Given the popularity of such groups, it would be impossible to maintain such a large group of kids in a single pack, which is why different packs exist. It came as quite a surprise to find out that none of the organizations worked closely with other packs, they were very much segregated into individual groups.

It’s funny that a group that promotes teamwork does not practice such things on a larger scale. Every year, Cub packs spend money on gear that they are only going to use once or twice a year, while the rest of the time it sits idle. Seems like such a waste to spend so much money on the same things another Cub pack has.  Wouldn’t it be more economical to discuss different outings and trips with the other pack leaders so they could pool resources, or trade items to use while staggering their trips? Of course it would!

BorrowMe allows Cub Packs to list a central repository of items they have in their inventory to share with other packs. They are able to share their resources and gain additional resources that they never had before. Resource sharing can greatly reduce costs in purchases as well as storage. Is it time that you looked into it?

Some Items that You Might Need To Borrow:

• Kub Kar Scales
• Kar Track
• Duct Oven Pots
• Tents
• Sleeping Bags
• Trailers
• Storage Space
• Sports equipment
• Fishing Reels

It seems like every time we turn around something is getting cut from the budget somewhere, and it’s usually something important. Local politicians seem to support ‘city sprawl’ by annexing more and more land for more and more low-cost (And by low-cost, I mean quality) communities that will be overvalued and overpriced. They raise our property taxes to get more money for the city, then then spend it on things that are unnecessary and don’t really do much for the community. We waste and waste and waste, and wonder why we’re in a deficit.

Then I start to look around. I look at the opportunities to save money, left right and center, and I wonder why such simple things are being ignored by the government and big business. Do they not care about the environment? Do they not care about the bills that are being paid by the taxpayers? Do they just not care period?

Take a look downtown at night, in any major metropolis. Have you ever wondered who could possibly be working that late at night? I mean, 95% of all the buildings are lit up like it was Christmas, yet they are vacant… Some would say it’s for security. OK, Security of what? Who’s going to see somebody robbing the 32nd floor of that skyscraper? “Well, the security guard when he does his rounds”. Fair enough, but couldn’t he just turn on the lights when he does his rounds on that floor, then turn them off again when he leaves? Is that really so difficult for somebody that spends 80% of his time watching TV or playing games while he waits for his next round (Disclosure: I was formerly a security guard, and no, it would not have been difficult for me to do)?

How about all the street lights? Sure, they are great in core when it’s busy, but what about after the ‘evening rushes’, in the middle of the night. Couldn’t they turn every second one off? It would still provide more than enough light, especially on the highways that see very little traffic at that time of night. Would that be so hard? I can already hear people whining about this ‘It’s only a few extra watts, what does it matter’. Take those few extra watts and multiply that by the billions and billions of streetlights in North America. That would be a LOT of electricity saved, and our environment would thank us.

These, of course, are some basic money saving ideas for sustainability that a city could implement, and I am sure the list goes on and on. Until we get people in office that actually care enough to step outside the box and see what other options we have, our cities will continue push themselves further in debt and try to pass that on to it’s residents. Isn’t it about time, especially during difficult economic times, that our cities and big business chipped in on getting greener and saving money? What ideas do YOU have that could reduce costs? Post in the comments.

It got me to thinking about how many other people had similar shelves in their houses, and how many thousands of books were out there, just waiting to be read. Then I remembered that people tend to join Book clubs! So I thought, why couldn’t they use BorrowMe.com for their group?

They can, very easily! Think about it. If you have 5 avid readers, each with 20 books listed, that’s 100 books to go through (80 not counting your own!), now think about the avid readers you know who only have 20 books. Most people who like to read have 50-100 books on their shelf EASILY, if not more. I had one friend who had 3 full bookshelves in their living room, plus 15-20 boxes in their basement.

Imagine the opportunities to read that many books, without having to shell out $10, $30, $100 to read it! You can fulfill your minds need and craving for knowledge, at a fraction of the cost (If any!). Here are a few examples of the different types of books you might have on your shelf that would be of interest to others:

• How To Books
• Horror Fiction
• Recipe Books
• True Crime
• Photography
• Historical Accounts
• Romantic Novels
• Childrens Books
• Autobiographies

There are so many different types of books out there for every kind of reader, it’s time we started opening our bookshelves to others and see what else is out there for our imaginations!

