Paying someone else's layaway

14 years ago

We have some very generous (alot) people here in ND. Someone went in about a week ago and paid off about 3 lay aways at a store as a gift. Now, after it was on then news, a couple of others have done so. People have taken so many tags off the Angel Trees, made so many donations to those in FEMA trailers in fact one of big churches had , donations made to give to those who lost all their decorations in the flooding. They filled a big basement, and very little was left. I am amazed on the giving this state does.

Then on tonight news, they showed the Salvation Army asking for 1200 gifts, had only received about 200, in a big city in another state. Sad!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

jannie
14 years ago
I've heard of someone paying off layaways. At my office, we used to send someone to grab wishes off Angel Trees at local malls, it was sad so many of them just wanted clothing. sad to see a kid write "I want sox, size 9" rather than wanting a special toy.
3katz4me
14 years ago
I've been hearing about the person paying off layaways at Kmart. And I've been thinking what a kind and generous thing that is to do. Today I read an article with more info about it and I'm wondering if I'm now a Scrooge or what.

The kind and generous person paid off someone's bill for $200 worth of toys for their 4 year old. Really?? That doesn't seem quite right to me - that you'd spend that much money on a 4 year old if you had financial constraints - which presumably is the case if you're using layaway. It's always possible the article wasn't quite right and it was $200 for all the person's Christmas gifts which doesn't sound nearly as extravagant.

When I was a kid our parents didn't promote the Santa fantasy because we couldn't afford a lot of gifts and they didn't want us thinking that some how we'd magically get all the gifts we wanted. Never the less we were always excited and delighted with whatever few things we got. I cherished the toys I got and played with them for years.

My parents had a lot of challenges (which didn't make for the greatest childhood for me) but I give them so much credit for how they handled things like this. I'm eternally grateful that I was raised to understand that if I wanted a better life for myself, that I would have to take personal responsibility for making that happen.

It seems like some people are bitter that others have "more" but think it's someone else's fault that is the case. I guess that has probably always been true but you sure seem to hear a lot about that kind of thinking today. Maybe it's because of the economic challenges but sometimes I think it's because there's a generation of kids whose parents have tried to protect them too much from life's difficulties and disappointments. I found those experiences inspired me and made me stronger. Maybe they also made me a Scrooge.
Related Discussions
My first microfiber issue, actually someone elses
Q
Comments (12)
I was just having this conversation with a couple of neighbors. I had streaking. One neighbor insisted that NO cleaning products be used with microfiber on shiny surfaces - just water. She went on to demonstrate with one of my cloths, on my other neighbor's dirty glass top patio table. It just sparkled. I used just plain water the last time I cleaned tile and mirrors and was very happy with the results. I did not think it would work but it did. She touted it as a "natural" way to clean. I also learned that you do not need to use very much cleaning product at all for other cleaning, like getting grease off of plastic window sills in the kitchen. Now I just spray the cloth lightly and do all the vinyl window frames in the kitchen rather than spraying all over and then wiping.
...See More
Cheaper to pay someone or learn to do it myself?
Q
Comments (6)
My favorite story is an acquaintance asked me to machine embroider a large monogram and put the year on her quilt block, so I did. She gave me a nightlight. The second one I did, she gave me two homemade cookies. The third, nothing, so I told her that for future ones I would hafta charge $5 to cover thread, stabilizer, time, etc. Haven't heard from her since. Unbelievable!!!
...See More
Weird experience: Closing down someone else's home
Q
Comments (40)
Wine50: A big hug to you. And ditto what OleJoyful wrote--could not have chosen finer words myself. As so many of you have written, the distress you feel having the task of cleaning out the home is palpable, but hopefully you can approach it as a learning experience--learning more about the family members. Kind of like a treasure hunt (yes, among all the trash!) You can try just imagining what she looked like in that Chanel dress for the big to-do. You find out more in those tucked-away letters. And while you might not be able to identify some people in the photos, it's a glimpse into another era. I think really the only thing I can add is to not do this alone--if there are other siblings in the family, make them have an equal hand in it, from the basic cleaning-out-the-fridge or clearing out trash part to the divvying up of stuff and making decisions on what to toss or donate. It's not just to make the work go faster. I didn't have the chance to go back afterwards (and that was awhile after both parents had died), because the house was quickly sold and there was a deadline to have it ready for the next family. And I just could not get back in time because of another commitment. Other siblings did the work. Every day I recall some little object, maybe something I gave to my mom, and wonder what happened to it. Was it thrown out, is it in a box in the basement of a sister's house.
...See More
Building on someone elses land
Q
Comments (9)
@Amiee M, if your parents are in the process of purchasing land for you to build a home and they are financing the property, then I am assuming the land is currently in your parents name. If you are going to build on the property and use a bank or traditional lender for the construction loan, the lender will want to pay off the balance of the land loan so they can be in first position. No lender is going to want to be in a subordinate position to the land lender. Your problem is that you don't own the land, your parents do. So they would also have to be on the construction loan or construction/permanent loan too. You may have to be added to the deed for the land (probably). Ask the lender and check with an attorney. If you are not getting a construction loan and are building for cash, then the only lender in the deal is the one holding the mortgage for the land. If your parents default on the land loan, you lose your house. Is this a large parcel where your parents also have a home or other structures on the land or is this an individual lot?
...See More
dedtired
14 years ago
Assuming I could afford to do that, I would want to know in advance that the person was indeed needy. Maybe they were laying away the gifts so the kids wouldn't find them before Christmas. I am a skeptical Scrooge.
sue_va
14 years ago
There was a clip on TV last night about this.

