What happened to lay-a-way?

[Ground&Pound]

Does anyone remember lay-a-way?

It used to be that if you couldn't afford an item, you could go to a department store and put the item on lay-a-way.

They would hold the item for you while you made payments on it.

Once you paid for the item, you could take it home.

Now you just charge the item on a high interest credit card and go back next week for another item.

Maybe we should ban credit cards and go back to lay-a-way.

[ideamark]

As a kid growing up in a small town in the Midwest in the 1960s and early 70s, I certainly remember layaway... and Christmas Club accounts.

(Christmas Club: A savings account where you put $XX dollars away each week, with the idea that, in time for Christmas, you'd have enough squirrelled away to do your shopping.)

Both ideas make a lot of sense. They are both about financial responsibility, about setting limits/boundaries, about living within your means. Nowadays with credit cards and endless advertising and stores being stocked and decorated for Christmas right after Labor Day, it's even more of a challenge to stay within one's means. Christmas Club and layaway may be old-school, but sometimes, old is actually new again.

Mark

PS One other thing about layaway: It was a great way to "hide" gifts from the kids. Kids can't find the toys if they're sitting at Kmart or Walmart. ;-)

[Champ Kind]

Ahh the good ole days!

[ISU2008]

People nowadays need to have things NOW.

Funny you mention that, Mark, the only time I ever saw layaway items was at KMart
I don't remember who it was, but there was a comedian who had a bit like "When I was a kid, I was ashamed to shop with my parents at KMart, that's for poor people. But now that I'm paying, I'm thinking, Hey, those prices aren't so bad!"

[wrastler118]

They did away with it because they had to hire people to run it and most times people never actually paid a lay away item off and had to give the money back to the customer. On top of that, a business can't make interest off of lay away.

[M Richardson]

K-Mart still has lay-away.

[wrastler118]

K-Mart still has lay-away.

They're probably the last of a dying breed then.

[the518]

Now you just charge the item on a high interest credit card and go back next week for another item.

you answered your own question.

[Person209]

Have you guys heard about the company SigmaPoints (sigmapoints dot com)? It sounds like its similar to what you guys are talking about. I have been using them for about a year and have gotten some pretty cool electronics and now my wife and I might be getting to go on a cruise through them. What you do it put money into your account with them (I do it every week) and then get points. You let your points build up over time and then use them to go shopping in their catalog or book travel through them. It's pretty cool so hope it helps...Mike

As a kid growing up in a small town in the Midwest in the 1960s and early 70s, I certainly remember layaway... and Christmas Club accounts.

(Christmas Club: A savings account where you put $XX dollars away each week, with the idea that, in time for Christmas, you'd have enough squirrelled away to do your shopping.)

Both ideas make a lot of sense. They are both about financial responsibility, about setting limits/boundaries, about living within your means. Nowadays with credit cards and endless advertising and stores being stocked and decorated for Christmas right after Labor Day, it's even more of a challenge to stay within one's means. Christmas Club and layaway may be old-school, but sometimes, old is actually new again.

Mark

PS One other thing about layaway: It was a great way to "hide" gifts from the kids. Kids can't find the toys if they're sitting at Kmart or Walmart. ;-)