“Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.”

And so goes the oft-quoted advice in Hamlet, where a father gives his just-off-to-France son a concise set of rules by which to live his newly free life.

However well quoted that is, I reckon Shakespeare was wrong. I’ve always been a keen borrower and a lender of things. It’s the friendly, economical way of living your life, especially in these days of tight belts and wallets.

Why don’t we start with borrowing first? Being able to borrow from a friend is a measure of friendship. They are saying that they trust you with that gadget, that tool, that bike and that you’re trusted to return it, either after the loan period if there is one, or when they ask for it. You’re not buying it or renting it. It’s still theirs, but you get to use it. This goes on more than you think, as the world of friendship is often one of micro-loans: ‘I’ll buy the pies, you get them next time/Need a lift to Sunday’s ride? See you at eight, you can play taxi next time…’