People are saving £200 a year thanks to their neighbours helping them

Over a third of Britons have said they have saved money through help from their local communities, according to social media app Nextdoor, which highlighted examples of neighbours offering support with computer problems, gardening, home odd jobs and dog walking, as well as saving money through borrowing from neighbourhood groups. A total of 69% of respondents said they were comfortable giving away unwanted items and more than a third had borrowed something from a neighbour in the past year. A quarter of its 9.5 million UK users reportedly saved £50 or less via borrowing.
Nextdoor’s findings, collected from a survey of 2,000 people, were being used by the social network as part of its Valuing Community campaign, which highlights the value accessible in local neighbourhoods rather than relying on impersonal services.
The survey comes amid mounting concern over loneliness, disconnection and the economic pressures of modern life. Last year, analysis from the health insurer Cigna suggested that the UK was the loneliness capital of Europe, with 70% of adults experiencing loneliness. Loneliness, which is linked to poorer mental and physical health, has been described as a potential public health crisis.
Finance expert Jasmine Birtles said that the Nextdoor findings reflected the way neighbours could share their goods and services to save money. “Community groups are a wonderful way to find great value and fantastic service, whether that’s a decorator or a dog-sitter”, she said. “I found my personal assistant through Nextdoor. I put an ad on it because I wanted someone local and I found her within hours”.



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