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If you thought the act of borrowing a cup of sugar from your neighbors was a thing of the past, think again. There are plenty of websites out there that connect people in the same area so they can get to know each other and share resources among themselves. Here are five pretty cool websites that give neighbors the chance to share what they have and save money at the same time.
1. KRRB
HOW IT WORKS: A form of online flea market, Krrb works as a hyperlocal classified forum for neighbors to sell locally sourced items. Users can see the listings that are closest to them because Krrb prioritizes proximity over categorization, which means that all the cool vintage and antique items stay in the neighborhood.
BONUS: Users can share more than just second hand gems with each other - the site also gives members the chance to list events, community notices, housing, services and jobs that are relevant to the community.
2. PEERBY
HOW IT WORKS: Peerby is the solution for last minute, super urgent needs: You post a request for a specific item, and Peerby instantly notifies 100 users who live closest to you. This proactive approach gives people the opportunity to answer in real time, while forming instant connections between close neighbors.
BONUS: Peerby communities are emerging throughout the world as part of the international City Program, and there are plans to appoint ambassadors to represent this new form of sharing.
3. NEIGHBORGOODS
HOW IT WORKS: Neighbors connect through an online platform to share household items such as lawnmowers or drills that spend a lot of time sitting in storage unused. Automated reminders, wishlist alerts and private messaging faciliate connection via NeighborGoods.
BONUS: There's an option to create a public or private group for the likes of apartment buildings and sports teams so they can share information privately with other group members.
4. NEIGHBORS CAN HELP
HOW IT WORKS: Once enough people on a street sign up, a special site goes live in the area to create a community forum for neighbors online.
BONUS: Neighbors Can Help encourages people to take an active part in their neighborhood and makes it easier for them to ask for and offer help to each other.
