Getting Help From Friends
It is obvious that we need to always be on the lookout for ways to save money and one of the absolute best ways is to trade out work with co-workers or friends. If you work in a large office you are at a distinct advantage because you have a large pool of people who could be potential partners to help you get something done. It would probably surprise you that your friends or co-workers may have talents that you could not have imagined. For example, there could be someone who is really good working on cars who is just a few feet away from you.
The thing to remember when tapping into these resources is that you have to be tactful about it. You do not want to come across as the person who is always just looking for free labor. It is important that you offer to do something to help them out as well, and it does not necessarily have to be trading work for work. Recently I was going out of town and needed someone to come to my house and feed my dogs each day. I asked a co-worker to do this and he agreed. Although we did not discuss payment for these services I intended to get him a gift card from some store like Wal-Mart for his trouble. Coincidently just a few days before I left, his car went in the shop for a major repair and he needed a vehicle. I happened to have an old SUV that I keep around for utility use and I offered to let him drive it while his car was in the shop. He gladly accepted my offer and I said maybe this could be a fair trade since he was house-sitting for me and he
agreed. Basically I saved myself $100 for the cost of a gift card, and I was only out the wear and tear of an 11 year old SUV which was not a big deal to me. He returned it with a full tank of gas and we both came out winners out of the deal. Situations like this may not always arise but in this case it worked out well for both of us.
One of the other common areas that it is always nice to get friends or co-workers to help you with is moving. That does not require any real talent other than someone who is willing to give up a Saturday to help you. Most people move every couple of years so this service always is in demand because hiring movers can be expensive. Remember, if someone helps you move, offer to help them in return. Most people remember when they helped you move and should remind you when it is time to return the favor. If you have a moving day and get several people to help you, remember to buy them lunch or dinner on the day of the move. This is the courteous thing to do in addition to helping them move when the time comes.
One last thing to remember is it is important to remember who helped you out and when they did. You may not get the chance to immediately repay the favor so you want to make sure you remember who you owe because they may forget. It is always polite to periodically remind them that you still owe them a favor for the work they did for you. Chances are at some point you will get the chance to repay them and they will be thankful for it.
It is obvious that we need to always be on the lookout for ways to save money and one of the absolute best ways is to trade out work with co-workers or friends. If you work in a large office you are at a distinct advantage because you have a large pool of people who could be potential partners to help you get something done. It would probably surprise you that your friends or co-workers may have talents that you could not have imagined. For example, there could be someone who is really good working on cars who is just a few feet away from you.
The thing to remember when tapping into these resources is that you have to be tactful about it. You do not want to come across as the person who is always just looking for free labor. It is important that you offer to do something to help them out as well, and it does not necessarily have to be trading work for work. Recently I was going out of town and needed someone to come to my house and feed my dogs each day. I asked a co-worker to do this and he agreed. Although we did not discuss payment for these services I intended to get him a gift card from some store like Wal-Mart for his trouble. Coincidently just a few days before I left, his car went in the shop for a major repair and he needed a vehicle. I happened to have an old SUV that I keep around for utility use and I offered to let him drive it while his car was in the shop. He gladly accepted my offer and I said maybe this could be a fair trade since he was house-sitting for me and he
agreed. Basically I saved myself $100 for the cost of a gift card, and I was only out the wear and tear of an 11 year old SUV which was not a big deal to me. He returned it with a full tank of gas and we both came out winners out of the deal. Situations like this may not always arise but in this case it worked out well for both of us.
One of the other common areas that it is always nice to get friends or co-workers to help you with is moving. That does not require any real talent other than someone who is willing to give up a Saturday to help you. Most people move every couple of years so this service always is in demand because hiring movers can be expensive. Remember, if someone helps you move, offer to help them in return. Most people remember when they helped you move and should remind you when it is time to return the favor. If you have a moving day and get several people to help you, remember to buy them lunch or dinner on the day of the move. This is the courteous thing to do in addition to helping them move when the time comes.
One last thing to remember is it is important to remember who helped you out and when they did. You may not get the chance to immediately repay the favor so you want to make sure you remember who you owe because they may forget. It is always polite to periodically remind them that you still owe them a favor for the work they did for you. Chances are at some point you will get the chance to repay them and they will be thankful for it.