As dumpster diving and extreme anti-consumerism edge their way into the mainstream, more and more renting seems like an easier way to “go green” while cutting costs.
While not everything should be rented, (toothbrushes, underwear, I can go on) most things can be, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you can borrow just about anything without having to leave your home, or office, or coffee shop – basically anywhere you use your computer. Log on to these sites and let the wonder of temporary ownership begin.
Books
People have been renting books since as early as fourth century BCE, but only recently have they been able get their lit fix without logging off the InternetInternet
or succumbing to the annoyance of a due date.
There are a number of “Netflix for books” businesses that allow bookworms to read and return books at their own pace. Book Swim prices its plans depending on the number of books taken out at one time (a “devout reader,” with 11 books rented at a time, pays about $60 per month). Books Free, which isn’t actually free, offers similar plans but restricts the type of content you can order based on which plan you sign up for (starting at $10.99 per month for two-at-a-time paperbacks).
Since the average college student spends about $1,100 on textbooks a year, it is not shocking that textbook rentals are becoming an increasingly booming business. Deciding between the myriad of sites that offer the service might come down where you’d rather direct your goodwill. Rent a book from Chegg and they’ll plant a tree; rent a book from Book Renter and they’ll donate a book to a low-income child.
Movies
Gone are the days of going all the way to a rental store to rent a DVD, then having to deal with late fees if you kept it for more than a specifically allotted amount of time. Thanks to Netflix, anyone can rent movies by mail with no late fees or due dates. Plans starting at $8.99/month also come with unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV shows over the web.
Netflix users can stream movies over their computer or to their televisions via a connected device like the Wii, Xbox, PlayStation, Roku or any number of televisions and BluBlu
-ray disc players. Many connected devices can also stream movies from Amazon Video on Demand, which offers 24-hour movie rentals starting at $0.99/per movie.
Another option for streaming video rentals is Apple’s iTunes, which offers thousands of movies and television shows for rent starting at $1.99 ($3.99 for HD). iTunes rentals can be streamed via computer or via the Apple
TV device.
Soon, other media center devices and software like the forthcoming Boxee Box and Google TV should offer additional home streaming media rental options.
Friends
Your mother may have told you that money won’t buy you friends, but your mama lied. There actually are firms that provide stand-in relatives, friends, boyfriends, and even groomsmen (complete with cheesy speeches about why you’ll always be “bros”). It may sound like the gimmick in a less than stellar rom-com (ahem The Wedding Date), but it’s a modest yet growing industry in places like Japan. So while renting your buds may be a less-established practice in the United States, there are still plenty of resources for those willing to admit their social circle is lacking and don’t mind shelling out a few bucks for some company (not that kind of company, get your mind out of the gutter.)
The website aptly named Rent A Friend charges a small fee to browse profiles by zip code. Would-be friends list what they’re up for –- which could everything from being your date to prom, to spending a Sunday afternoon taking a hot air balloon ride (weirdly specific, no?). So just who are these people eager to be your pal-for-pay? Profiles include anyone who the site’s “Party! Enjoy Life! Make Friends! Get Paid!” job description appeals to. Contact them to negotiate what your friendship is worth in an hourly rate.
Rent a Local Friend is another friend rental option that is great for those traveling on their own. The site sets up travelers with locals who either join them for a day as guides, or offer a list of insider tips so you can get the most out of the city. It’s a good way to get off the beaten path while traveling and the prices, which vary throughout the 15 available cities, are comparable to professional tours.
Dresses
Few women have $3,000 to spend on a dress, so many spend Monday nights coveting the wardrobe on Gossip Girl and wishing they could somehow afford a closet full of designer labels. All that wishing appears to have worked, and thanks to a slew of dress-rental sites, you don’t have choose between paying your Internet bill and investing in a seriously amazing wardrobe.
Typically these sites allow users to rent dresses for the price of about 10 percent their retail value. The dresses are delivered on a scheduled date, worn, and returned with minimal denting to the wearer’s wallet. Some sites, like Rent the Runway, which has a wait-list to become a member, and Wear Today, Gone Tomorrow, only allow members to browse and rent. Other sites, like Girl Meets Dress, allow browsing before membership.
