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Renting instead of buying is a great way to save money on certain things. But you will be surprised what kind of things you can rent.
Most of us know you can rent a car, but did you also know that you can only rent the tires?
The average man might rent a tuxedo for his wedding, but it is also possible to rent a wedding cake.
Renting a lake house for a week is a nice thing. Or you can go all out and rent an entire island … if you can afford it.
Lots of unusual things can be rented. We chose these unusual options to show that there is an item for every tenant and a tenant for every item.
1. Caskets
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Do you want to keep your funeral expenses down? Ask if the undertaker rents out coffins. These boxes have removable wooden inner walls to hold the dead. Later, after the tour or the service, the corpse can be buried in this simple wooden box or cremated in it.
The average price of a metal box is $ 2,500 and the average price of a wooden box is $ 3,000, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The average cost of a loaner box is $ 995.
By the way: if you plan to be cremated without service or viewing, you don’t need a coffin at all. Instead, choose an alternative cremation container. The median price is $ 150.
2. Friends
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Just moved to a new area? Or is it still in the old neighborhood, but all of your childhood friends have moved away or just moved on?
Hire a friend! Sites like RentAFriend.com can help you find someone to go bowling, watch movies, browse bookstores, go to the clubs, or just hang out with.
It is also possible to hire a “cuddle buddy” through websites such as Cuddle Comfort. This can mean holding hands, cuddling, or hugging. According to Psychology Today, a hug can lift your mood, lower your blood pressure, and maybe even boost your immune system.
It’s hard to say how much money you would save by hiring a cuddle buddy or just a friend, but if it makes you calmer and happier – or staying healthier – it might be worth it.
3. Parents
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Most rent a parent companies cater to people who are looking for reliable babysitters. But some are specifically for adults who need a little TLC.
For example, Need A Mom NYC puts the “rent” in “parents” by putting you together with a woman who will listen (but not judge!), Give mom advice if you want, and maybe proofread or write a résumé Iron irons shirt. Their tagline: “If you need a mom – just not YOUR mom.” However, you must be in the New York City area to use the service.
Rent-A-Dad is also limited to New York City residents, and the site is mostly geared towards tasks like assembling furniture, buying a new apartment, and arranging a move.
Don’t live in New York City? You could visit one of these “rent-a-friend” companies to look for someone to act as a parent. That is, to comfort, comfort, advise or remind you to check your tire pressure regularly.
Will it save you money? Maybe if it stops you from ruining a tire! Seriously though, having someone to listen to you and give advice when asked can help you feel better. That means in some cases that pointless shopping and other bad habits will not self-medicate.
It could also keep you focused on your financial goals. Sometimes you need a parenting figure to tell you, “Oh, honey, I know you want to rent this beach house with your friends. But you said yourself that if you stick to your plan for three months, you will be debt free. What do you think will give you the most pleasure: swimming or zeroing your credit cards? “
4. Tires
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Believe it or not, there are tire rental businesses that do decent business, according to the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations. They also lend fancy rims and other items.
Will it save you money? Probably not, as the hire-purchase model pays more for convenience. However, if you are in dire financial straits and absolutely cannot afford replacement tires, rental can get you to work. If you get fired for a no-show, you are definitely not saving any money.
5. Christmas trees
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Hoho right? Christmas trees can be rented ?!
Yes. Regional and national companies such as Rent-A-Christmas, RentXmasTree.com and The Living Christmas Co. deliver trees to your home. Depending on the company, the trees can be living or artificial, decorated or not. Some companies also offer other holiday decorations.
This can save you money in several ways.
If you live in a small space, renting a tree and decoration means you don’t have to pay for year-round storage.
In addition, styles and tastes are changing. For example, the Disney things that your young children enjoy will soon be a thing of the past. Renting means you don’t buy and end up throwing different themes or color schemes.
6. Chickens
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If you’re not into factory eggs, you’re paying maybe $ 5 to $ 7 per dozen or more – $ 10 where I live. Companies like Rent The Chicken or Rent A Coop will lend you birds, a place to live and food for them. This can work in your favor if the chickens are doing their best.
However, you need to be willing to do some work: feed the birds, move the house to prevent manure from building up, and maybe keep an eye on them if you let them out to forage.
7. Goats
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Loan goats are there to do what goats do best: eat the landscape.
These sure-footed ruminants can climb the steepest bank and chew away poison ivy, invasive kudzu weeds, or anything else you don’t want on your property. Companies like Rent-A-Ruminant and Rent A Goat bring the animals to your property. You may also find a local goatherd willing to be paid to have their animals roam your garden.
According to Angi, formerly known as Angie’s List, the savings can be up to 75% compared to people walking in and pulling out or poisoning the unwanted plants. Bonus: There are no pesticides on your property or pesticide runoff into local waterways.
You have to deal with the, uh, business cards the goats leave behind, however. Or you could think of this as a natural fertilizer.
8. Bridesmaids and groomsmen
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That sounds sad at first glance. Who would hire members of their wedding party? Don’t you have friends?
Maybe they do. But some friends may not be able to afford to attend. Maybe they don’t get enough (or no) paid time off.
Or maybe your best friend is fun to hang out with, but you can’t rely on him to act when it matters. We all know stories of bridesmaids and groomsmen who give up their duties, give embarrassing speeches, complain about the outfits or drink too much.
And yes, some couples may just want to have a perfect wedding reception. That means picture book people standing next to them.
Whatever the reason, you can hire your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Companies like Bridesmaid for Hire and Groomsman for Hire value preplanning and ensure that everything goes smoothly on the big day.
This could include planning the bachelorette party, helping with the wedding prep, and resolving disagreements.
9. A wedding cake
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The average cost of a wedding cake is $ 540, according to the Wedding Forward website. But the price can easily be much higher – maybe up to $ 1,000 or more if you give it your all.
Instead, you can opt for a fake cake: a beautifully decorated styrofoam confection with a slit at the back so that you can insert a piece of your real cake for the photos of the newlyweds. Then you send it back to the kitchen to be “sliced” for the guests, and the kitchen actually sends back slices of less expensive sheet cakes.
You can ask local bakeries to prepare you a fake cake or search for places to rent them online. If you are skillful, build your own artificial foam confection and check out online cake decorating tutorials.
10. A private island
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Don’t you want just any beach wedding, but a beach wedding that is guaranteed to keep the weekender away?
It is possible to lease a little piece of paradise through websites like Private Islands Inc. or Rent A Private Island. You can also find islands to rent on Vrbo (Vacation Rentals By Owner).
This may not save you money unless you wanted to take over an upscale resort for the day. But the cost of knowing that wedding crashers can’t get to you? That’s priceless.
Disclosure: The information you read here is always objective. However, sometimes we get compensation when you click on links in our stories.
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