Lay-A-Way

When I was younger, my parents used the lay-a-way system for gifts. No big deal. It was a way of them saving themselves from racking up their dept on credit cards. Then, when the economy rebounded, stores went from lay-a-way's to store credit cards and that option had disappeared.

Well, now-a-days I need the assistance to help reduce my credit card debt. So, I have been searching the local stores for lay-a-way plans. Can you believe it, not many have that option! But, I stumbled across our local Burlington Coat Factory that has one....all the time! Perfect!! I did see a commercial that K-Mart will have a lay-a-way for the holidays, but I already committed to head to Burlington Coat Factory.

Sears has a unique option, but it wouldn't work for me at the moment. Its like a Christmas Savings account, but in a gift card form. You can add money to this special gift card and use it for the Christmas season. Its a great idea, but I don't have the cash to add to it, to save it and then go shopping. I need the option to pick out my gifts, put a small down payment and pay a little at a time.

So, last night myself, my mom and Drew went Christmas shopping (yes, Drew got some of his shopping done off of his list too). It was great since it was during the week which means less people to deal with in the stores and easier maneuvering with Drew's carriage. We got a good chunk of our Christmas shopping done yesterday and I feel great that I've got it started. Its still going to be a small holiday, but I still want the kids to enjoy themselves!!