Happy Healthy Families

Layaway is making a comeback this holiday season. Commercials are touting KMART's layaway option for savvy moms doing their Christmas shopping now. And really, I don't think it's a bad idea. The biggest negative I can see is that not enough stores are offering the layaway option to customers (yet...), and so shopping choices may be limited.
But otherwise, I think Layaway is an option to consider. For those that know what they want to buy for their kids and other family members, layaway gives them a chance to make the kid's wishes come true. Get the toys and other items now, and pay for them a little each week. So by Christmas, you will have a the presents paid off and happy smiling faces on Christmas morning.
But there are a couple of points worth keeping in mind. First, Layaway is not a free service. You will pay, at K-Mart for example, a $5 service fee and a $10 cancellation fee upfront, or put down 10% of the item's cost, whichever is greater. Customers must make biweekly payments over eight weeks to pay the balance. In case of default, the item goes back into stock and the customer receives a refund, minus the $15.

And another option this year for shopping is online layaway with ELAYAWAY. At this site, you can shop for iPods, Hewlett-Packard laptops and clothes from the Gap, and put the items on virtual layaway for a 1.9% fee of the cost of the item plus taxes. Customers can choose eLayaway as a payment option on affiliated Web sites or can shop at www.eLayaway.com, and receive the item in the mail once the payments are made in full.

So before you get too stressed out thinking about how you will do Christmas Shopping this year, consider using Layaway. While the term itself may not sound glamarous, and may bring back images of years gone by when our mothers and grandmothers shopped that way, it can be a great way to get the toys your kids want for Christmas while not sending you farther into credit card debt!