Do you know your neighbours? With the current economy and social setting, it can be helpful to get to know your neighbours on a more personal level.

Here are 3 (financially and socially smart) reasons you should befriend your street neighbours:

1. Family Support

Unexpected things can happen and it's nice to have support close by if you need it in a crunch. Finding a select group of great neighbours to provide a mutual support network with, whether physically or emotionally, can make a world of difference to your happiness in a neighbourhood no matter what tasks or events come your way.

2. Networking & Sharing Help

Sharing help in your expertise area brings you a boost of happiness and is always appreciated by the requesting party. If you don’t know what your neighbours do for a living, for fun, and on the side, you’ll never know what knowledge you’re missing out on.

Perhaps you live next to a mechanic that can help fix your vehicle, and in return, you can help in your expertise area when they need a hand.

If you're looking for a change in work, or if you have kids that are going to be looking for jobs, it’s helpful to have a close network to reach out to for leads and use as references. 

3. Contractor & Service Provider Recommendations 

Sharing reputable contacts that you or your neighbours have personally used and approved can save a lot of time and money for both parties. Financial decisions are made easier when you have a trustworthy recommendation from someone you trust.

4. Backup Home Watch

We recommend using professional home watch services when you go away, for home insurance reasons, but if that is absolutely not viable it's nice to have a trusted neighbour you can rely on.

The one caveat is you really do have to know your neighbours personally to feel comfortable letting them in your home when you're away, which is more incentive to put genuine effort into forming real friendships.

5. Community Happiness 

Okay, this one is less for "financial” benefit than it is for mental health, but in today's day and age, we are far more disconnected from genuine social interaction. Many people work from home, have drastically smaller real-life social circles, and live long distances from their friends.

Having a few neighbours that you can gather with on holidays, or for summer BBQ’s is priceless in the sense of community and belonging it provides for everyone involved. Even an introvert needs a little social stimulation every once in a while!

6. Kids Play Dates & Maternity Community

If you’re planning on having a child, there’s nothing like having a friend nearby that understands the process or that is going through it with you. Once the kids are born it’s an enormous mental refresher to be able to arrange play dates out aka get-mommy-out-of-the-house dates.

Once the kids get older, they get the added benefit of a built-in friend group at their doorstep!

It’s always beneficial to know who you live near, and if you’re not completely in love with your neighbourhood perhaps it’s time for a change of scenery.