Four years into the Great Downturn/Recession/Next Depression, people are apparently having to get creative to make ends meet. Or perhaps we have just been denying ourselves entry to the world of barter because of our own narrow-mindedness. Either way, in honor of RENTERS WEEK 2011, this Craigslist Power Hour is fueled by alternatives to paying your rent in U.S. dollars. Let's examine our options, shall we?
SEEKING HEAVY MACHINERY
Do you know what a skid steer is? Neither did we. Until now. In any case, if you find yourself short on cash but long on construction equipment, this house in the Covington/Conyers area might be right up your alley.
RENTER WITH EYES AND A HELPFUL OFFER
Say you have an extra room in your house that you weren't necessarily looking to rent out. But, you think, "some extra cash would be nice." Well, this gentleman would be happy to rent that room, provided you're in a heterosexual relationship, and you and your significant other are okay with having an audience when you have sex. Also, he'll require the ability to....just read the post.
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ALL THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE
Relationships are complicated. Or not, if you are a fine woman looking to be taken care of by an older gentleman. We'd love to get into some pithy paraphrasing here, but the direct simplicity and micro-details of this post do not deserve any adornment.
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CLASSIC 'RENTBOY' SCENARIO
We're not quite sure where we became familiar with the term "rentboy" (though we're pretty sure we learned it from Gawker). But for all of our knowledge of its general meaning, we'd never actually seen such an arrangement laid out in writing. The wait is over.
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THIS LISTING BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER "Z"
When are people going to get over their obsession with the letter "S"? What a lame way to make words plural, right? There is a landlord out there who feels your pain. And she can probably accommodate all of those that feel that way.
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FOR SOMEONE WITH PATIENCE AND COMPASSION IN COPIOUS QUANTITIES (SERIOUSLY)
We cannot imagine anyone more deserving of free housing than one who can complete the assignment laid out here with kindness, competency and compassion. Five mentally-challenged men AND pets? Wow. Maybe a little spending money would be in order as well.