Save by avoiding these common Rent To Own items

MSN Money has rounded up 5 things you should never rent, especially under a rent to own program! Many people recognize that rent to own stores don't offer the best prices for pretty much anything, but don't realize that some items the cost of renting to own is high enough to purchase the item three times over. The high cost of these rent to own items comes from the risk that the stores take on over the period of the rental, but most consumers can avoid these fees by going without for a few months and saving up or lowering their expectations!

Big screen televisions and computers top the list of items you shouldn't rent, these items can be purchased outright and even through a payment plan with a store such as Best Buy or Dell for a much reduced price. Every other week I get email offers for Dell computers priced below $500, for which a rent to own customer would spend at least $2,000 over the rental period. Another prominent item to avoid renting are rims to pimp out your 1995 ford escort; stick with the stock because no one likes a car that is all show and no go.

The article does recognize that there are some items where renting makes the most sense such as a tuxedo so long as you don't attend black tie affairs every weekend. I can also understand renting a big screen TV for a big sporting event but in this day in age it seems like at least one person in a group of friends has a big screen already, even if it is from Smitty's Rent-a-Center. Do yourself a favor and avoid renting to own. You can save buckets of money by exercising patience.