How to get your hands on all the tech toys you want without busting your budget

Yijia Wang loves trying out the latest in high tech. So she decided to shoot her best friend's wedding using a drone.

"I can get some very astonishing shots."

The only problem-- buying a drone can cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. Plus, Wang knew she wouldn't use it often. So she found a gadget rental website where she could grab a drone for a month for under $100.

"You just need to order the drone; it's delivered to you."

From drones and phones to cameras and computers-- the idea of renting gadgets is catching on with consumers. In some cases, you can rent-to-own.

Bridget Carey is a tech expert with CNET.com.

"A lot of us maybe are tight on cash, or afraid to put down a lot of money for a gadget when things are changing all the time."

Wang rented from a site called Grover, we tried a different site called Lumoid. First, we picked out an iPad and camera kit. A three-day rental cost $57 plus a $12 damage waiver.

We had to give a lot of identifying information, and pay a refundable deposit in case we trashed the toys.

They arrived on time, and, after playing with them, we shipped them back and the deposit was immediately refunded.

"This makes a lot of sense for something that is several hundred dollars, but you're not sure you actually want to commit to it," said Carey.

But consumers need to be sure to read the fine print.

"Look at the policies, look at the fees. If there's any damages or even a scratch, are you liable," said Carey.

And, experts say, you should always wipe any personal information or images before returning a rental.

"You can't just trust the company to handle all of that for you when you return it. You should take some responsibility," said Carey.

Wang was cautious but treasures her drone footage.

"I'm actually thinking about, ya know, buying one."

If you do decide to buy from one of these rental services in most cases you can collect credits each time you rent a product, and then use those credits towards a gear purchase.