people would happily help their neighbour with a favour. At Nextdoor, we have seen first-hand how neighbours turn to one another for support and are always there to lend a hand. Posts within neighbourhoods asking for help get 79% more replies than other posts on the app, which is an incredible show of kindness.
Top ways you can use Nextdoor to save money
- Use Nextdoor’s For Sale and Free section to pick up a local bargain – with 1 in 4 listings added as “free”, you could pick up household items for a great price – or even free – and not have to travel far to collect.
2. Borrow an item – save yourself some money and ask to borrow instead of buying new. You’ll be amazed at how many things you can find available on your street. Why not lend something in return?
3. Swap or exchange skills – how about guitar lessons in return for Spanish lessons? Or, you could offer gardening skills in exchange for free food or plants.
4. Save money together – Whether that’s sharing money-saving tips, carpooling or pet sitting for one another when neighbours club together the opportunities are endless!
5. Start a group – How about a local dog-walking group, tool-sharing group or plant swap group? Save money and meet new people in your local area.
Teaming up with your neighbours can help you save money as well as help you meet new people. Small savings together can lead to bigger savings further down the line and stronger communities as we all work together to help each other.
*This poll was conducted by Censuswide for Nextdoor on 3rd March 2023, with 2,000 participants across the UK aged 16 – 55+.
Nextdoor is completely free to download. To sign up to Nextdoor or to find out more, visit www.nextdoor.co.uk.
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