The following is a reprint of a previously published post. Enjoy!
Summer is a time of travel. Your journey might be to far flung locales, or as close as a weekend at the beach. Either way, you’re going to need to fill a suitcase with the necessaries of life.
My family has had a few high stress travel events that streamlined our packing routine. Mostly, it was a two week trip to Japan in 2007 which my husband Dale, and then 11-year-old son went on. The packing list was very specific and everything (including host family gifts) had to fit into a standard 29″ rolling suitcase. We didn’t actually own any rolling suitcases, (29″ or otherwise) and I was unsuccessful at scoring one from a thrift store.
So, did I shell out the cash for a somewhat poor quality suitcase that would fit within our stretched budget?
No way! I found suitcases to borrow instead.
I have since scored a high end Sampsonite brand rolling suitcase in a thrift store for only $6. (I checked, and to buy it new would have been $150+.)
What’s the lesson here?
If there’s something you need and aren’t able to find an acceptable used version of, then perhaps you should look to borrow one. (It goes without saying that keeping good care of it is a priority, and that you should look for an opportunity to do a favor for the lender.) Putting off this purchase saved us over $140 had we bought a high end suitcase, and saved us from spending $40 on a poor quality one.
We now have enough nice luggage for most travel situations, but that doesn’t mean we don’t borrow a few things here and there. My ten-year-old wants his own rolling suitcase, but there’s no hurry on that. I’ll just keep an eye out.
Do you feel comfortable borrowing from others, or does it make you feel uneasy? Please share your thoughts in the commentssection below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
We borrow and lend lots of things! Recently we have borrowed: a trailer, food processor, DVDs (right now we have 7 seasons of Smallville from friends), maternity clothes, books, tools and toddler dress shoes. We take care of things and try to give them back in a timely manner… And it all works out!
I do not like to borrow. I have 5 children and a dog and frankly, I ruin things more than they do sometimes. I do agree to wait until you can find it used. It is out there!
Kariann: if you were my friend, I’d loan you a suitcase. I travel for my living and we actually have a cupboard called the ‘suitcase cupboard’ because we have a large variety of luggage. Yes, some of it is warranted, but now that the kids have moved out (and bought their own for some weird reason) I don’t really need all of it. But I’m not yet able to take the plunge and send the excess off to Goodwill. Loaning it to you, though, would be fine because, even if you did wreck it (more likely the airline would), I would have been helping out a person I knew. For some reason that makes parting with something easier.
We gave our foster son a suitcase when he lived with us because we were going on a trip and wanted him to fit in with his own suitcase that was totally his, not just borrowed.
We borrow household stuff like lawn/home care tools and it works out great. I’ve also borrowed clothes, purses, and kitchen gadgets. I’m always happy to lend something to friends in need to.
*too*, that is 🙂
I have no problem as long as I’m willing to replace if it lost or broken. On the other hand, I don’t lend it unless I’m OK with it being lost or broken.
Awwwww, thanks Canadian Kate!