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SMART SAVING AND SPENDING
No Cash for Shopping? Layaway Programs Are Back.
Nov 10, 2008
Remember layaway? In the good old days, before the advent of retail store credit cards, consumers could put an item on hold and pay a little each month toward owning it. The service cost between $5 and $10 and was widely available. With less credit available to consumers, some retailers are looking to entice consumers with this low-risk shopping program.
Kmart
is using it to outwit rival Wal-Mart (the mega-retailer has opted not to reinstate a layaway program.
)
And in this age of Internet shopping, consumers can join elayaway.com, a Web site that will manage your layaway account for its member-merchants.
Other brick-and-mortar retailers with layaway programs include:
Are you ready to embrace layaway? Would you stop using credit cards if more stores offered layaway?
Are there other retailers to add to the list?
And in this age of Internet shopping, consumers can join elayaway.com, a Web site that will manage your layaway account for its member-merchants.
Other brick-and-mortar retailers with layaway programs include:
- Burlington Coat Factory
- Marshall's
- Sears
- TJ Maxx
- Kmart
Are you ready to embrace layaway? Would you stop using credit cards if more stores offered layaway?
Are there other retailers to add to the list?
1 Comments
I am the mother of six children, ages 22,19,10,10,10,and 10. (The four 10-yr-olds were adopted). My husband was laid off two months ago and has been unable to find any work other than odd jobs here and there. I am a substitute teacher.
I would not be able to afford Christmas this year if it weren't for layaway (it still may not help). I wish Wal-Mart wouldn't have discontinued it, as they are much easier to find than some of these other stores. The nearsest Kmart, for instance, is 75 miles from my house.
We are having one of the roughest times I can ever remember. I have considered installing a woodstove in my home to cut down on gas and electric bills, which are very high. We have started having soup and sandwich type suppers because the price of groceries is outrageous. Beef is no longer what's for dinner. It is now a treat once in awhile. Even potatoes are somewhat of a luxury item.
It is not just our household that is affected deeply by this poor economy. Everyone I know is struggling to make ends meet. Lay offs are running rampant.
I have been really searching for bargains each time I need to shop for groceries or clothing items. I will find a way to put at least one gift for each of my children under the Christmas tree this year even if it is a used video game from Movie Gallery (currently on sale at 3.99 per used video game) or some books from the 70% of rack at Books A Million. These are the types of things I will be searching for this holiday season.