Dahleen Glanton: Merry Christmas, your layaway is paid off

For families that don't have much money, nothing says Christmas like layaway.

The department store installment plan that allows customers to pick out gifts and pay for them over the course of several months has been a staple of American life since the Great Depression.

While the concept of "buying on time" has taken on a new meaning in recent years with the proliferation of credit cards, layaway has long been the only extended payment option available to low-income families that