Is there an etiquette for this?

[MarmiteCoriander]

If you ask a neighbour for potatoes, sugar or eggs etc- what do you normally do? Buy a replacement packet the next time you shop? Give them back the exact same amount of potatoes/eggs or do nothing?

I never ask a neighbour for groceries as that's what shops are for and if for some reason the shops are shut I would just go without until they were open. I find it a very odd thing to do.

I've never asked to borrow food and I don't think that I have ever been asked either.

I’d give a whole unopened packet. So if you borrowed a cup of sugar, give a packet. I don’t think there’s a universal etiquette but I don’t think you could go wrong this way.

If it's something small (bit of flour, cup of sugar, couple of eggs) I would give nothing back and wouldn't expect anything back when they had similar from me.

I've never had anything bigger than that from a neighbour but if it was something pricey I would replace next time I went to the shops.

Give back what they have you as a minimum. A bit more if you think you might want to borrow again, but not so obscenely more as to embarrass them.

I never ask, I go to the shops.

I have never borrowed food from a neighbour! If I didn’t have teabags or eggs or potatoes, I would go to a shop or eat/drink an alternative. I guess if I had to borrow something, I’d replace it with a full packet the next day.

I would just go to the shops.

I have never asked a neighbour for groceries. To be honest I would nip to the supermarket or go without.

I wouldn't ever ask to borrow anything.

I’ve only ever asked one of my mates who happens to be a neighbour. We don’t replenish.

Give it back of course.

I would never ask, but we do have a well stocked lada. I did once ask my neighbour to cook a pizza for my dc when the oven blew up and it's all I had in. I do know her well though!

If I were the borrower, I’d return a whole pack, ie bag of sugar, half a dozen eggs. If I were the giver, I’d not expect anything back.

A whole pack for whatever you’ve borrowed. And don’t borrow on a regular basis. Once or twice a year is enough.

I wouldn’t ask a neighbour as I live in an area where there are shops within walking distance open between 6am-12am so I can’t see if be in a position where I couldn’t just go and buy the thing I need.

I grew up rurally though 10 miles from any shops and they all closed in the evening and remember having my Mum have me go and ask next door for eggs and flour etc a few times. It was the sort of close neighbour relationship where we did favours such as feed each other’s pets when going on holiday so I don’t think there was any expectation to replace a few eggs or a little bit of flour and we would have lent to them with no expectation of return either.

If it was a neighbour I knew less well I probably wouldn’t ask but if it was some kind of emergency situation where I needed something and had to ask a neighbour i didn’t usually do favours for I would replace with at least what I used and likely more (Eg: a whole packet) when possible.

Why would you ask your neighbour for food? Is it a financial thing?

I wouldn't ask any of my neighbours for food, how weird would that be!

I'd never ask, I'd always buy from a shop unless completely desperate then I'd turn to family / friends.

If it’s a cup of sugar or a couple of eggs then nothing

if it’s more a less a whole bag of sugar or packets of eggs then a whole replacement pack

I’ve never asked a neighbour for food either but it used to be a normal thing before shops were open all hours, and I imagine it still is in rural areas

I live rurally and habe never asked my neighbours for food or had anyone ask me.

I'm surprised at all the people who would never borrow sugar or eggs. It's quite common where I live, even though we are a two - minute walk from the shops! It's often a good time for a catch-up chat. I might return the same number of eggs, a small bag of sugar, or a small bottle of milk (whatever is easiest in terms of packaging and /or leaving on the doorstep) and also grab a bar of nice chocolate or something like that next time I was at the shop and drop it in.

I'm surprised at all the people who would never borrow sugar or eggs

I am surprised that anyone does! If I wanted to eat eggs and didn’t have any, I would wait until I had some and eat something else. Or go and buy some!

I usually buy enough eggs for us to eat during the week-it would piss me off if a neighbour arrived on the doorstep wanting to take some of them!

Why do you borrow stuff when you are a two minute walk to the shop? Why not just go and buy it. I could possibly understand people in remote locations but really just go to the shop or wait.

Well fortunately my neighbour is a good friend so we share quite often

with friends there’s no passing back as such just an understanding there will be future reciprocation

if I was so desperate to have to ask a non friend if it’s a negligible amount then it’s just that, negligible