When I came in this morning one of the big news stories of the day was Toys R Us offering layaway on high-priced items, such as bikes, play kitchens, trampolines and pools and water slides.

But not in Maryland.

A short sentence at the end of a press release said Maryland isn't included in the program, but didn't say why.

I called a spokesperson and got a vague email that said:  "We are working through some of the internal systems requirements unique to implementing the layaway program in Maryland."

Yeah, I don't know what that means either.

I called for further explanation but haven't heard back. I also called the Maryland Attorney General's office, which regulates layaway policies, to see if they know what the reasoning could be. I'll let you know when I hear back.

Toys R Us is offering the layaway program to compete for cash-strapped consumers during the important holiday season. Many consumers will be on tight budgets this year.

 Layway allows people to pay off gifts over time and can be a good alternative to charging on a credit card.  But watch for fees. The Toys R Us program has a $10 fee, for example.

Most stores don't offer layaway anymore, but there are a few, including Marshalls, Kmart and Sears.  I recently blogged about some other things Sears and Kmart are doing for the holidays.