So the big news here is that K-Mart's layaway is now online.

That means, you can shop for all the items you want to buy online and then at checkout you chose the layaway program. It's 10 percent down or $15, whichever is greater. You've got eight weeks to pay off the balance. Pick up your items at your nearest K-Mart.

Pretty easy.

Now the harder part is what would I actually buy from K-Mart that would motivate me to actually keep up with these online layaway payments?

As an adult I've always been a tad to impatient for layaway. But as a small child, my mom and grandmother were fond of the plans. That was back when all sorts of stores had layaway, including the small boutiques. I remember my favorite little-girl suit, a beige jacket and skirt combo with pink ribbon embroidery came from my Granny putting a little bit down each week.

Those memories motivated me to take a look at Kmart.com and find some feasible suggestions for this layaway thing. Here's what I found:

1. Cookware. I know. I know. It's not sexy or fashionable, but it's needed! Yet it's one of those things that we either have to save up to buy or pull out the credit card for. Why not put a few items on layaway. Like this silver dollar waffle griddle. It would be a hit on the weekends when you've got guests in town. Add a few other needed cooking accessories to the bill and I would be inspired to make my payments on time.

 
  
2.  Gadgets. I'm not a gear head but I do love a nice useful gadget from time to time. And I have fell in love with my husband's PSP. It's basically a mini Playstation that you can not only play games on but also watch movies. Great for a plane ride! The new PSP Go, pictured above, works like an iPod in that you can download all your games and movies from online. At $250 a pop, this is surely something I'd put on layaway.

3. Fragrance. As I perused Kmart.com I was a little taken aback by their perfume selections. They not only had some selections by Gucci, they also had brands like Chanel and Burberry. No, they weren't the latest and greatest of scents, but they were good enough to give away as gifts. So, my thought is this, put a bunch of perfume on layaway now and give it away as Christmas gifts.

4. Jewelry. Since K-Mart and Sears are sister companies, the jewelry available online has been taken up a notch. I probably still wouldn't go hog wild and buy a bunch of diamonds and gold from them but there are some items worth considering. I was especially intrigued by their affordable jade pieces. The elephant necklace above is $79.99. But add a bracelet and some earrings and you've got yourself a layaway worthy purchase.

5. Bikes. This is pretty much a no brainer. K-Mart has some cool bikes at good prices. This pink Schwinn is $169.99.

Deal Diva Nicole

 (photos: Kmart.com)