Do you let neighbors and friends "borrow" your stuff?

[DisneyBeagle]

I have a friend who always likes to borrow things that I have purchased. I wouldn't mind normally, but she has borrowed my carpet cleaner at least 7 times in 2007. The last time she returned it, I had to have it repaired. Most times, I have to ask her several times to return something. I'm trying to find a gentle way to tell her to buy her own.

Everytime I buy something new she always says "I can't wait to borrow that." I feel like a scrooge, but I'm sick of her letting me buy things and then using (and sometimes ruining) the items.

 

[Micca]

We don't loan out anything we're not prepared to give away.

 

[Stepht5]

We don't loan out anything we're not prepared to give away.

That's how I feel...... I think after the 2nd time she asked to borrow my carpet cleaner I would have come up with an excuse to keep it from her!

 

[Doe]

We have 2 neighbors that we borrow from and that we loan stuff to. Lived in this neighborhood for 5 yrs without any problems doing that. We have great neighbors. We loan/borrow anything from a cup of sugar to a lawnmower.

 

[snicklette]

I have a friend who always likes to borrow things that I have purchased. I wouldn't mind normally, but she has borrowed my carpet cleaner at least 7 times in 2007. The last time she returned it, I had to have it repaired. Most times, I have to ask her several times to return something. I'm trying to find a gentle way to tell her to buy her own.

Everytime I buy something new she always says "I can't wait to borrow that." I feel like a scrooge, but I'm sick of her letting me buy things and then using (and sometimes ruining) the items.

It sounds like this neighbor takes borrowing to the extreme. Time she buys her own! We loan and borrow with a couple of neighbors but if I need something more than twice its time to get my own. You shouldnt have to repair or replace an item that you didnt break or wear out. When she asks again I would say the item is out being repaired!

 

[chisnpeke]

It sounds like this neighbor takes borrowing to the extreme. Time she buys her own! We loan and borrow with a couple of neighbors but if I need something more than twice its time to get my own. You shouldnt have to repair or replace an item that you didnt break or wear out. When she asks again I would say the item is out being repaired!

OP, how about asking to borrow something and take forever to give it back?

 

[Cool-Beans]

Ugh. Yes.

My best friend has my 3 favorite summer sundresses. She was going to have them cleaned, but hasn't done it yet. At this point I may not want them back.

I have no idea where my big frying pan is. I'm missing a glass that someone took when she had to leave suddenly, but was thirsty.

A yellow pillowcase is gone. DH has to have the mismatched one when those sheets are on the bed. I can't sleep on a mismatch.

Books - too many to count. Lost a few movies, too.

I always return stuff. ALWAYS. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[MoniqueU]

This is the first year we haven't had to borrow the neighbors 50 foot ladder or whatever it is. We have a spot in our house where the bottom story is SOOOO tall the regular tall ladders won't reach it. DH got this handy lightstick pole thingy so he could do it himself this year. I have never seen that before.

Our next door neighbors always borrow our ladder because it will reach their roof. They always put it right back in the garage. They have also helped me with things when my DH has been gone that I couldn't fix. There is nothing I wouldnt loan one of my neighbors but my laptop. I have some that need to come over and use my computer because they don't know how to use their own and I put them on the family laptop that DH built because if soemthing goes wrong he will know how to fix it.

I have great neighbors so I like to help out however I can.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Most of our friends and neighbors are great, and we borrow stuff from each other all the time. One of our friends is quickly getting on the no-borrowing list. He borrowed our gas grill, folding tables and chairs for a party for his son. We brought everything to his house for him, and then had to go get it all when he hadn't brought everything back 2 weeks later.

For the most part, everyone's great!

 

[ReallyGoofy]

I have a neighbor that I kept borrowing a rototiller from after the 4-5 time I just got my own. I had a previous neighbor that would abuse the borrowing thing. Finally I would have to go get it and tell her I needed it. I OP case I would just say that It is being repaired from the last time you used it. When you get some thing new and she "can't wait to borrow it" let her know where you got it and you sure they have plenty more.

 

[Connieh]

Everytime I buy something new she always says "I can't wait to borrow that." I feel like a scrooge, but I'm sick of her letting me buy things and then using (and sometimes ruining) the items.

Quit telling her all the new stuff you bought.

Also next time she ask to borrow the carpet cleaner, tell her it isn't working....

 

[DisneyBeagle]

Quit telling her all the new stuff you bought.

Also next time she ask to borrow the carpet cleaner, tell her it isn't working....

I finally did quit telling her about new stuff that I bought. However, she sees a lot of the items when she comes over to my house.

 

[minnieandme]

We don't loan out anything we're not prepared to give away.

ITA

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Sure, but in the OP's case this is more than "borrowing". Bringing something back broken takes you off of the list.

 

[Keli]

You know, I wouldn't have minded too much until the point my stuff came back broken. Then I would mind a lot and I would start making excuses when she asked to borrow stuff.

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

What about..."I don't feel comfortable loaning things to you anymore. Last year you used my carpet cleaner more then I did, and the last time you borrowed it. I had to get it repaired before I could use it. I also don't like having to hunt down my things at your house when I need them."

That should spark an apology and end to the problem. If she is upset, well, I say better her being upset about her behavior then you being upset by continuing to loan things to her.

 

[cinmell]

Don't tell her when you buy new things. When she asks to use the carpet cleaner tell her it hasn't worked since the last time she used it.

 

[crazygirlscotland]

We had neighbors who were always borrowing things from us. At first it was fine, 'can we borrow some milk please?' sure no problemo

Then it started to get a bit concerning - 'we are having chicken for dinner, do you have some fries to go with it, infact we prefer potato wedges!!'

The last straw was when the doorbell rang at dinner time again and she shouts in a panic 'quick my parents are coming for dinner, do you have something for a salad?' sure I said, I just got a really pretty salad bowl to which she replied in a voice 'no I meant like the ingredients!'
I closed the door without replying.

 

[Disney Doll]

I do let my neighbors borrow my stuff, but they return it promptly and never return it broken.

If I had a neighbor who kept my things an inordinantly long time or returned them broken, that neighbor wouldn't be borrowoing my stuff.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I have 2 rules about borrowing of my stuff:

1: It has to come back to me in the same condition in which I loaned it. If it's not, repair it or replace it.

2: You can't have it for months on end.


That being said, I'm about to stop letting my best friend borrow my movies. She's had one dvd for a long time. I keep reminding her to bring it back because I'd like to see it again sometime.