Come on Australia - host a street party and get to know your neighbours.

Ever feel isolated in your neighbourhood?

Do you wish that just sometimes you could call on a neighbour to pop over and lend a hand with your caring duties just for a few minutes so that you could run an errand?

Do you feel that no-one knows about you and your situation in your street and wonder if they did whether they might occasionally offer a bit of support or at least call over and say hello from time to time?

Well, the perfect opportunity to get to know your neighbours is coming up.

Simple Savings has teamed up with That's Life! magazine to bring back the good ol' Aussie Street Party!

Do you remember the good old days, when neighbourhoods were REAL neighbourhoods? When everybody knew everybody else and would look out for each other? When street parties were a regular occurrence and were enjoyed by young and old?

Sadly for many of us, those days have gone. The nearest we get to being part of a neighbourhood is watching the residents of Ramsay Street on TV. Where once upon a time we would pop next door for a cup of sugar, these days we’re far more likely to jump in the car and drive to the shop, which is a real shame.

That’s why the team at www.simplesavings.com have taken it upon themselves to bring back the good old fashioned street party in every neighbourhood across Australia.

The date - Sunday December 5th 2010

The time - 4pm - 6pm

The place - your neighbourhood!

The team at Simple Savings did some asking around and discovered that some streets still have an annual Christmas party. Some streets even have a monthly BBQ. However in most cases they found that while many people wanted to have a street party, they were too shy to make the first move. They needed an excuse to have a party.

So this month they are giving everyone the excuse and challenging people to bring their street together this Christmas by organising a party for their neighbours and you get the chance to win $500 cash for holding your party (competition details on the website; closes Jan 11, 2011).

Throwing a party doesn’t have to be expensive if everyone contributes - and that’s exactly what a street party is all about. You will find plenty of tips and information to help you on the simple savings website, along with ready-made invitations to pop into your neighbours’ letterboxes.

So go ahead – call a street party for December 5 and get to know your neighbours –  you may be surprised at how friendly and supportive people can be once they get to know you.

Here is the website:

www.simplesavings.com