I did have to wonder about some of the things the above posters mentioned.

I may have a few drops of Scrooge blood.

Sue
jennmonkey
14 years ago
I heard one last night where a guy went to a store (not Kmart) and just paid the one where people were late on their payments. I think it's a very nice thing to do.
pattico_gw
14 years ago
I heard on the radio this morning there was a giver like that in Omaha this week.

She paid for three peoples layaways and gave the employees of the store 50 dollars.

Made me wonder if I knew anyone that I could help a little. I couldn't afford to pay off anyones layaway..but maybe something.

I remember one year we had friends who's two kids were not getting anything for Christmas. Denny and I went shopping, had a lot of fun doing it. Wrapped it and took it over, knocked on the door and hid till we saw them come to the door and find the bags on the porch. Never did tell them it was us.
mboston_gw
14 years ago
We have a program here in our local newspaper called "Newspaper with a Heart" The program helps people who have had major tradegies due to illness, family situations and most of the time haven't gotten through the paperwork to get help from other sources. They do things like paying a months rent or fixing a house up to be handicapped ready or providing car repairs so that transportation is available for someone who needs it to get to doctor's appts or work. Anyway, when I was teaching kindergarten, my class would adopt one of the families and usually there were several children involved. My kids would bring in their pennies, nickles, and dimes and we would go shopping at the small strip mall near our school. We would make lists of items we might be able to buy and check ads to see the prices. Then we would have the 5th graders help us count the money and put it in the paper rolls, and off we would go shopping. Our school was a lower middle class school and had plenty of needy families of our own - they were always helped by our PTA and staff so this was different. The kids helped to wrap the small presents like crayons, coloring books, hair bows, little cars, etc. The lady from the newspaper came out when we were shopping and wrapping and took pictures and included us in an article about the meaning of giving from our hearts. I think the kids really learned an important lesson each year I did this.

The only problem I encountered other than taking 30 kindergartners to Wal-Mart was one little guy went overboard and brought in the bag of money that his mom had from a fund raiser (she was the treasurer)from her older son's high school band! She had it out on the table to take to the bank after she dropped him off at school. I had to tell him that wasn't his money to give away - he told me the big kids wouldn't mind - they didn't need toys for Christmas!

Paying someone else's layaway

Comments (7)

jannie

3katz4me

Related Discussions

dedtired

sue_va

jennmonkey

pattico_gw

mboston_gw

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US