Have you ever noticed that it's inordinately inconvenient to return movies to the video store? You always seem to be going past the store to rent a movie on the way home from work or to the grocery store and it seems like a great idea. But next thing you know, you're 30 minutes away from an overdue fee and you have to hop in the car or put on three layers of clothing to go return a movie when you're busy with something else. And you might not even have had a chance to watch it!

Making the video store more potentially annoying is the fact that you might go back multiple times without finding the movie you want. Since you're there anyway and you don't want to waste the trip, you end up renting some random new release that sucks you into the vortex of mediocre action movie stupor. Now, not only do you have the aforementioned problem of having to return the movie at a less convenient time, you also have to go back and try the whole thing again. And the film you wanted may still be out.

How do you save yourself from spending a Friday night watching The Omega Code when what you really wanted was Jacob's Ladder? (This actually happened to me and my boyfriend. I've forgiven him, but I do occasionally point out that he was the one who chose it. He then reminds me that I was excited about Alex and Emma when it came out and I make conciliatory remarks about how The Omega Code really did look interesting from the back of the DVD.) How do you protect your children from every movie ever made by Melissa Joan Hart? How do you keep from getting fooled by marketing-savvy copy like, "From one of the assistant best boy grips who brought you Independence Day," when you're looking for an enjoyable family film? And how do you make sure you're not tempted to get some random foreign film you've never even heard of to impress your date who you think won't like the movies you actually like?

Online Movie Rentals are Easy, Convenient, and They Save You Money

All of these bothersome conundrums can be solved with one simple, brilliant, expedient revolution in commerce: online video stores. If you want to save yourself time and money, then step into the new era of online movie rentals. Get the movies that you want to see, all the movies that you want to see, and nothing but the movies that you want to see.

You can still go to a video store if you want to browse. You can read reviews in magazines or online, or get recommendations from friends when you want to expand your cultural sphere (pop or otherwise). But if you know what you want to see--whether that's a few new releases or a list of 200 movies you've been compiling over the last few years--you'll be delighted to find out about the hassle-free way of getting those films.

Online Rental Policies and Procedures

There are a number of companies from which you can rent DVDs online. They all have slightly different policies, but the salient features remain similar. Often you will be asked to pay a monthly fee, in exchange for which you can rent unlimited movies over the course of the month.

On many sites, you can browse the catalog of movies or DVDs and then make a list of those you want to see. The online store will send you three DVDs from your list in the mail. When you are done watching any one or all three of them, you send it/them back in a pre-paid envelope. As soon as they receive your first movie back, the store will send you another movie from your list.

Make sure when choosing a vendor that there are no shipping charges and no late fees associated with their rentals. There are some sites out there trying to trick you with hidden charges, but the industry leaders are not. Your monthly fee should be the only thing that you have to pay. If you watch five movies or more per month, you will save a lot of money as well as time and hassle by getting a membership to rent movies online.