What do you want to rent?


Where?




Rent that Goat, not that Deere (John, that is)  Rodger October 19

Here’s a fun story I came across on a chilly fall Monday:

WalletPop reports about Google renting goats for landscaping, skipping the lawnmower.

Apparently this is a common phenomenon, as a small herd goats will clear acres of land over a period of just a few months.

It’s certainly a creative idea, and hopefully the downsides can be overcome!


 

Newsflash: Experiences Make Us Happier Than Possessions  Rodger October 5

This is an older article from CNN earlier this year, citing a study that experiences make us happier than possessions.

Sure, this can be blown off as another example of a study telling us something we intuitively know.  But isn’t that often what a study is designed to do?  I love the validation of something we strongly believe to be true.

It’s again a wonderful reminder why renting, instead of owning, can lead to higher satisfaction - and happiness at a high level.  Netflix popularized a cost-effective way to enjoy film and cinema - who needs all those DVDs?  It’s not the high-end dress, jewelry, and venue that makes us happy - it’s the memories of a wonderful night that can be cherished forever.

So go experience something today.  With money tighter than ever, use your cash to enjoy with your loved ones, friends and family.

(Also from CNN, published on Friday, iLetYou is mentioned from the RealSimple piece as a place to locate all different types of products for rent.  It’s also a nice little guide outlining the main categories of rental, picking out some rental stores, and showing example pricing for certain products for rent.  Check it out.)


 

Rent To Cut Fuel Costs  Rodger December 1

Interesting article in Associated Construction Publications called Rent To Cut Fuel Costs.

A construction or industrial site is a strict cost-center, which can be manipulated by doing some cost-savvy renting.  The author rightly points out to use readily available software or web sites, or even contact the dealers or manufacturers directly for specific advice.

Right away, I’d recommend doing a search on iLetYou for the products you’ve evaluating for rental.  If you need to do some number crunching, you might be able to find equipment rental software or even  use features in your current software.  In the coming months, you’ll see an increasing selection of products and stores to rent from at iLetYou.

I’d love to hear feedback from equipment rental companies or companies renting equipment, or from any other rental industry, about tools or processes they use to make this evaluation.  For every rental category, it’s a little bit different.

iLetYou will continue to produce tools that effectively help businesses and consumers alike know when to make the right decision when to rent instead of buy.


 

Rental Market in Korea Picking Up Steam  Rodger February 11

To a certain extent, there’s no shortage of interesting rental concepts being floated around today.
It’s a very different thing to realize that rental - hire, loan, lease, or whatever you call it - is rather a universal, worldwide idea.  This article highlights the rapidly growing rental market in Korea.

The full realization of the rental economy might be highly specialized and localized, but every locality applies the concept of rental to suit their particular needs.


 

Change Your Behavior? Make It About Marginal Cost  Rodger December 12

If you’re stuck in a rut in any aspect of your life, this post is meant for you. It’s mostly just a teaser for deeper thoughts on the idea of changing behavior, and how adjusting to marginal cost can make it happen.

With the holidays and New Year upon us, everyone wants to make changes.

As gas prices rise, you are less likely to hop in your car for a questionably worthwhile trip. What if you didn’t have a car and used a car rental or sharing service? How would that change your behavior? You’d think a little more deeply if it cost you $10 to $20 to drop off your dry cleaning or grab a cup of coffee.

Are you sick of the go-go lifestyle, but feel constrained? Reduce your footprint, spend less on the front-end. Force yourself to think more about activity in strict marginal cost. Don’t overextend yourself with your home. Don’t buy that vacation home, timeshare. Don’t lock yourself down to any one choice.

You want to lose some extra pounds? It’s never been about depriving yourself. Reduce your consumption footprint: drink diet sodas, eat healthier on a regular basis. (And, of course, increase your exercise.) Being able to think about food on a marginal cost is actually more liberating than annoying. If you want that piece of cheesecake, you know there’s a cost but you can justify a one-time cost on a marginal basis to make yourself happy just that instant.

It boils down to this: if you have a big base of cost, you lose flexibility in your choices based on each choice’s marginal cost. I believe you also lose some of level of freedom and ultimately happiness.

This is a natural occurrence, most obvious in economics and sociology. It affects your life whether you like it or not.

It’s just another way of looking at an on-demand lifestyle, but focused towards making changes in your life and behavior. Circumstances in consumerism, environment, and consumption make it such that I think most people will be happier thinking about choices that are heavy on marginal cost.

Rental and Leasing enabled by iLetYou creates a marginal cost model. Your thinking is more greatly dictated by the true cost here and now.  Many will and have come around to this way of thinking.

If you want to change your behavior, think about how to “Make It About Marginal Cost” in all aspects of your life.