With Freecycle, you have 2 options, give and receive. You can post an item for somebody to take, or post something you are looking for. That’s it. Moderators have been known to be almost militant at times when people don’t follow these strict rules. But what about the people that want to do more with their stuff? They Can BorrowMe!

Similar to the Freecycle network, BorrowMe.com allows users to post items they want, or have to give away, but with many more options and control.

So if you’re upset with Freecycle and and are looking for alternatives, come check out BorrowMe.com and take it for a spin!

The boss actually ran into this problem himself a few weeks ago when attempting to acquire a washer and dryer he got from some friends. While they only needed to travel a few kilometers, loading up the BorrowMe Mobile (Smart Car) was out of the question. At a loss, he posted a Wish on BorrowMe for the assistance of a pickup-truck for an hour or so. Once listed, he chose to also post to Facebook with our usefull ‘Post to Facebook’ option, which turned out to be a smart choice.

Because he has well over a hundred people on his Facebook Friends list (Which greatly outweighs his 30-ish friends on BorrowMe.com), the post was seen by many more people. While he did not get a response from his friends on BorrowMe, he had 3 responses from different people within 24 hours from people on Facebook! Some people think that because BorrowMe doesn’t have a million members, they won’t get their wish or won’t be able to get rid of an item they have. Turns out they were wrong!

The power of BorrowMe’s social integration with Facebook allows you to get your wishes and items out to a much larger group of people you know, or people you know through somebody else (One of the people that responded to his plea was actually a friend of a friend). This goes to show that using the Post to Facebook feature on the site will get more eyes on your stuff, but that there are many people that are willing to help out another human being, even if it’s a friend of a friend.

BorrowMe is a way for people to get to know their friends and neighbors better, to build better communities and to use that closeness to help reduce the amount of stuff that goes to landfills, make some return on those seldom used big ticket items and to save money! It’s a small step, but it’s a step in the right direction. The more people see that the system works, the more likely they are to use it. The more friends they have doing it, the more chance they will get on board as well. So the next time you are in need of something, even if you think it’s small, try posting on BorrowMe and see what you can get!

Wouldn’t it be nice to lend one of your co-workers the latest season of Desperate Housewives so you can add another person to your gossip group at work? What about letting the guy two cubicles down your jigsaw to make those cool shelves his daughter wants for her birthday? It’s not hard to turn a stagnant office place into an area of friendship and closeness with a minimal amount of effort. It will not only benefit the employees, but happier workers will also benefit the company as a whole!

We have all sorts of idle items laying around our house; from TV on DVD to movies and video games. Why not do some in office trading and lending? It saves you from dropping $50 on that game you will finish in a week, or save you from spending $80 on that Hard Cover novel you have been dying to read. Resource sharing with co-workers gives you more piece of mind than dealing with strangers. Many people find they are more comfortable lending to people they are familiar with, and you can’t get more familiar than the people you work with!

With so many people hit during the recession, many families are starting to open their eyes to new and less conventional methods of saving money and reducing their consumption. Resource sharing at work, and in their neighborhood makes a lot of sense for everybody involved, and helps to reduce the amount of stuff that ends up in landfills. It’s a win-win-win situation. As Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton) said in Death To Smootchy, “You can’t change the world but you can make a dent.”, Let’s make some dents people!

Think of all the unused stuff in these apartments.

Think about this. A majority of condo and apartment complexes have anywhere from 50-100 units. For arguments sake, let’s say you live in one of those complexes with 50 units – that leaves 49 units of other people. How many people do you know in those 49 other units? For most people, it’s one or two, though with only slightly more interactions that the previously mentioned waves. Now think about this. How many of those units (And storage units) are filled with books, blenders, punch bowls, back-packs, strollers, stud finders, sleeping bags, videos games, bikes, movies… I’m sure you get the idea.

With just a minimal bit of effort, a hello or some minor chit chat, you can start to build relationships with your neighbors, start building a community! Is it really so bad to get to know your neighbors? Sure, there are a few bad apples out there, but why should that spoil everything for everybody else.

Why not start a group for your building and get people involved. Start with a few people you see or talk to on a regular basis. Tell them what you’re doing, explain that it’s not just a way to get to know your neighbors; but a way to save money, consume less and send less waste to the landfills. We give you the tools to lend, rent, sell or gift your items to others (And keep track of it all!). Start small, lend out a book, or a movie and see where things go, people might actually surprise you!

What are you waiting for? Start your own group today!