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| Photo Credit: jimw on Flickr |
I don’t know about you, but I’m a planner. When it comes to purchasing and giving gifts for the holiday season, I’ve already been shopping for Christmas since almost last Christmas. (I know, it’s a sickness.) I shop end-of-season sales all year round, always having my eye out for the best deals, already having in my mind “a list” to refer to on what to get for whom. But I have to be honest, despite my best money-saving techniques all-year-round, there are some sales closer to Christmas that I love that you can’t beat (like Black Friday sales), and sometimes, no matter how good the sale, I can’t swing an entire desired purchase all at once, right there and then. And in times like this, that’s when layaway comes into the picture and befriends me in all its money-saving glory.
With layaway, I have the ability to take advantage of great sales and not have to pay for it all at once, by making installments towards my purchases over a period of time. I don’t like using credit cards, and thankfully layaway allows me the freedom to shop and choose bigger ticket items and/or large purchases that I can put away and make payments on without credit. Score! Some popular stores that offer layaway, however, seemingly have way too many restrictions on what you can and can’t do, what items are offered, and when I’m shopping, I’m referring to my list, I’m shopping the sales, and I don’t want limitations or restrictions to remember, you know?
Of all the stores out there that offer layaway, in my opinion, Kmart and Sears have one if the best and easiest to use, and not just during the holidays, either! Want to shop earlier in the year like me? With Kmart and Sears, you can shop all-year-round, and get that great Christmas present whenever that big sale hits (say, March), then pay it down using layaway. You can even shop in-store and then turn around and make payments online for it, and vice versa! That flexibility option is HUGE and one of the reasons I’m such a huge Kmart/Sears fan.
I’m pleased to share with you that Kmart recognizes my love for the “Blue Light” and has brought me on this holiday season as a Kmart Layaway Ambassador for 2011! I, along with a few other bloggers, get to share with you just how easy it is to utilize Kmart’s layaway program, both in-store and online. (Yes! I’ll say it again! ONLINE! Woohoo!)
Kmart’s layaway is super simple:
- KMART OFFERS BLACK FRIDAY LAYAWAY! OMG!
- You pay a $5 service fee for a new contract, with $15 or 10% down.
- 4 – 6 easy payments, every other week, depending upon using an 8 or 12 week contract. You can even pay down your purchase even faster than every other week if you want.
- Cart minimum is $15 for 8-week layaway, but $300 for 12-weeks.
Right now, they’re offering a layaway special: if you’re a Shop Your Way Rewards member (sign-up is free!), and you sign up with a new layaway contract (between 11/16 – 11/27), you can get a $5 gift card FREE for an 8-week program, or $10 gift card FREE for a 12-week program! Be sure to use the code LAYAWAY at check out on kmart.com, or visit kmart.com/layaway to download the special barcode to use in store.
Also, from now until November 30th, earn 2X the points on all qualifying purchases at Kmart and kmart.com. Not a SYWR member yet? Visit Shop Your Way Rewards for more details and to sign up. Membership is free, and you earn on every purchase!
Want to see all Kmart is offering? Visit kmart.com/gifts to find some inspiration, or to find out more about Kmart layaway this season? Visit kmart.com/layaway, or call your local store for all the details.
What about you? Do you use layaway for holidays? Have you ever used layaway for other occasions (anniversary, birthday)? What are some things you’d love to put on layaway to make payments on?
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