18 (Kinda Weird) Things You Didn't Know You Could Rent

Okay, I’ll admit… some of these are a little off the wall. Who knew you cold rent chickens, camping gear or a wedding cake?!

Take a look at these (kinda weird) things you didn’t know you could rent:

 

1. Rent camping gear.

Camping gear costs can really add up. And you may wonder whether it’s worth it if you only go on one or two trips a year?

Instead, rent everything you need from a company like Mountain Side Gear Rental.

 

2. Rent chickens to lay eggs.

If you want farm fresh eggs without a huge commitment, look into Rent The Chicken. You could get between 8-14 or 16-28 eggs a week depending on which package you choose. The company will bring a portable coop plus 2-4 chickens and supplies needed for the rental period.

Pricing depends on your location and how many chickens you want to rent. The cheapest option (not available in every location) is $400 and includes a rental from April to October or May to November, delivery, setup, pickup after rental period, two egg-laying hens, a chicken coop, custom food and water dishes, 100 pounds of chicken feed, a quick guide and a copy of “Fresh Eggs Daily” by Lisa Steele.

If you fall in love with the chickens, you can adopt them.

 

3. Rent your wardrobe.

Have a fancy wedding coming up but don’t want to spend an outrageous amount on a dress you’ll never wear again? I rented a gown from Rent the Runway for a wedding I attended last summer and returned it afterwards. They even send you a backup size for free!

There are three rental tiers to choose from. The cheapest option starts at $30 a rental, and you can rent for 4-8 days, book today or months from today, and get free returns plus a backup size.

 

4. Rent designer handbags.

For as little as $55/month, you can rent or “borrow” a designer handbag for a special event or vacation from Bag Borrow or Steal. Depending on the bag you choose, the price range runs from $55 up to $600.

Join the email list and get 20% off your next order.

 

 

5. Rent a camera, video camera and accessories.

Maybe you’re headed to Hawaii and want great photos on your vacation — you can rent a camera to do just that. Or maybe you just want to test out a camera before dropping a few hundred dollars on it.

Check out Borrow Lenses for a variety of rental cameras, video gear and accessories. You can rent a seven-day Canon EOS 6D Digital SLR Camera for as little as $78.

 

6. Rent a bridesmaid dress.

Instead of spending money on an expensive bridesmaid dress you’ll never wear again, look into renting one instead. Vow to Be Chic has bridesmaid dresses that rent for as low as $79, ranging up to $119.

 

RELATED: 29 Brilliant Ideas for Your Budget Wedding

 

7. Rent a wedding cake.

Spend hundreds of dollars on a wedding cake for the photo opp. . . or rent a fake for a fraction of the cost.

Don’t worry, your fake cake will be wheeled into the kitchen to be “cut up” while a few sheet cakes are actually cut up and served instead. Your guests will never know. They even put a hidden cutout in back to stick a real piece of cake in so you can still “cut the cake” and get first bite pictures.

Prices vary depending on the design you choose, but you can expect the following:

• 2 tier cake: $75
• 3 tier cake: $150
• 4 tier cake: $200
• 5 tier cake: $300
• 6 tier cake: $350

 

8. Rent a casket for a funeral.

Caskets cost around $2,000, and some mahogany, bronze or copper caskets sell for as much as $10,000. Rent an elaborate casket for the funeral — then bury your loved one in a more simple option, or have them cremated instead.

Each funeral home is different, but it’s worth asking for a rental. Most casket rentals cost around $750.

 

9. Rent tires and wheels in an emergency.

If you need new tires but can’t afford to replace them, renting may be something to consider. Renting tires will, no doubt, cost you more over the long haul than buying, but it’ll get you the tires you need right away.

You’ll have the flexibility of a 12-month, rent-to-own program from Rent A Wheel. There’s no obligation to buy, so you can try the wheels and return them for any reason.

If you decide you’d like to keep them, pay them off anytime before the 12-month period, and receive 50% off the remaining agreement value.

 

 

10. Rent luggage before a long trip.

Aren’t quite a world traveler yet? Rent luggage instead of buying (unless you can score a killer deal on a set). Websites like rentluggage.com make it easier than ever.

For example, a Samsonite Winfield 28-inch luggage rental for three days is $25.99, increasing from there up to four weeks for $44.99.

 

11. Rent a garden plot.

Don’t have a large enough backyard for a garden? Find a community garden instead, and rent a plot. Some community gardens charge a nominal fee; others just require you to help with the upkeep of the garden.

Use YardYum to rent out part of your backyard to someone who wants to garden, or find your own space to rent.

 

12. Rent your next-door neighbor’s garage.

Instead of spending money renting a storage unit, check out StoreWithMe or Store at My House to rent space from your neighbor. People rent out their extra basement space, shed, attic or garage for anyone willing to pay their price.

 

RELATED: 29 Legit Ways for Stay-at-Home Moms to Earn Money from Home

 

13. Rent a puppy in Seattle.

In Seattle, you can actually rent rescue puppies from BravePup that are delivered to your office for boosting employee health and wellness — but you can adopt the pup as well.

These puppies come from high-kill shelters in the south, but because of BravePup, there’s a 100% adoption rate! There is a wait list if you’re interested in getting some pups to the office, but you can check out dogs ready for adoption today.

 

14. Rent goats to maintain your lawn.

If you have a big piece of land but find it hard to maintain, look into renting goats from We Rent Goats. Pricing and the number of goats they bring are different for each property.

There is a per day, per goat and per acre charge — plus a setup fee and a potential cost to set up electric fencing. When you rent the goats, water troughs and nutritional supplements are included.

 

15. Rent plants or flowers for a special event.

Instead of buying flowers or potted plants, rent them. The flowers arrive and get picked up after the event, leaving you stress-free. Check out companies like 800 Plant It as well as local flower shops.

 

 

16. Rent solar panels.

If you love the idea of solar power (but not the costs to own them), look into renting solar panels. Companies will install the panels and take care of the maintenance, while you benefit from their solar efficiency.

You’ll pay a monthly fee to lease or rent the panels.

 

17. Rent jewelry for a special event.

There’s a ton of websites like Rent the Runway, Switch, and Adorn that offer rentable jewelry.

For example, you can rent a Kate Spade necklace that retails for $128 for only $18.

 

18. Rent tools from The Home Depot.

Renting tools definitely has its advantages. First, it saves you the cost of buying a tool you may only use once. And it saves you space in your garage.

Just to give you an idea, you can rent an electric chainsaw for $45 a day or $180 for a week — while purchasing the same electric chainsaw would cost you about $245.

 

UP NEXT: How to Afford Nice Things When You’re Broke AF

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