Your relationship with your neighbors can make or break your experience in any home. You don’t have to be best friends with them, of course, but staying on good terms can make your life a whole lot easier.
When one woman’s new neighbors asked if they could borrow her expensive snow blower, she wasn’t quite sure if she could trust them. But now, she’s wondering if she should have just helped them out. Below, you’ll find the full story that the woman posted on Reddit in search of advice, as well as some of the replies invested readers left her.
This woman saved up for an expensive snow blower to make surviving winter easier
Image credits: axelbueckert/Envato (not the actual photo)
But when her neighbors asked if they could borrow it, she didn’t feel comfortable lending it out
Image credits: RossHelen/Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: ganusik13/Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Queen_Aurelia
Only a quarter of Americans say that they know all or most of their neighbors
Almost any American film or TV show will have you believe that everyone is close with their neighbors. They’re allowed to show up unannounced at any time, eat food out of their neighbor’s fridge, and they’re essentially considered to be family members. But that’s simply not the reality for the vast majority of households.
According to a 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center, only 26% of Americans say that they know most of all of their neighbors. And 12% admit that they don’t know anyone who lives near them.
When it comes to how much Americans trust their fellow neighbors, 44% say they trust all or most of them. Meanwhile, 46% say they trust some of the people in their neighborhood, and 9% say they don’t trust any of them. Apparently, trust amongst neighbors is on the decline, as in 2015, 52% said they trusted the majority or all of their neighbors.
Another classic trait of being a good neighbor is being willing to help out. Showing up with a couple of eggs, a cup of sugar, or an appliance that your neighbor doesn’t have can be a great way to strengthen your relationship. Perhaps that’s why 76% of Americans say they’d be willing to bring in the mail or water plants for a neighbor while they were out of town.
Two thirds also say that they wouldn’t mind taking a meal to a sick neighbor or friend. But not everyone expects the same in return, as only 52% say it’s very or extremely likely that one of their neighbors would bring in the mail or water plants for them.
Image credits: bilanol/Envato (not the actual photo)
Lending a valuable item to a friend or acquaintance can be risky
There are a lot of factors that can be blamed for why Americans have less trust in their neighbors than they did in the past. Perhaps the pandemic played a role, or maybe it’s social media that’s isolating us. It’s not easy to boil this issue down to one source.
But according to The Institute for Family Studies, social trust relates to wellbeing and civic engagement. Those who are more willing to trust their fellow citizens report being happier and healthier and were more likely to have voted in the 2020 election.
It’s also no secret that many Americans are struggling with social isolation. A poll from the American Psychological Association found that 69% of adults say they needed more emotional support during the past year than they received. And among adults who considered societal division a major source of stress, 61% reported feeling isolated.
It’s definitely possible that many of us could extend a hand to our neighbors more often. But as some readers pointed out in the comments, lending a valuable item to someone else (especially someone you don’t know well) is risky.
People always say that you shouldn’t lend anyone money that you need back. And unfortunately, this advice might apply to many situations. There will always be a chance that the dress, toaster, or bicycle you lent your friend won’t return in the same condition. So if it’s extremely valuable, you might want to simply keep it safe at home (even if it makes your neighbors roll their eyes).
Image credits: javi_indy/Envato (not the actual photo)
Later, the author responded to several comments and shared more details
Many readers assured the woman that she wasn’t obligated to lend out her snow blower
However, others thought that the author was selfish for refusing to help out
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