Layaway - get a head start on your holiday shopping

I haven't started my holiday shopping yet but then that's nothing new. I always wait for the last minute. The girls don't usually have their wish list until a couple of weeks before Christmas at the earliest and then sometimes it's just how it works out financially. I don't get my gift budget until the week before Christmas. The good thing is, there are always stores like K-Mart that keep longer hours for the holidays. I've been known to be prowling the aisles on Christmas eve. Luckily, K-Mart usually carries everything that's on the girls' list so at least I'm not going from store to store.

This year, I heard in response to the economic downturn, K-Mart is strongly promoting the Kmart Layaway Program. I don't know why I hadn't thought of doing this before, or maybe they just didn't have it before. The layaway program will at least get me started in getting the girls' presents in order even though I don't have it on my budget yet. By laying away some of their gifts, I can at least save some time browsing for them on Christmas eve.

We always try to get the girls some clothing items even though it may not be high on their wish list. Their wish lists usually consist of electronic gadgets, CDs or accessories. Luckily K-Mart carries almost everything that they can ask for. Having the layaway program will enable a lot of families like ours to start chipping away at the holiday gift expenses. Rather than coming up with the large chunk of cash a few days before Christmas, we can start paying off the presents a little at a time and also get a head start on the holiday shopping. I think I am really liking this idea more and more.