Rentafriend

The Internet has everything!

At http://www.rentafriend.com/, you can simply enter your postal/zip code, and choose from the list of people who will be your friend. All for as little as $10/hour, though your friend may lower or waive the fee, depending on why you want them. And before your imagination runs away with you, they’re very clear about what kind of friends you can rent:

RentAFriend.com is strictly a platonic Friendship website. RentAFriend.com is NOT a dating website, and NOT an Escort agency. Services on RentAFriend.com are strictly for FRIENDSHIP purposes only.

They offer up a list of reasons you might want to rent a friend. Most are really bizarre. Like those times when you have two tickets to an event, and you don’t want to go alone. So I’ve got an extra concert ticket, and to make sure it doesn’t go to waste, I’m going to pay someone $20 to go to the concert with me, in addition to the $100 I paid for the ticket? Going alone isn’t ideal, but my paying someone to come with me doesn’t make it better. It’s worse. Much worse.

They also try to be practical about what you might need:

Many Friends on RentAFriend.com have unique talents and skills. They can teach you a new language, tutor you, share a new hobby, art, dance, and much more.

I’m thinking that the people getting paid $10 an hour might have something to say about providing these services. I doubt an accountant will be a pal and do your taxes for $10. Then again, you probably wouldn’t want the services of anyone who would!

Hmmmm, maybe I can hire a few friends on the day I move? Signing up to be a friend is free, but joining to hire friends costs $24.95. I think movers would be cheaper…and more reliable.

Good for them for trying something new, but really, I can’t see this working out. I can’t think of any reason it would make sense to hire someone from this service.