Sharing with neighbors means savings for thrifty homeowners

Sharing is undoubtedly something you try to teach your kids from the moment they understand the concept, but there's a lot of value in the basic idea of "some for you, some for me" for adults, too. Inspired by the still-lousy economy, a sense of altruism or a desire to lessen their environmental footprint, many Americans are looking for ways to pool their resources and share with those around them.

Expenses related to yard work is a popular category for sharing. Lowell Bike (pictured), the owner of a car-advice web site in St. Charles, Ill., told WalletPop how his whole neighborhood goes in on one giant bulk delivery of mulch so that each family only has to pay a fraction of what the mulch would otherwise cost. "By combining the purchase, we get free shipping and a roughly 15 percent break on the price," Bike says.