Let's get physical

Now that Daylight Savings has kicked in, your kids are making the most of the extra sunlight—riding their bikes, kicking a ball or running around with their friends.

Ha! Just a little parenting joke there. What they’re actually doing is sitting on the couch, flicking through the TV channels and complaining they’re the only kid in the world who doesn’t have a video game console.

Not that the complaining is anything new. They’ve threatened to do everything from going on Jerry Springer to pleading their case to the United Nations (something about “Geneva Conventions” and “cruel and unusual punishment”). But you’re sticking by your guns, because the last thing you want is your child staring zombie-like at the television playing “Super Alien Mega Blaster Ultimate Deluxe – The Sequel” for days on end.

Well, Home Appliance Rentals can solve both your problems with their latest package—the Xbox 360 with Kinect, along with a television to hook it up to. (Believe me, you’ll want the extra television, otherwise you may never get to watch another TV show again.)

“Sure, that solves their problem” I hear you saying. “But what about mine? I don’t want them just sitting in front of the TV all day.”

But that’s what’s so great about Kinect. They can’t just sit around and blast away with the controller, because with Kinect games they are the controller. To play the game they have to stand up. And jump. And wave their arms. It’s just like an aerobics class, but without the instructor yelling at everyone for not keeping up. (Video games are very forgiving.)

What’s even better is that with a lot of Kinect games, you can both play at the same time. So you won’t be sitting there for hours waiting for them to finish their “turn”. (They’ll still kick your butt, but you won’t be bored while they do it.) Just make sure there’s plenty of space to play in, because if you’re not careful you could end up whacking them in the face (and possibly losing 500 points).

And believe me, by the end of the game you’ll feel like you have been to an aerobics class. And so will they. In fact, they might even decide to ride their bike for a while because it’s less strenuous.

Which will give you a chance to practise so you can start kicking their butt.

Cool Choice

So your fridge on its last legs... er, castors, and it’s time to get a new one. Well, you could go out and buy one. Of course to afford it you’d have to give up a few luxuries such as food and electricity, which kind of makes the whole idea redundant. Your new white good would just become a white elephant (ears and trunk sold separately).

Then of course you have to get it to your house, which means either paying the store a delivery fee or paying a few mates with beer.

A much smarter idea is to hire a fridge from Home Appliance Rentals. They’ll help you choose the fridge that’s right for you, and then deliver and install it. And because you’re only paying a small amount each week you’ll be able to actually fill it with food.

But before any of that can happen you need to deal with the old one.

The first thing you need is a big, sturdy esky with a strong lid. This will give you something to sit on while you remove everything stuck to the fridge door—the latest round of bills, a notice about the upcoming school fete (and whether you can contribute) bills, and dozens of coupons for things you never buy at places you never go to. And all held there with magnets from pizza shops, video stores and your local politician. (This is what they really mean when they talk about “supporting the community”.)

Once you’ve finished that, it’s time to put the food you want to keep in the esky to keep it cool. And to do that you’ll need to fill it with ice.

Fortunately there’s plenty in the freezer—at least two or three inches of it all the way around. You just need to grab a pickaxe (explosives really shouldn’t be used indoors) and start chipping away. As you break through the layers you’ll discover long-lost frozen dinners and half-eaten tubs of ice-cream you can barely remember buying. But I wouldn’t bother saving them, as they’ll all be well past their “Use By” dates, which are probably in Roman numerals.

(The good news is your Home Appliance Rentals fridge will be frost-free.)

With your freezer contents either inside the esky or on their way to the local science museum, it’s time to tackle the rest of the fridge. This will be a trip down memory lane as you rediscover foods bought with the best intentions but never actually used: fetta cheese for homemade pizzas (it was quicker and easier to order one), milk for health shakes (which is now threatening to explode out of the carton), and assorted vegetables for your health kick that now lay limp in what’s laughably called the “crisper”. You’ll probably need several industrial-strength garbage bags to get rid of it all, not to mention a peg for your nose.

With your fridge now empty, you’re all set to have your Home Appliance Rentals fridge delivered and installed. Soon you’ll be marvelling at how much better it is, and how you’d better get shopping if you want to eat dinner.

And what should you do with the old fridge? Well, how about contributing it to that school fete? You could turn it into a game of “What’s that smell?” A dollar a turn, and you win ten dollars if you get them right. (Twenty if you can do it without being ill.)

The Finals Countdown

Will you look at that. It’s September already. And you know what that means. Yes, department stores will soon be hanging up their Christmas decorations.

