Would you rent a friend?

Friends - News - Marie Claire

(Image credit: Rex Features)

published 22 July 2010

Rent a friend: A solution for your social life or simply for those too lazy to make their own?

Need a friend to go to a party with, want a companion to watch a film with, even need a mate to workout with – well why not rent one?

Freshly launched in the UK, after its popularity in the US and Canada, Rent A Friend website has now made its way across the Atlantic to cheer up any lonely souls.

The Rent A Friend US website explains: ‘Whether you are looking to hire a friendly companion to attend a social event or party with you, someone to introduce you to new people, or someone to go to a movie or a restaurant with, RentAFriend.com can help.’

Take note, though, this is not a dating site in any shape or form. ‘It is strictly a platonic Friendship website. RentAFriend.com is NOT a dating website, and NOT an escort agency,’ assured the website.

However, if you find yourself in need of friend for a social event, or you just want someone to show you around a new city, Rent A Friend could be just your thing.

Some may turn their nose up at the idea. Surely friendships should be worked at and cultivated over time, not just ordered with a click of a mouse.

But if you find yourself too busy to take time out, or are simply lacking in confidence and find it hard to approach people, this could be your ticket to a new social life.

You can now rent a friend in 21 UK locations, with rates averaging around £6.50 an hour. Though currently UK based chums are rather thin on the ground.

US members have rather more choice with around 200,000 buddies to choose from. However with its growing popularity Friends should soon be popping up all over the UK.

Is this something that would interest you? Would you want to rent a friend? Or do you think this is for those who are too lazy to make any real friends?

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Natalia is a health journalist with 14 years experience in the publishing industry. She has worked for a number of well known magazines and websites including Marie Claire, Woman&Home, Top Sante, Boots and The Telegraph. She likes to think she practices what she preaches when it comes to health and fitness. Her athletic prowess began early. A keen fencer for 13 years, she wielded an epée for Olympic Team GB during her teenage years. She likes to think she made sword-fighting cool before Game of Thrones came along! While working on her sporting performance with the team, she also participated in a lot of nutrition and psychology training, When it comes to time off, you’ll most likely find her up a mountain somewhere. It seems holidays have become a time for climbing several thousand feet, rather than chilling out. She’s now hiked eight of the major mountain ranges across four continents – including the Appalachians, the Smokies, the Sierra Nevadas (she spent her honeymoon hiking to the top of Half Dome), as well as hitting the summits of Snowdon, Pen-Y-Fan (Brecon Beacons), Table Mountain in South Africa, the Blue Mountains in Australia and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. She’s also passionate about all things health, particularly vaccinations, and will happily jump on her soap box at any given opportunity to talk about their benefits to anyone who will listen!

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