photo by DeclanTM
Going over your personal budget? You might decide to pare down on expenses such as premium cable or magazines. But some services can be great sources for frugal entertainment and/or contain information that helps you save time and money. So you might want to reconsider and cut corners elsewhere. As an alternative, some people are turning to renting, borrowing or sharing items to help save money without sacrificing the things they enjoy. For example, maybe you use Netflix for movie rentals. If you like the concept and convenience, you might also like the following services. Total tightwads, don’t shoot the messenger.

GAMEFLY.COM: For a membership of $22.95/month, you can rent as many games as you want for as long as you want. There are more than 6,000 titles to choose from for every major gaming platform. The cost for postage is included in your membership fee. Each rental comes with an option to buy, too. This is great for gamers who want to try before they buy or don’t want to pay full retail price on games they might not play for a long time. There are membership rewards, too.

BABYPLAYS.COM: With this service, you can get a box of toys or a single toy delivered to your door. They offer several membership plans that range from $26.99/month for five toys to $64.99/month for 10 toys. Each plan has different policies for membership commitment and time frames for returning the products. There are more than 350 toys to choose from. All toys are lead-tested and meet safety standards. This is great for parents because kids outgrow or get bored with toys. You can borrow toys and see which are worth buying and which are flops. All toys are wrapped, cleaned and tagged.

BORROWEDBLING.COM: You can subscribe to various membership levels from as low as $29.95/month up to $99.95/month and receive access to various “closets” to browse and borrow merchandise, such as jewelry, belts, accessories and evening bags. You select the item you want to check out, and it will arrive in two to five business days. When you’re done, simply return it with prepaid shipping. This is great for those one-night events where you want to be seen with new bling but don’t care to wear it again or pay full price for an item you’d rarely use.

BAGBORROWSTEAL.COM: You subscribe to borrow merchandise such as handbags, jewelry, sunglasses and watches. Designer products are guaranteed to be authentic. Membership starts as low as one month for $9.95 up to $59.95 for a year. This is a great service because you can borrow the latest and most popular designer products. If you like an item enough to keep it, they’ll evaluate the product and quote you a price based on its availability or age and condition.

MAGHOUND.COM: This service lets you select, change and manage magazine subscriptions. They offer different tier levels of membership ranging from three magazine titles for $4.95/month up to seven magazine titles or more for $9.95-plus/month. There are hundreds of magazine titles to choose from. So you can get all your favorite magazine titles and then change your selections anytime you want. According to the Web site, it differs from a traditional subscription because you pay a monthly fee for a fixed number of individual magazines with the option to change or cancel your selections at any time — with no penalty or cancellation fee.

ZILOK.COM: Peer-to-peer rental marketplace. The concept is like eBay.com for renters. If you have stuff sitting around, you can offer it for rent in the marketplace. It can be a way to supplement your income. This online marketplace has items available such as cameras, tools, sports equipment and more. There isn’t a membership fee, but there are associated fees for listing and successfully renting your items. As a renter, you simply type in what you’re looking for, how long you want to rent the item, and arrange the pickup. Rental exchanges are made in person. Payment is made upon returning the rented item.

How do you save money on entertainment without sacrificing what you enjoy?

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