This is a sponsored post. All opinions and experiences shared are 100% mine.
A couple of months ago, it was particularly tough financially.
Unexpected expenses kept popping up that we hadn’t planned on or budgeted for. I never really knew the limitations of a military salary until then. Especially since my husband is just starting out. I’m sure in a year or two, we won’t be where we are right now but we needed to find a solution at the time.
I am a mostly stay at home mom but I did stay on at my previous job for extra money, trading my full-time status for “per-diem” (in other words, a few days here and there). I called my boss to see if there were any extra hours but there weren’t. My husband was already working so much at base all week and at his weekend job.
So we got online and started listing all the stuff in our basement that we didn’t need or use, including my husbands 70-inch TV. A couple of kids from a not-so-nice area rolled up in a U-Haul truck, negotiated our already low price, and rode away with my husbands TV. While nothing horrible happened, it was such a stressful experience.
Who are these people coming to my house where my son is? Are they going to rob us? Not that I don’t think my husband could defend our family, but still… I hate dealing with strangers.
Not only do I hate dealing with strangers but I hate having no money to do the things we want to do. We budget and save and then end up having to use the money we save on bills for the next month.
That is why I am so excited about this new site called BorrowShare!
It is specifically set up for military families to list items they want to rent or sell. You can also list services such as babysitting, lawn work, etc. You are selling to others within your local military community, so it is so much safer and less stressful. This is the ultimate way for military families to make extra money, especially in a new area where they don’t really know a lot of people.
Not to mention, just think about how much easier and less expensive PCSing will be! You pack and pack for days but always end up leaving something behind. Or maybe you have to leave something behind because it is too big and you don’t know if you will have room for it in the next place (like a grill). Why buy a brand new one when you can buy it (or rent it) from another local military family?
Unlike other sites (like Facebook groups or Craigslist which can be totally sketchy, to say the least) BorrowShare offers accountability by providing users with a rating system. That way if something does happen (like a person that is super rude or doesn’t show up) then you can let others know about it. You need to be able to trust the people that are coming into your house, or watching your kids.
You also might worry when lending certain items to other families (especially if you spent a lot of money on it to begin with) I know I would! That’s why they provide up to $500 in insurance when renting your stuff out to protect you from any damages. Renting is a great way to earn extra money easily (and not have to say goodbye forever to that awesome TV). The renting option is also helpful if you aren’t going to be in that location for a long time. Just think about how much less stuff you will have to pack and move! I don’t know about you, but I hate packing.
Another great feature is that you can haggle virtually, agree on a price, and pay online with a card. That way you can avoid the inevitable “last minute lower offer” that you are pressured to accept because you are a nice person. (Yes, I’m talking from experience)
Signing up is totally FREE and there is no cost to list items.
When I signed up, all I had to do was fill in my name, location, and phone number. They never asked for any credit card information or anything. The only time BorrowShare collects any money is when you sell something. You will get 90% of the profits and the site will collect 10% which goes towards running the website and providing insurance for rentals.
BorrowShare is active in Oahu, Fort Sill, Fort Benning, Monterey, San Diego, Fort Wainwright, Fort Rucker, and Fort Stewart, but you can activate your community just by signing up and listing your items.
I look forward to the day that our family isn’t counting pennies. Until then, I’m grateful to know that there is a solution that also helps other military families in our community.
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