No “It” Toy This Year
By Glinda
Has retailers crying into their beers and parents doing a happy dance.
I have tried never to buy into the whole “must have” toy thing, although I know a lot of people do because of peer pressure and the like. If the popular toy happens to coincide with the interests of my child, then great. But if it doesn’t, I will feel not even a tiny pang of regret.
And is it just me, or am I the only one surprised to read in that article that layaway is back?
Maybe I come from a place of privilege when I say that I’m not a big fan of layaway.
If we can’t afford something, we don’t buy it. We have had more than one Christmas when we told our son that Mommy and Daddy simply did not have the money to buy him oodles of things. That he gets a lot from his extended family and we see no need to put ourselves in debt for some toys. Did he get something? Yes, but one year it was pretty thin.
Again, maybe I know not of what I speak.
Anybody want to set me straight?
December 15th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Darn. I thought my comment posted.
Here it is.
Layaway could be a useful cash management tool for someone with limited income who does not have a checking account or a credit card. It costs money to have either of those, so some people forgo them.
But if you are so strapped for cash that you cannot afford either checks or credit cards, then you should not be spending money on things that are not necessary. Layaway for clothes and other essentials, sure. But for toys? No.
I read a story in the paper today about someone paying off layaway bills at K-Mart. One person who benefited had put $200 of toys on layaway for her two year old.
If you don’t have the money to spend $200 right away, perhaps it’s not the best thing to do. And is it ever a good idea to spend that much money on toys for someone who would rather play with the box?