DH and I have been debating over this.
We have neighbours we are very friendly with, DC a similar age, odd Sunday lunches or BBQs etc. We do favours for each, as most neighbours do. However, due to circumstances, the favours they do for us tend to be a little bit bigger than what we can do for them. We have no family nearby, both work, and are still learning actually quite rubbish at practical house stuff, so they have on occasion collected DC at the last minute when our trains have broken, or come to help with a leak in the house etc. They have family nearby, don't both work, and husband is a very practical man, so there is less call for us to help with childcare emergencies or house problems etc. We do have DC at ours for when needed and feed the cat and that sort of thing.
I have to stress I'm not talking about hundreds of favours, or favours every week, or anything that involves hours of commitment!
Debate between DH and I has come up because something in our house has broken, and neighbour has kindly offered to come and fix it. An hour or two's job maybe, and something that a professional would charge £100+ to do. Obviously for something that big we would by a present or something to say thank you as it's bigger than normal.
For smaller favour - say picking up DC at short notice because of an emergency and having them for half an hour - I favour buying a bottle of wine or chocolates to say thanks. DH thinks that this can look overkill, and that smaller favours come out in the wash (not that he's not always grateful, he is). However I worry that they have much less needed for such favours, so it might not come out in the wash.
WIBU? Is anyone being U? Do you always give something as thanks, or just thank people profusely and know with good friends/neighbours it will all even out?