Rent it first

How to avoid wasting money and creating clutter

Making any sort of bigger purchase can be stressful. Will you actually use the item, or will it be a waste of money — and become clutter?

When my kids first started learning musical instruments many years ago, I was delighted to discover that it’s common to rent before (or instead of) buying. My oldest played viola for two years…and then was done with viola. No worries! The viola went back to the instrument company and he doubled down on singing.

I think this is a great idea for many things in life. Renting lets you try things out and see how something will work in your actual life without as big a commitment.

For instance, I recently learned that you can rent a mobile sauna for a bit some places. What a great idea if you are thinking of building a sauna for your home. I imagine a lot of people build such things…and then rarely use the sauna. If you don’t find yourself turning every potential sauna moment into an actual sauna moment when you rented the sauna, that is good to know.

Lots of people also get an idea that they’ll buy an RV and spend time camping on the road. This is definitely a situation where renting an RV for an extended vacation first would be wise. Maybe it will be amazing. Or maybe you’ll be fantasizing about the Four Seasons.

Basically, for anything that would be a major investment in something you’re not terribly familiar with — power tools, sporting equipment, high-end cameras — renting can answer a lot of questions. Do I really like this? Do I make time in my life for this thing? If so, then buying might make sense. But if not, then it’s all good. You’re just out a little money, not a lot, and you won’t be storing that surfboard for the next decade. You have other things to do with your money and space!

Have you ever rented anything first before, or instead of, buying?