Much of the time, people think that if they want or need something, the best way to get it is to buy it outright. Many of us do this every day without even thinking about it, it is just how we do things. However, there are some times when you may want to consider renting an item instead of buying it.
If you think about it, renting items that you only need to use once or will use infrequently can not only save you the cost of buying those items, it can free up space in your home that would otherwise be taken up by them. I have been doing a lot of decluttering lately, and have developed a very low tolerance for unnecessary items coming into the home so this is a very appealing concept to me. By now, I am sure that you are wondering exactly what kinds of things it may make sense to rent rather than buy.
You probably already have furniture in your home, but I am sure that you can think of at least a couple of occasions each year when you wish that you had another table, a few more chairs, or other additional pieces of furniture. Furniture of all styles is available to rent for short or long term use and that can come in really handy for entertaining.
Camping equipment is another type of item that you might want to rent if you only camp a couple of weekends out of the year. You can rent more than just tents and sleeping bags, too. Other gear like camp stoves, kayaks, and mountain bikes can help you have the outdoor experience that you seek without buying all of those things outright.
I love clothes, and nothing is more exciting than the thought of having a fancy occasion to wear something nice to. That said, for a girl on a budget, it can be a bit disheartening to get a wedding invitation in the mail. As tempting as it may be to splurge on a new dress and the shoes and handbag to go with it, a more cost – conscious alternative is available. Thanks to websites like Rent The Runway and Bag, Borrow, or Steal, you can rent designer items for special occasions instead of picking through clearance racks to find something moderately acceptable (that you can afford but don’t really love) to wear. Even after the rented items have been returned, you will still get to look at the pictures from the wedding or event and see yourself looking fabulous.
Photo by tste on morguefile.com.