You can get your holiday shopping done early without putting a dime on your credit card or eating up all of your cash at once by putting your items on layaway.
At Burlington Coat Factory, you have to put 25-percent down then pay the balance and pick up your items within a month.
"It's actually a great way for customers to pick out all the merchandise that they want and it gives them 30 days to pay it off," said Christopher Zelenak of Burlington Coat Factory.
Many TJ-Maxx stores and Marshalls also offer layaway. K-Mart is focusing its holiday marketing on the preferred payment plan.
At K-Mart up-front you have to pay a 5-dollar service fee plus either a 10-dollar cancellation fee or 10-percent of the cost of the item, whichever is greater. Then you have to make biweekly payments over eight weeks to pay the balance. If you default or change your mind you get a refund minus the service and cancellation fees.
You can also put items on virtual layaway. Elayaway.com lets you layaway items from about a thousand retailers. The fee is 1-point-9-percent of the cost of the item.
Lay-away.com also lets you pay bit by bit. For instance, the total cost for an Apple MacBook Air is more than 19-hundred-dollars but instead of maxing out your credit card and paying interest you can pay 324-dollars a month for six months.
"It's a great Nicole Miller dress it was 430-dollars and I got it for 178-dollars."
Pam Morris also saved big bucks on a Cole Haan clutch, Theory shoes, and a Prada handbag and wallet!
"I think I saved three or four-hundred-dollars on the wallet."
Pam got the designer deals on Rue La La.com
"All of the merchandise on Rue La La is 30 to 80 percent off current season merchandise," said Stacey Santo of Rue La La.
On Rue La La Ann Klein suits, which retail for 320-dollars, are 79-dollars.
"Each sale opens at 11 o'clock in the morning. You're alerted by email to what the brand is and it lasts for 48 hours."
You can return most items within 30 days for a full refund.
TheSavvy.com also offers looks for less. We found a pencil skirt for 67-percent off. We also found a black dress 83-percent off, marked down from 593-dollars to 100-dollars.
"And then on the last day the prices can be as much as 90-percent off," said Ann Taylor or TheSavvy.com.
But all sales on TheSavvy.com are final there are NO returns. The good news is anyone can shop there; no invitation or registration is required.
"You don't have to do anything and that's the great thing."
Rue La La, on the other hand, is a private club and membership is by invitation only there's even a waiting list.
But not to worry! Rue La La is giving our Action News viewers their very own key. Click on THIS LINK for access. However, the password will only be valid for the next 48 hours. (It expires Wednesday November 12th at 11:59 p.m.)Links:
Rue La La (www.ruelala.com/private) / Exclusive for Action News viewers
www.thesavvy.com
www.elayaway.com
www.lay-away.com
