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Hire a cuddler -

You can rent a professional platonic cuddler, male or female, to snuggle with you for just US$60-80 an hour. The Cuddist company boasts the oxytocin-inducing effects of touch therapy, from lowered stress and blood pressure, to a better mood.

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Hire a pilgrim -

Portuguese computer wiz Carlos Gil helped revive a centuries-old tradition by hiring himself out to go on pilgrimages for those unwell, too busy, or just too lazy to go themselves.

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Hire a pilgrim -

Those who wish to fulfill pledges they made can finance Gil's biannual pilgrimages to the shrine at Fatima, in central Portugal. He charges US$2,500 for the week's 100-mile walk from his home in Cascais to the shrine of the Virgin Mary at Fatima.

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Hire a pilgrim -

Gil doesn’t believe this is cheating, and he provides proof that he does the two-week walk on foot by giving customers a certificate after every journey with stamps from various places along the way.

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Hire someone to wait in line - The Same Ole Line Dudes service is popular in New York City, where lines are required to get tickets for shows or limited sale items. 

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Hire paparazzi -

Famous For A Day lets you hire your own personal paparazzi, including reporters and autograph hounds, who will follow you or anyone you want all day. You can taste fame, then leave it behind.

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Hire paparazzi -

You get to decide if you want to sign autographs, hide your face as they chase after you, hold an impromptu press conference, or get a reservation at your favorite restaurant with a line of photographers behind you.

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Hire a bridesmaid -

Jen Glantz was tired of always being a bridesmaid, but instead of becoming a bride, she created a company with all the knowledge she’d acquired about how to properly support one.

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Hire a bridesmaid -

Her company, Bridesmaid For Hire, boasts services including wedding planning, walking down the aisle, giving life to the dance floor, and even giving the maid-of-honor speech! Here's a peek at some of her big-day essentials for the bride.

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Hire a bridesmaid -

They also offer a day-of coordination service, a wedding crash course, a maid-of-honor speech writing package, and a maid-of-honor crash course.

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Hire an evil stalker clown - Dominic Deville rents himself out to parents as an “evil birthday clown” who leaves scary notes for their children, warning them that they’re being watched and that they’ll be attacked.

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Hire an evil stalker clown -

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Hire a friend -

There is a service actually called Rent A Friend that is available worldwide and can ensure you know a local everywhere you travel. Prices start at US$10 an hour, but many will negotiate or waive their fees depending on the activity you request.

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Hire a friend -

You can also rent someone to bring to a wedding or social event with you, to go to a movie or restaurant with, or to just have some companionship. There are apparently over 620,000 friends available to rent right now.

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Hire a friend -

Some of the friends available have unique skills they can teach you, and many people rent friends to do a job that would be a lot more expensive if you hired a professional, like taking photos of you in the city, or having someone come to the gym with you.

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Hire a poop scooper -

We all love dogs, but we love their poop less. DoodyCalls allows you to hire someone to come to your home and scoop up all the poop in your yard.

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Rent a hangover bus - Hangover Heaven is a Las Vegas-based business that runs this special bus service for people who are suffering from an excessive night out.

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Rent a hangover bus -

Though a bus is the last place you might want to go while hungover, the 45-foot rolling clinic provides first-class medical treatment including intravenous hydration and various treatments for inflammation and nausea.

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Rent a hangover bus -

It also features a front lounge area, a kitchenette, a private consultation room, four private bunks, and a private rear lounge equipped with a flat screen TV and a Bose Surround Sound Stereo System.

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Hire an apology service -

Being polite is very important in Japanese society, so it makes sense that there are various companies that will take care of those awkward apologies for you.

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Hire an apology service -

Make sure what you’ve done is really bad, however, as a telephone apology can go for nearly US$100 and an in-person apology can cost almost US$250.

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Rent an entire crowd - If your campaign isn’t going as well as you’d hoped, you can head over to Crowds On Demand. From protests and rallies to PR stunts and political events, you can hire large crowds of people to make a point!

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Rent a theater for gaming -

If you're supposed to throw a party but don't really want to do anything except sit on the couch and game, Cineplex Entertainment offers their idle theaters for rent by gamers.

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Rent a theater for gaming -

At US$135 for two hours, up to 12 people can have a theater to themselves with an Xbox 360 hooked up to the big screen for an intense e-sport tournament.

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Hire a fem robot -

The Actroid DER2 Fembot is a realistic android that you can reportedly rent at a price of US$3,500 for five days.

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Hire a fem robot -

The feminine robot features lifelike silicone skin and can deliver semi-natural expressions. She can even choreograph her motions and gestures with her voice.

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Hire a wingman - If you lack the confidence to approach people, there are various companies that'll provide you with a “wingman” who can back you up. The Professional Wingman, for example, has secured 300+ marriages and engagements.

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Hire a wingman - Dare2Date in Perth, Australia is catered for shy people or singles whose friends are all in relationships. They come with tips on how to approach people, the best places to go, and they help you find what you’re looking for in a partner.

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Hire a wingwoman -

Susan Baxter, founder of Hire a Boston Wingwoman, told Time magazine that for just over US$100 you can get two hours with someone who will help you break the ice with women, facilitate conversation, and generally make you look good.

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Hire a nightlife scout -

No one likes trying a new place on a night out only to find out it’s a bust. The Crowdmug app was reportedly developed to help. Scouts receive paid requests from customers about a specific night spot, and any scout there will upload a photo or video so the customer can decide if they want to go.

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Rent a grandmother - Yes, there is actually a service called Rent a Grandma, which employs caring older women to work as nannies, baby-sitters, pet carers, senior companions, and even cooks! Grandmas do make the best cookies.

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Hire a cow -

For anyone who wanted to try the farm life but never wanted the commitment, Swiss farmer Albert Breitenmoser decided to rent out his cows for around US$100 a month, allowing customers to milk them.

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Rent a pregnant belly - In 2007, a woman named Jennifer Gordon offered to rent her nearly nine-months pregnant belly for advertisers to paint at the Super Bowl, in return for two free tickets to the game. Chicago company uBid.com won the coveted belly.

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Rent a designer bag with a Nintendo DS -

Though now deactivated, From Bags To Riches allowed people to rent expensive designer bags, and they paired up with Nintendo to package a DS with select bags, calling it the "hot tech-cessory for fashion conscious women." Predictably, it didn’t stick.

See also: Weirdest certifications you can get online.

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