But it also means the football season is drawing to a close, and it won’t be long before we’re all suffering from a bad case of “Finals Fever”.

Of course, the biggest sufferers will be those who couldn’t get to the game. Unfortunately tickets are limited, as are the number of times you can mortgage your house to pay for them. But thanks to Home Appliance Rentals you can feel like you’re there without breaking the bank.

Seeing is believing

The first thing you’ll need is a TV screen—the bigger, the better. You wouldn’t buy seats in row ZZ, so why feel like you’re sitting there? You want to feel like you’re practically sitting on the boundary line, and about to be told off by security. And with games now being broadcast in high definition, you’ll be able to see individual blades of grass—well, at least before they get stomped into the turf.

Home Appliance Rentals has a screen to suit every home and every budget. And because they not only deliver the screen but install it as well, the only time you’ll have to lift a finger is to change channels.

A sound investment

So you’ve got your spot on the boundary line. But what’s that you hear? A dishwasher? Someone mowing the lawn? That’s not what you hear at a football match. Where’s the roar of the crowd?

You need a home theatre system to drown out those sounds and bring the footy atmosphere (minus the cigarette smoke) right into your living room. The good news is Home Appliance Rentals can help you out there, too.

Once the system has been delivered and installed, all you’ll be able to hear will be the crack of leather on leather, the crack of fist against face, and the crack about the umpire’s apparent vision problems. You won’t be able to hear the lawn mower even if you tried—probably because the owner’s shut it off so they can hear the game as well.

After the game

And so ends another football season. The game’s been won, the trophy’s been held aloft, and the commentators have finally stopped talking. Now what?

Well, you could have Home Appliance Rentals pick it up and take it away. (Be ready for the tears.) But if I were you I’d definitely keep it for a while.

After all, Bathurst is coming up next.

Fighting the game console war—and winning

Congratulations. You’ve just rented your Wii gaming console from Home Appliance Rentals, and have even hooked it up to your television. (See? It was easy to connect—just like they said it would be.) Now you’re ready to load up a game and have a blast—literally if you choose the right one.

But while choosing the Wii was easy, choosing the right game can be tricky. There are literally hundreds to choose from, and they’re not cheap. And like everything else, just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it’s good.

If you’re not careful, “Wii” could also be the sound of your hard-earned cash flying out of your wallet or purse.

So how do you get to play some decent games without breaking the bank? Here are a few options.

Rent

Next time you’re roaming the aisles of your favourite DVD rental store, see if they have any Wii games you can rent out while you’re at it. It’s a cheap and easy way to try before you buy. And if you choose a good one your family may just forgive you for the awful movie they had to sit through.

Buy “pre-owned”

A lot of places now sell second-hand games (though they prefer to call them “pre-owned” or even “pre-loved”). These are often great games the original owner simply doesn’t play any more because they’ve defeated the “big boss” or whatever sinister character they were battling for three days straight. This is a great way to get games at a fraction of the cost of buying them new.

Borrow

Chances are you know someone who also owns a Wii. So why not ask if you can borrow a few of their games for the weekend/month/until they ask for them back? And when you start buying a few of your own you can return the favour.

Now can have hours of fun with your Wii console from Home Appliance Rentals. At least until someone wants to watch another of those awful movies they keep renting out.

Renting your next computer makes perfect sense.

The great thing about computers is they’re always getting faster and more powerful.

The bad thing about computers is they’re always getting faster and more powerful. Which means by the time you buy a computer, take it home and finally get everything set up it already starts to feel slow and sluggish. And let’s face it: in today’s modern world, time is definitely money.

That’s assuming you get it up and running at all. Unless you buy a laptop your computer “package” will include a jumble of cables, none of which seem to fit. It’s like the world’s most expensive brain teaser puzzle—especially if you plug in the wrong cable and switch it on.

If you manage to get it running, the next thing is to install the software. This usually involved putting a CD, choosing from a myriad of options, and typing in an obscure code that looks more like a missile launch code out of War Games.

And getting on the Internet? Well, that’s a whole ‘nother topic.

That’s why renting a desktop or laptop computer from Home Appliance Rentals is such a great idea. Instead of having to put up with an out-of-date computer that slows you down, you can have an up-to-date model that lets you work quickly and efficiently.

And you don’t have to worry about all those cables or launch codes. Home Appliance Rentals will not only deliver your computer but install it as well. And all their computers include antivirus software to keep you safe from nasty viruses or spyware.

And at the end of your rental period you can simply upgrade by renting a more powerful computer.

Renting your next computer makes perfect sense. Unlike those missile launch codes.