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Optimize your game plan for holiday toy shopping

By WTOP Staff

ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
AP Retail Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Looking for the holiday season’s hot toys, like anything related to Disney’s “Frozen”? Or maybe you’re not picky and just looking for deals?

Toy sellers are increasingly catering to time-starved, budget-conscious shoppers with new features on websites or improved layouts in the toy aisle.

And you can expect more bargains than last year. Online king Amazon.com says it will be offering more discounts on toys.

In addition, Amazon’s annual holiday toy list adds commentary from its product experts on the latest trends. You can browse through new categories like “Mom Picks” or “Classic” brands to find gift ideas and personal anecdotes from Amazon editors.

Toys R Us’ website has a new “gift finder” that features top gifts for every toy category and allows shoppers to easily search items by age group and price range, among other factors.

Toys R Us has also launched two shops this holiday season at the front of its stores. One features new, hot products. The other one: Gift Express, which caters to grab-and-go customers with items for $30 or less.

Toy sellers aim to perk up sales that were flat last year, though they hope to get a boost this year from toys related to Disney’s “Frozen” and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which could sell out quickly.

“Shoppers need to be strategic,” says Chris Byrne, content director at TTPM, a toy review site. “You know the hot toys are going to sell out early, so buy those first. Then wait for the other things to be on sale.”

The deepest discounts typically happen after Dec. 15, Byrne says.

Here are some tips:

— FINDING THE HOTTEST TOYS: For hard-to-find toys, sign up to stores’ Twitter feeds and keep checking the aisles, says Laurie Schacht, CEO of the publication The Toy Insider.

Stores generally get new shipments on Thursday and Friday, so it’s best to check then, Byrne said.

To make it easier, signing up for free membership at TTPM.com can get you e-mail notifications when a sold-out toy you want becomes available online. It automatically tracks 15 retailers, including Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, Toys R Us and Target. (It does not track availability in physical stores.)

Toyinsider.com lists all the toy discounts offered over Thanksgiving weekend, Schacht says.

Many of the hottest toys are affordable and under $35, Byrne says.

For example, one of the most popular items is a collectible figure called Shopkins. A 12-pack sells for $12.99 at Toys R Us.

Price wars are heating up. For example, Wal-Mart is selling the Elsa Snow Glow doll from “Frozen” for $28.88, an $11 savings compared with rivals.

“This may be the best-selling item this year,” Duncan Mac Naughton, Wal-Mart’s chief merchandising officer, told investors earlier this month.

— FINDING THE CLASSICS: Customers looking to buy toys like wooden trains usually seen only in small shops have more choices this year.

Target has teamed up with dozens of specialty toy brands to offer hundreds of such items. They include such names as Wonderology, known for its science kits, and Hape, known for wooden toys like stacking blocks and trains.

— FREE LOYALTY PROGRAMS: Toys R Us’ revamped loyalty program allows customers to get more rewards faster. Shoppers now can get a $5 coupon for every $125 spent at Toys R US or Babies R Us. Previously, they had to spend $250 to get the same reward.

As for Target, those who sign up for free on its Cartwheel app will be able to get daily 50 percent deals on different toys each day from Nov. 2 to Dec. 24.

— STRETCHING YOUR BUDGET WITH LAYAWAY: Toys “R” Us, which has previously offered layaway in its stores, just introduced the pay-over-time service online at Toysrus.com and babiesrus.com.

Toys R Us is also once again offering free layaway for the holiday season, waiving the usual $5 service fee, online and in stores.

Kmart and Wal-Mart also both offer layaway online and in stores. Kmart charges a $5 service fee for an eight-week contract and $10 for a 12-week contract.

As for Wal-Mart, it doesn’t charge an opening fee, and requires either a $10 down payment or 10 percent of the total purchase of the items, whichever is higher.

Many stores limit layaway to certain classes of big-ticket items. So ask the store for its policies.

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Follow Anne D’Innocenzio at http://www.Twitter.com/adinnocenzio

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Online:

http://TTPM.com

http://Toyinsider.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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