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Website Lets Parents Rent Toys For Children

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) --  This time of year, many parents' wallets are feeling the pinch as kids' holiday wish lists get longer, but one website is helping bring good cheer back to the family budget.

For kids, Christmas morning is all about the toys, but for parents, Christmas means balancing a happy holiday with a sensible budget, reports CBS 2's Kristine Johnson.

"We look at the sales, you know that, and then what does he really need," one mother said.

Paul Reinsmith's son will won't have to worry about that. His little boy will have plenty of new toys to tear open.

"It's really the Netflix concept," he said.

Reinsmith and his wife discovered the new website Toygaroo. It lets parents rent toys at a fraction of what they would cost to buy.

"It's an ideal situation for the holiday time. You can stuff toys under the tree for under $50. If you are out there buying them, there's just no way you can do that," he said.

The Reinsmiths select toys for their son, and just like Netflix, they go into a queue. Depending on the plan you choose, every month or every other month a box comes with a new set of toys.

When your time is up, you send the toys back and a new box will be on its way.

Toygaroo said all the toys are carefully sanitized before they are shipped to a new home.

"If they showed up gross, yes I wouldn't like it," one mother said.

"Everything we've gotten has been brand new so it's ... we haven't found any 'ick' factor at all," Reinsmith said.

And if there's something that your child can't live without, or something gets lost or broken, you can purchase the toy at a discounted price.

For the Reinsmiths, Toygaroo has provided a great way to keep unwanted toys out of the landfill, all while keeping their toddler busy and happy.

Most of the toys on Toygaroo are geared to pre-school and elementary school-aged kids. The cheapest option is $24.99 per month for four toys.

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