Folks keep loading up at Household Rental & Sales, recession or not.

"I bought my TVs here, a stereo system, a dinette for my grandma," said
Sandra Knight. She says rent-to-own helps her afford nice furniture and appliances she can't just go out and buy.

"If you can't really afford to pay cash, Roy will work with you," Knight said.

"We don't do credit checks, we give you chance to establish credit, rebuild it," said Household owner Roy Colvin.

There is a downside: the price.

For example: a Mitsubishi HDTV. It's listed at $176.50 for 24 months. But that adds up to more than $4200. At Circuit City the same TV is 1299.99.

"Like buying a car, you'll definitely pay a little more for it, but you have the option of buying it out early," Colvin said.

He says that brings the price down to a competitive level. For Knight, it's a small price to pay for flexibility.

"You can do bi-weekly, monthly, 90 days," Knight listed.

"You can take it home and enjoy it now," Colvin added.

Colvin says his business is booming right now. When most retail is down, his sales are topping last year's.