Ten Companies That Know How to Share
May 16, 2014
Let’s face it: Daily life is pretty expensive. Never mind saving up for special treats like vacations and swank hotel rooms—even mundane charges like car payments and rent checks can feel like a financial burden.
So what are cash-strapped Millennials to do? Pitch in together and kick-start a brand new, game-changing movement: the sharing economy. Sounds complicated? It isn’t. “Sharing economy” simply means that resources are rented or used communally, and made accessible to all—even those of us whose budgets are on the puny side.
At Zipcar, the sharing economy is our bread and butter, and we think it’s worth celebrating. But we’re not the only ones in on a good thing. These 10 companies are changing the way that we live with their cutting-edge, communal thinking. So give it a try—sharing isn’t just a skill for preschoolers.
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1) DogVacay: Worried your beloved pup won't have much to do while you're globetrotting? Don't fret: Furry friends can have their own getaways, too.
DogVacay lets your pooch lap up the good life with a local dog sitter, vetted by the site. Just try not to get too jealous when they send you daily snaps of bonding time.
Photo courtesy of DogVacay
2) Airbnb: Back in the dark ages before Airbnb, getting out of town used to mean crashing on someone's couch. Or floor. For the budget traveler, any hotel guaranteed to be free of bedbugs was usually prohibitively expensive. But thanks to
Airbnb, these days you can book pads ranging from yurts to urban lofts, private cottages to beachside huts, all on loan by local residents at budget-friendly price points.
Photo courtesy of TommyPJR
3) Vayable: For the dream vacation on a budget, steer clear of the tourist mire and explore something that's truly locally vetted. How can you be sure? Leave it to
Vayable. The clever service pairs travelers with resident insiders, who show them around their favorite haunts. There's a huge range of itineraries on offer, from design tours around Paris, above, to Gaelic games in Dublin. If you're looking to tour all the area McDonalds, though, you may be out of luck.
Photo courtesy of Vayable
4) EatWith: The friend of foodies the world over,
EatWith operates on the premise that dinner is more fun when it's home-cooked and shared with
strangers friends-in-the-making. For next to nothing, you can sign on for a convivial dinner party at a local's home, where you'll be joined by all manner of interesting fellow diners. We're such fans, we recently
chatted them up to dig in further.
Photo courtesy of EatWith
5) Spinlister: Spinlister is basically Zipcar for bikes – how could we not love it? The genius idea means you can rent people's cycles – and even their skis and snowboards – when not in use, allowing you to cruise around town (or mountainside) in style. Says CEO Marcelo Loureiro; "There are people with underutilized bikes sitting in their garages, so Spinlister gives them the opportunity to monetize that on a safe platform. You can find anything from a cheap cruiser for $5 a day to a $150 carbon racing bike." Snazzy.
Photo courtesy of Spinlister
6) TaskRabbit: Us city-dwellers have gotten out of the habit of bonding with our neighbors. If we need a cup of sugar there's a shop just down the road. But the founders of
TaskRabbit are looking to change that. Whether you need help picking up groceries or are seeking someone who's handy with a pair of pliers, the site lets you pick from a bevvy of local experts to help get the job done.
Photo courtesy of Fuse/Thinkstock
7) Fon: Ah, the uniquely modern plight of trying to find some decent #*@%! Wi-Fi when you're out and about. Whether you're on vacation and looking to connect, or you have some work (read: Facebook browsing) to do on-the-go, you no longer have to rely on slow-as-molasses coffee shop networks or guess at users' passwords (not like we've ever done that).
Fon makes the sharing economy virtual, with users effectively renting out their home Wi-Fi networks to those in need for short periods of time. If you ask us, the people behind this one deserve a Nobel Prize.
Photo courtesy of Fuse/Thinkstock
8) Skillshare: The sharing economy doesn't just encompass possessions; it can also involve sharing knowledge. On
Skillshare, which recently transitioned into a fully online platform, users have access to hundreds of courses taught by everyone from art school profs to
Project Runway alums. From social media strategy to garment draping and fashion photography, it's never too late to learn something new. And given that it's just $9.95 a month to take part, you now have no excuse
not to learn calligraphy.
Photo courtesy of Skillshare
9) Yerdle: Free. It might just be one of our favorite words, and we imagine one of yours, too. So what if we were to tell you that there's a sharing site out there where members trade and offer up all kinds of possessions – for
free? No, it isn't too good to be true:
Yerdle is totally legit. To participate, all you have to do is be willing to make some trades of your own. If there's any reason to finally tackle that closet clean out, this is it.
