Layaway, Christmas Shopping Time

The Shopping Nazi

Saving Money One Product at a Time

Measure Your Cars CPM not MPG

It was back in August of 2009 when I wrote about figuring what it would cost me to drive my Dodge Caravan one mile. Since then I have come across new information. It seems that I am not the only one who realizes that the old way of measuring a cars efficiency by miles per gallon leaves out too many variables. Since August of 2009, everyone that I have talked with have raised their eye brows...

Foreclosure Don’t Give Up

Foreclosure is a word that has been striking fear, remorse and a lot of negative emotions in virtually every home owner in the past few years. News agencies have been reporting 1 in 10 home owners are facing foreclosure. The most common foreclose is for failing to pay the mortgage. Foreclosure can all happen for failing to do something else not related to money. This can be not adhering to...

Self Improvement with Audible

If you are coming to The Shopping Nazi, you want to improve your lifestyle. You want to be able to get the best possible value with your hard earned dollar. If you know that Audible.com has a large selection of audio books to help you. There are books to help you improve you communication skills, parenting skills, personal finance, and even audio books to help motivate/inspire you to do what yo...

Shopping for Shoes – Intro

Before Sex in the City, it is accepted that women like fancy shoes, with high heels. Men are not any more practical. Men what boot to look and feel macho. Both are not necessarily the best approach to buying shoes. 21st century has taken over, even the shoe industry. I am sure many of you have see the TV commercial that suggests you don't have to go to the gym. All you have to do is wear this c...

Shopping for the Palm Pre

It has been over a year since Palm released the Palm Pre. At that time all the tech reviewers were joking that the Palm Pre was the pre-bankruptcy release for Palm. Well, Palm has not gone into bankruptcy. Three of the four major cell phone carriers offer the Palm Pre. In call seriousness the Palm cell phone is different than the Blackberry, or the many smart phones that use the Android operati...

Shopping for the Chevy Equinox

The Chevy Equinox is classified in what some people want to call "plus-sized crossover, small SUV". This basically means the Equinox is smaller than a full size SUV and larger than your standard crossover. The much advertised feature of the Chevy Equinox is the rear seating and rear storage. 60/40-split rear seat that could be slid almost 8 inches front and rear. In the rear cargo section t...

Money Management from the Mint

Way back in 1995, I remember when I helped a young pest control business get their first computer. We set up their books with a new software from Quicken. Over the years, Quicken has been the only real money management software for personal of business use. Since then there has been several of money management programs to come on the market and many of them leave. Then in 2005, Aaron Patzer sai...

Dean Koontz on Audible

One of the many author found at Audible.com is Dean Koontz. Do you realize you can get his Dean's book Breathless in an MP3, but it on your iPod, or other MP3 player and listen to it while driving to work, or even washing the car, or at the gym. Breathless was #1 New York Times bestseller. Author Dean Koontz delivers a thrilling novel of suspense and adventure. The mystery unfolds high ...

Clear Expectation of Service

Several years ago, I worked briefly at this computer store. The owner would change the terms of service at least once a week, if not more. When I left there the Terms of Service was very fine print on the back of every receipt. The receipt was printed on an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper. This is nothing unusual. Every business has literature that states where their responsibly starts and where ...

Shopping for a 32 Inch LCD

I love sitting around coffee shops, and lounge area. What I over hear is so amazing. Just the other day this guy asked a friend, "Where was the best place to get a LCD TV?" The friend answered quick, "Fred Meyer, they have the best prices." I was so tempted to lean over and ask what empirical data he was making statement. Instead I bit my tongue. Without any ceremony, I got up and walked t...

Layaway, Christmas Shopping Time

Posted By: The Shopping Nazi on November 5, 2009 in Christmas, Lifestyle - Comments: Comments Off

Layaway Halloween is over and it is time for me to start thinking about what I am going to get my wife and daughter for Christmas. Or should we get one big family gift and little gifts for each one? Maybe we should do a mini Christmas gift?

Holiday Outlook NRB survey reports, and Website Magazine reports say that retailers are expecting shoppers to buy early. The project numbers say that Christmas buying will be slightly less than last year. What does that mean to me?

Watching the newspaper ads and comparing is the place to start to find those real bargains, this Christmas. I guarantee you that store will be luring you to spend money with them.

If I don’t have all the money I need? I don’t want to waste my money on high credit card interest. There is an old solution that is coming back. It is call the Lay-a-way.

The layaway is back. Years ago it was a big thing to put a small amount down for some Christmas gift. Just a few days before Christmas that gift was paid off. The you could take it home and wrap it from that special someone.

Stores got tired of storing all those future Christmas gifts. They found that they could make more money offering those Christmas items with 6 easy payments that would be hard to make. A $100 gift that was on sale for $89, would bring into the store $102 with in store credit at a modest interest rate.

Now with so many people falling behind on payments. Stores are shifting back to the layaway to get people buying again. Kmart, and Sears were known for offering in store layaway. Select Best Buy stores are offering layaway. Kmart, Sears as well as HSN are leading the way with offering online layaways.

Layaways don’t charge interest for hold your items. A modest $15 or $20 your future gifts on hold. You can pay if off all at pick up time or in a few smaller payments.

What I like about the layaway is no interested. In my opinion interest a waste of money. Buying things with someone else’s money is what got us into The Great Recession.