Welcome to another episode of Lurie Breaks It Down, a podcast where we dig deeply to connect the dots on the issues that shape our world.

I'm Lurie Daniel Favors, author, activist, attorney, and host of the Lurie Daniel

Favors show on Sirius XM's Urban View, Channel 126.

Do you guys remember Layaway?

Honestly, I haven't thought about Layaway in a really long time, But when I read a press release last week announcing

that DoorDash, the food delivery platform, was partnering up with Klarna, which is a system

that basically provides for a modern day layaway structure where you can buy now and pay

later with a twist, I got a little concerned. Actually, I got very concerned.

As a result of this mashup between the two, DoorDash and Klarna, users will now be able to

choose to pay for their food deliveries, either by paying in full at checkout, by splitting their

payments into four equal interest-free installments or by scheduling

payments to be in alignment with their payday. The company specified that this option would

really only be available for orders of $35 or more. But I mean, come on, have you used DoorDash

lately? By the time you add a main course, a drink, and aside, the delivery fee, the restaurant

fee, and the tip approaching $35 is a quick three or four clicks away.

Now, this might not be as much of a concern, except for a few things.

Current debt realities for Americans are looking pretty bleak. According to NBC News,

the buy now pay later explosion is coinciding with record debt levels and mounting consumer

pessimism. According to the report, total household debt exceeded $18 trillion at the end of

2024, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

And credit card balances made up more than $1.2 trillion of that amount.

The report goes on to note that consumer sentiment fell in the month of March of 2025

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