Photo courtesy of Yerdle
10) Boatbound: You're on a boat. You've got your swim trunks and your flippie-floppies. And while you may not be riding on dolphins, the fantasy otherwise holds, thanks to
Boatbound. If you've ever wanted to chill out Lonely Island style, this site is for you. Like Airbnb for watercraft, Boatbound lets you rent out a local boat of your choosing for a day of surf, sun, and letting loose. Just don't expect T-Pain to show up to the party.
Photo courtesy of Boatbound
1) DogVacay: Worried your beloved pup won't have much to do while you're globetrotting? Don't fret: Furry friends can have their own getaways, too.
DogVacay lets your pooch lap up the good life with a local dog sitter, vetted by the site. Just try not to get too jealous when they send you daily snaps of bonding time.
Photo courtesy of DogVacay
2) Airbnb: Back in the dark ages before Airbnb, getting out of town used to mean crashing on someone's couch. Or floor. For the budget traveler, any hotel guaranteed to be free of bedbugs was usually prohibitively expensive. But thanks to
Airbnb, these days you can book pads ranging from yurts to urban lofts, private cottages to beachside huts, all on loan by local residents at budget-friendly price points.
Photo courtesy of TommyPJR
3) Vayable: For the dream vacation on a budget, steer clear of the tourist mire and explore something that's truly locally vetted. How can you be sure? Leave it to
Vayable. The clever service pairs travelers with resident insiders, who show them around their favorite haunts. There's a huge range of itineraries on offer, from design tours around Paris, above, to Gaelic games in Dublin. If you're looking to tour all the area McDonalds, though, you may be out of luck.
Photo courtesy of Vayable
4) EatWith: The friend of foodies the world over,
EatWith operates on the premise that dinner is more fun when it's home-cooked and shared with
strangers friends-in-the-making. For next to nothing, you can sign on for a convivial dinner party at a local's home, where you'll be joined by all manner of interesting fellow diners. We're such fans, we recently
chatted them up to dig in further.
Photo courtesy of EatWith
5) Spinlister: Spinlister is basically Zipcar for bikes – how could we not love it? The genius idea means you can rent people's cycles – and even their skis and snowboards – when not in use, allowing you to cruise around town (or mountainside) in style. Says CEO Marcelo Loureiro; "There are people with underutilized bikes sitting in their garages, so Spinlister gives them the opportunity to monetize that on a safe platform. You can find anything from a cheap cruiser for $5 a day to a $150 carbon racing bike." Snazzy.
Photo courtesy of Spinlister
6) TaskRabbit: Us city-dwellers have gotten out of the habit of bonding with our neighbors. If we need a cup of sugar there's a shop just down the road. But the founders of
TaskRabbit are looking to change that. Whether you need help picking up groceries or are seeking someone who's handy with a pair of pliers, the site lets you pick from a bevvy of local experts to help get the job done.
Photo courtesy of Fuse/Thinkstock
7) Fon: Ah, the uniquely modern plight of trying to find some decent #*@%! Wi-Fi when you're out and about. Whether you're on vacation and looking to connect, or you have some work (read: Facebook browsing) to do on-the-go, you no longer have to rely on slow-as-molasses coffee shop networks or guess at users' passwords (not like we've ever done that).
Fon makes the sharing economy virtual, with users effectively renting out their home Wi-Fi networks to those in need for short periods of time. If you ask us, the people behind this one deserve a Nobel Prize.
Photo courtesy of Fuse/Thinkstock
8) Skillshare: The sharing economy doesn't just encompass possessions; it can also involve sharing knowledge. On
Skillshare, which recently transitioned into a fully online platform, users have access to hundreds of courses taught by everyone from art school profs to
Project Runway alums. From social media strategy to garment draping and fashion photography, it's never too late to learn something new. And given that it's just $9.95 a month to take part, you now have no excuse
not to learn calligraphy.
Photo courtesy of Skillshare
9) Yerdle: Free. It might just be one of our favorite words, and we imagine one of yours, too. So what if we were to tell you that there's a sharing site out there where members trade and offer up all kinds of possessions – for
free? No, it isn't too good to be true:
Yerdle is totally legit. To participate, all you have to do is be willing to make some trades of your own. If there's any reason to finally tackle that closet clean out, this is it.
Photo courtesy of Yerdle
10) Boatbound: You're on a boat. You've got your swim trunks and your flippie-floppies. And while you may not be riding on dolphins, the fantasy otherwise holds, thanks to
Boatbound. If you've ever wanted to chill out Lonely Island style, this site is for you. Like Airbnb for watercraft, Boatbound lets you rent out a local boat of your choosing for a day of surf, sun, and letting loose. Just don't expect T-Pain to show up to the party.
Photo courtesy of Boatbound
