Layaway for the Holidays

Layaway for the Holidays

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Can't afford a big Christmas? No worries. Just layaway!

layaway booth with do your holiday shopping now sign

Momlogic's Julie: We didn't have much money growing up, so anytime I wanted something, it was often purchased on layaway. Every Friday, we would go pay our weekly installment and "visit" our stuff. Oh, the anticipation! Once it was finally paid off, we'd be so excited when we finally got to take our purchases home. It's a feeling I thought I'd never forget.

However, layaway largely slipped from the nation's collective consciousness over the years as we all got more and more credit cards. Who wanted to wait six to eight weeks for something when you could have it NOW?

But with the recession in full swing, layaway's back, baby!

Kmart rolled out ads this week touting their layaway program. You can pay for purchases over an eight-week period. (Who knew?) See more details of their program here.

I personally love the idea of layaway. Wouldn't it be great to have no holiday credit card bills come January? That's the very best gift I can think of!

Will you try layaway this holiday season?

8 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

I live in San Antonio,TX and they closed all our K-marts a few years ago but I here that k bee toy store has lay-a-way plan.

- Anonymous

Posted 10/23/08 04:05 PM

If you don’t have the money for it, you shouldn’t buy it.

- Anonymous

Posted 10/23/08 05:52 PM

You know what there are some of us parents who need to buy things for their children like “”clothes”” and cannot pay for it all at once, so layaway works out well, but then again I guess anonymous could just tell her children, sorry I don’t have the money so you don’t get any clothes…sorry you grew!!!

- Vita

Posted 10/23/08 11:39 PM

We tried to put something on layaway the other day at Wal Mart just because we didn’t have thecash on us right then and we don’t have checks or credit cards and they told us they don’t do layaway anymore.

- ashley

Posted 10/24/08 08:00 AM

I never had to put anything on layaway. I always had the money to pay for my kid’s clothes.

- Anonymous

Posted 10/24/08 10:47 AM

If you don’t have the money for it, you shouldn’t buy it. GIVE ME A BREAK! Some of us are not fortunate enough to be able to pay for things all at once. So what if you have to pay in 3 weekly installments? Where is the shame in that? I hate people who judge like this.

- Anonymous

Posted 10/24/08 11:18 AM

Wow anonymous, I’m so glad you have been fortunate enough to always have money for the things you need. I hope you have always appreciated that fact. Many of us single working mothers with jerks for ex husbands need things like this sometimes. I’m not ashamed to put a big pile of things in my cart and go to layaway. It gets my kids what they need and that is my job.

- Kara

Posted 10/24/08 10:47 PM

Hey Anonymous…it’s not about buying things that you can’t pay for…let’s look at you…do you have car loans, mortgages, credit card bills? All of which you are paying interest on…well, that is, if you are paying your bills…lay a way charges no interest and brings joy, and in some cases basic necessities to those who may need to pay over a few months and not charge them, then have to pay fees for them later…or worse yet…charge them, never pay for them and then let them get ‘written off’ and ultimately paid for by…oh, I don’t know…the government that’s also broke… So good for you Anonymous…I hope you never have to live your life where lay a way is an exciting thing for you…but for the rest of us hard working, appreciate everything we do pay for folks…YEAH FOR LAY A WAY!! Oh and the other wonderful thing…it’s kept at the store, which means that I don’t have to find hiding places until later in the year…call it laziness or selfishness because I’d rather spend time worrying about baking cookies or making home made ornaments with my kids…but it suites me just fine!

- Sandi

Posted 10/26/08 07:59 AM