Women’s bodies are unique and it’s frustrating because designer sizing is not. The sites have different strategies for dealing with fit. Rent the Runway allows renters to choose two sizes of the same dress so you can decide what fits best, while Wear Today, Gone Tomorrow has created a standardized sizing chart to guesstimate the right size. Girl Meets Dress actually allows its customers to schedule a date to try-on a dress before the big event. Renters ship the dress back the same day. If it fits, it’s redelivered. If not, more try-on dates are scheduled. Keep in mind, if you are all about saving money while getting the best fit, for all of these sites you can hit up your local Bloomingdales and try on the fashions before you rent.
Every woman knows that a dress alone is not enough. You need the shoes and the bag, and probably some jewelry too. Snag that Channel clutch you really can’t afford but really want from sites like Bag, Borrow, or Steal — which will also loan you designer sunglasses, jewelry and watches, Rent Me A Handbag, which is more than happy to lend out some Prada pumps, or Hand Bag Club, which has a nice selection of arm candy, as well.
Kid stuff
The number of children per family in the U.S. is averaging at about two, so it doesn’t make much sense for most people to buy kid things under the premise that they’ll be reused several times by future spawn. Fortunately the birthrate and the number of kid-related rental sites seem to be inversely related.
Cash-strapped parents will appreciate the rental packages at Rent Baby Toys, or Rent That Toy, a site that lets you rent specific toys, like the Kawasaki Ninja Tough Trike at $20 per month. New parents already dealing with maneuvering a stroller, and want to live as light as possible, may enjoy the Traveling Baby Company or Baby’s Away for temporary baby supplies while traveling. More savings and recycling can be had at Wear and Share, to avoid having to buy new baby clothes as fast as your child outgrows them.
Pets
Did you have a dog growing up, and miss throwing around a ball with old Fido? Do you live a busy life and don’t know if you can handle the responsibility of a full-time pet? Then maybe Borrow a Pet, is something to try. The organization facilitates pet lending in the name of “reducing the number of abandoned pets.” The idea is that by doing the good deed of putting their pet up for lease, pet owners can give pet seekers a better idea of what they’re getting into before it’s too late. The number of participants is still pretty slim, but the site launched less than a year ago.
Following a similar try-before-you-buy theory, many branches of the Humane Society, such as Marin in California, also have trial adoption programs that allow potential adoptive parents to take pets home for an extended period of time before committing to a full adoption.
On a less altruistic note, a growing number of hotels, including select locations of the Ritz Carlton and Fairmont, rent dogs to guests as walking companions. Or there is always that old cliché of using a dog to pick up that “special” someone. FlexPetz, in New York, L.A. and London provides members with local access to dogs who were rescued or re-homed, but are fully trained.
Members can choose to spend just a few hours or a number of days with each dog. After new members have completed an introduction session with a trainer, they can use the online reservation system to book “doggy time” for fun with their temporary canine pal. The company has plans to expand to San Francisco, D.C., Paris and Boston, if they get the Massachusetts 2008 ban on renting pets overturned.
[What do you think of the concept of renting pets? Good idea or twisted? Sound off in the comments. -- Ed.]
Everything Else
Non-virtual rental shops are increasingly accessible on the web. Rentcycle makes it easy to find stores and search their inventory. All the rental shops listed are browsable by location and specialty, but if a rental shop nearby has chosen to sign up for Rentcycle, you’ll also be able to browse their inventory and check availability online.
For items like doughnut fryers, lecterns or Santa hats, there are several sites that allow you to target your neighbors for these less mainstream items.
Zilok lists more than 100,000 searchable items from both rental businesses and individuals. Renters set a price per day, week, or month as well as a deposit amount. Browsers can book items online and contact the owner to set-up an exchange.
Rent Instead and Rentoid are similar concepts with slight variations. Rent Instead offers a shipping option for out-of-area items, and Rentoid avoids bogus items by charging $4.00 per posting.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for — say a competition figure skating dress — Zilok has a function that allows you to send a rental request to registered renters in your area, while Rentoid similarly hosts a “wanted” board for posting requests.
Have you ever rented anything online? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments.
More Social Media resources from Mashable:
- Group Buying: Should Small Businesses Jump In?
- 10 Essential Accessories for the Fashionable Geek
- Rentcycle Looks to Put Niche Rental Shops Online
Image courtesy of iStockphotoiStockphoto, mbbirdy
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