i haven't heard that term in 20 years. i didn't know they still did that. is that a sign of the times?

For sure. I think we may see a comeback for layaway and especially a resurgence of the rent to own market.

Walmart got rid of it last year or the year before. Wonder if they'll bring it back.

ehuffnsd said:

I have not seen that either in about 20 years.

ok, we are now officially broke.

Wait...u all got rid of lay away???

chillichocaholic said:

For the most part, yeah. I remember my parents putting our elementary school clothes on lay a way...and then when I got my first summer jobs as a teen I learned how to put things on lay away with my own hard earned money, it was fun!

I think its a cool way to teach teens or anybody else how to budget, manage, and prioritize expenses. It might be a good thing to bring this back. I also wish they would bring back old fashioned Home Economics classes to 7&8th grade, too. When I was 13 or 14, I remember the 2nd half of the Home Ec year being the fun stuff like cooking, sewing, building a household object...but the first half of the year was ALLL ABOUT MONEY. The class taught you useful things like how to search the job market according to your skills and hobbies...we had to comb the newspapers and practice in mock interviews. We learned how to fill out a job application. How to manage a mock bank account. How to choose a living space and set up a household based on your income with appropriate living supplies. Sure it was all role playing, but by the time I got my first summer job at 16, I used those skills to good benefit.

Since I moved to Europe I barely use credit cards for anything anymore, I pay everything in cash maybe for 7 years now...or pay electronically from my German bank account from the last 12 years. If it isnt a car rental, work expense, or hotel thingie.. everything comes right out the pocket. Some nostaligic part of me WANTS layaway to be popular in the States again, especially since I watch my big sister at the mercy of toddlers who just say gimme gimme gimme and she is always stressed because she feels she just has to buy, buy, buy to keep the peace at home

noimageatall said:

I highly doubt that...it caused many problems with in the stores.

What exactly is lay away?

nice way of promoting Americans to buy shit they cant afford. geesh!

horatio said:

I disagree COMPLETELY.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, in the 70s this is how my parents started off our yearly school clothes for my sister and me. As a 16 year old it taught me how to employ bugeting skills while excercising consumer power AND incurring no debt. Would assert that using credit cards at a 20 perecent interest rates are a better option, or...?

Ottensen said:

so spending money you dont have at stores is the best way to save and budget money.

its like adverts telling how much money you save when you buy all their shit. what have you really saved when you just spent up all your money?
[Edited 10/20/08 7:14am]

Imago said:

I havent seen it since the 80s, but it used to work like this/

Clothing or department stores used to have a cash payment system for purchases in which they would set it aside, or rather, lay it away for you with a deposit *the percentage varied from shop to shop*. You would then fill out and sign a little form requiring you to come into the store every 1 or 2 weeks for a cash payment until the purchase was fully paid for, then they would remove your items from lay away storage and you would take it home. I cant remember entirely, but I think there was a small service fee for this. Also the clerks would give you a bi/weekly courtesy call for payment reminders, but it didnt feel invasive, it felt like you were having a real store relationship with good customer service, folks knew you when you came into the shop, it felt very old fashioned and personalized. But mind you, this is back when we were moving from rotary to push button phones, before telemarketing, or the information superhighway or people making funny business with phone numbers...times were less complicated and salespeople were pleasant back then

horatio said:

Sorry, I still disagree. As I mentioned, it was an excellent way for my mom to balance the challenge of my dad investing in a home for us, and keeping us clothed for elementary school. I believe this is also how our first typewriter was paid for, which was a great aid in getting class reports done for school. No shame in that game for ME, honey...HOWEVER you feel about the situation

MoniGram said:

you are right,not the least of which were dishonest people/ employees stealing..
and they actually would raid one lay a away to get something for a friend or family member that really wanted something that wasn't on the sales floor..one of the last times that i had a holiday lay-a-away,i went to pick it up, and they couldn't locate it...i asked them to please look for it and call me when they found it...they called two months later,said they found it and i could come get it anytime..i said i'd come to get my money back and they were stumped.."don't you still want your items?" i told them no, i already replaced them two months ago...???

Ottensen said:

lay away was cool.

I guess I'll google it.

Imago said:

it's when you choose an item and ask them to lay it away for you. and you're given a duration of time to finish paying for it otherwise it'll go back on the sale floor.



or it could mean

Wow. That really takes me back.

Imago said:

I already told you what it was

tackam said:

me too . It was such a fun and innocent time of my childhood... my life revolved around strawberry pop tarts, Betsy Tacy novels, and my orange skate board

k-mart is in financial trouble, and being led by a ceo who's a nut.

horatio said:

no! it's the opposite. you put the item on 'hold' until you DO have the money to pay for it. it actually teaches people how to save and manage money.

I think with the bad forcast predicted for the coming holidays, businesses are going to try many things to make a profit. Lay-a-way could help people with little money at least get a few things for Christmas for their kids.

The only thing I always hated was that you couldn't put "clearance" items on hold. No, I'm not cheap...I'm thrifty!