Your help with friend's financial cutbacks?

[Fireup2020]

All these articles about people adjusting their discretionary spending have me thinking. Do any of you help out your friends/neighbors with skills you might have or vice versa? For example, last night my phone rang - my girlfriend (and neighbor) asked me if I'd color her hair. Now, I have some experience in hair care of sorts (did lots of hair cuts for men and women on the ship I was stationed on, in addition to cutting kids' & ex-hubby's hair) - with absolutely NO formal training, but have always done a decent job. It was actually fun...even using the goofy crochet needles to pull hair out of a plastic cap for the highlighting part! To top it all off....her hair really looks great! She was one of those women who would pay $80+ for getting this done in a salon. Constructive social time, and I was happy to help. (made me appreciate the fact I do nothing but get my hair trimmed a few times a year!)

 

[Moemg]

I sell things on ebay for my friends . It's a hobby for me and it gives them extra money .

 

[Caoineag]

I have been slowly teaching my friend about budgets, retirement and how to save money for both the things you want and the things you need. Its a slow process because she comes from a family of major spenders but it is starting to impact her spending habits. (My skill is that I am good with numbers and well, she's not. The only way for her ever to design a budget is with my help and the help of autopay).

 

[Walt34]

Sometimes, sure. One of the neighbors commented that his lawn mower wasn't cutting well & vibrated a lot. A dull out of balance blade will do that so I sharpened & balanced it with a grinder I've had for 20+ years. In a heavy snow I'll use the snow thrower on a few of the neighbor's driveways since most of the work is bundling up and getting it fired up.

It was a way of life in my 20s & 30s. One guy at work used to do auto body repair, I used to do heating & A/C, someone else knew washers/dryers, etc. Payment was parts + a case of beer.

 

[Ronstar]

Sure,

I remodeled a friends house in exchange for beer.
I surveyed some properties for friends
I plow my neighbor's drive.

I do freebies for my HOA ( I dont know if this qualifies for this thread, but it seems like all HOA's have some sort of financial problem)

 

[Rambler]

Have done it quite a bit:

Mow neighbors weeds (often)
Hired another down and out neighbor to do some stuff I would normally do myself
Spent hours trying to help a friend understand financial concepts
Help friends move
Tractor/backhoe work (5 minute to dig a hole that would take hours by hand)

Will do anything to be helpful as long as I have the skill, resources and the time

R

 

[UncleHoney]

I help neighbors when they ask. A few years ago one neighbor (retired) had about a foot of water in his basement after a storm. The washer and dryer motors were under water for a few hours. This had happened before and it cost him about $400-$500 to replace the motors. I looked at them and said lets dry them out and see what happens before he spent the big bucks.

I took the motors out and hosed them out and then blew them out with compressed air and baked them in the oven for a few hours at 150. I figured at most we might have to replace the bearings but it wasn't necessary. Their still running today.

 

[Khan]

Giving tools, that I'll never use again, to my neighbor.

 

[Arc]

I do taxes for a few friends and family every year.

 

[TickTock]

I'll give my opinions on personal finance to friends, family, and co-workers if they ask. Otherwise I keep my mouth shut.

I can and have helped folks with electrical work (troubleshooting non-working circuits, adding GFCI outlets to bring a house up to code before selling, pulling new household 120VAC circuits, and so forth).

 

[dumpster56]

I keep my mouth shut, Heck I am a retired and part time gym teacher, who wants to listen to me anyway?

 

[Nords]

All these articles about people adjusting their discretionary spending have me thinking. Do any of you help out your friends/neighbors with skills you might have or vice versa?

Sure! I'm the neighborhood handyman who will work for baked goods. If I was ever looking for a job this would beat the heck outta Wal-Mart greeter vests.

The trick is to avoid the inevitable opportunists who publicly attempt emotional blackmail by declaring "Say, you're the retired guy who sits around at home all day waiting for something to do-- could you help me to...?" It reminds me of the bumper sticker that says "Why, yes, this is my new pickup truck and no, I won't help you move this weekend!"

I took the motors out and hosed them out and then blew them out with compressed air and baked them in the oven for a few hours at 150. I figured at most we might have to replace the bearings but it wasn't necessary. Their still running today.

It reminds me of the motto posted outside a submarine tender's electrical-repair shop: "The dips & bakes are all it takes"...