Is it to early for this? Budget artificial xmas tree - Page 2 - The DIS Discussion Forums

gardengalB4 · 10-22-2009, 02:00 PM

I would try Sears or Garden Ridge on Black Friday.
Two years ago I decided it was time for a new artificial tree...the old one had been out of high school for a year...

& was showing it's age.

I found one I loved at Sears on Black Friday...but we didn't arrive early enough-they were all out....
So later in the day we tried Garden Ridge & were pleasantly surprised with the prices & choices!

The first 3 years we were married my husband & I had real trees-I worked at a place that sold them & got a great deal.That 3rd year-the tree sapped all over my tree skirt as well as the ornaments & they turned black.On Christmas eve my mom was at Walmart & she got me a artificial tree marked really cheap-it turned out to be a great tree & lasted a long time.

I would be leary of waiting until after Christmas to try to find a tree in this economy-the stores may be keeping their inventory tighter in order to avoid taking huge markdowns after the holiday.Last year I remember Michaels having no trees/ornaments left right before Christmas!

Va-bear · 10-22-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Kahuna

Just a thought... Stay with a real tree this year, and wait until after Xmas... When we went artificial, we bought a tree that we had seen and wanted at Sears. Prior to the Holidays it was expensive, but the day after Xmas it was at 50% off...

Good point that I forgot to mention. We got ours at Target after Xmas for 75% off - w/in 2 uses we'd paid less for it than _1_ real! Now, we're going into year 4 or 5 - so its been 'free' for 2-3 year!

Great Bargain deal!

wdwfan16 · 10-22-2009, 02:14 PM

Non-prelit are getting hard to find. We got ours at a seasonal Christmas store at Halloween. They usually have a 50% off sale that weekend, which they open. The selection is great and we get a great price.

NYCDiane · 10-22-2009, 02:42 PM

Too late/too early for this suggestion, but I would wait until after the New Year to purchase an artificial tree. Earlier this year, I got my daughter a very cute PINK pre-lit 4' tree for her bedroom. The cost? $5 on final holiday clearance. I also got a 6' tree for our livingroom --- not sure if it's pre-lit or not ---- for less than $10 (I don't remember the exact cost).

Maybe you can choose "the one" --- then buy a cheaper one for this year and get "the one" after the holiday season is totally over and everything is on clearance.

timzagain · 10-22-2009, 03:01 PM

We made the switch to an artificial tree about 10 years ago. We live in the tropics - the "real" evergreen Christmas tree are imported. They are ridiculously expensive, and because they've been cut so long before the actual holiday, they can often look really bad by Christmas day. I got so fed up with buying ugly Christmas trees at exhorbitant prices, I went out and bought an artificial tree. I have not regretted that choice for a minute.

From an environmental standpoint, I am not sure which is worse a real evergreen tree, which involves the use of fuel for shipping, not to mention the energy cost of keeping them cool pre-sale OR an artificial tree that gives me 10 or more years of use before I discard it.

Our local trees don't lend themselves to being used as a substitute for an evergreen. They're either to cumbersome for indoor use, or they suck up lots of water (another environmental issue in an almost water-scarce island like ours) I tried one a few years ago - to keep it green I had to feed it a bucket of water every day!

Actually, an artificial tree won't be discarded entirely - I have salvaged branches from a retired artificial tree which became craft material. Napkin rings, candle rings, mini-wreaths, holiday centerpieces - the opportunities for re-purposing an artificial tree are endless.

StephMK · 10-22-2009, 03:04 PM

I agree w/the CL suggestion. There are usually people moving &/or changing trees around this time of year. We got one for $20 a few years ago & it just took a few weeks of looking for the right size/shape to come up for sale. The seller was very nice & even gave us a 3' tabletop tree that she didn't want as well.

lindsmom · 10-22-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timzagain

Actually, an artificial tree won't be discarded entirely - I have salvaged branches from a retired artificial tree which became craft material. Napkin rings, candle rings, mini-wreaths, holiday centerpieces - the opportunities for re-purposing an artificial tree are endless.

I like those ideas! I'll have to try to remember that when the time comes for my tree!

thruthelookinglass19 · 10-22-2009, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Kahuna

Just a thought... Stay with a real tree this year, and wait until after Xmas... When we went artificial, we bought a tree that we had seen and wanted at Sears. Prior to the Holidays it was expensive, but the day after Xmas it was at 50% off...

I agree - I got mine for 75% off at Target a few days after Christmas. Definitely wait for the deals!!

KennedyMcKenna · 10-22-2009, 03:19 PM

Thank you everyone, we have decided to wait until AFTER Xmas to get a tree. And, maybe with a little coaxing get a real one this year again, I promise to get rid of all spiders who end up inside by taking them by the leg and gently explaining that they should live outside, not in my house.

10-22-2009, 02:00 PM	#16
gardengalB4 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 765	I would try Sears or Garden Ridge on Black Friday. Two years ago I decided it was time for a new artificial tree...the old one had been out of high school for a year...& was showing it's age. I found one I loved at Sears on Black Friday...but we didn't arrive early enough-they were all out.... So later in the day we tried Garden Ridge & were pleasantly surprised with the prices & choices! The first 3 years we were married my husband & I had real trees-I worked at a place that sold them & got a great deal.That 3rd year-the tree sapped all over my tree skirt as well as the ornaments & they turned black.On Christmas eve my mom was at Walmart & she got me a artificial tree marked really cheap-it turned out to be a great tree & lasted a long time. I would be leary of waiting until after Christmas to try to find a tree in this economy-the stores may be keeping their inventory tighter in order to avoid taking huge markdowns after the holiday.Last year I remember Michaels having no trees/ornaments left right before Christmas!

10-22-2009, 03:01 PM	#20
timzagain Rena Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Barbados Posts: 748	We made the switch to an artificial tree about 10 years ago. We live in the tropics - the "real" evergreen Christmas tree are imported. They are ridiculously expensive, and because they've been cut so long before the actual holiday, they can often look really bad by Christmas day. I got so fed up with buying ugly Christmas trees at exhorbitant prices, I went out and bought an artificial tree. I have not regretted that choice for a minute. From an environmental standpoint, I am not sure which is worse a real evergreen tree, which involves the use of fuel for shipping, not to mention the energy cost of keeping them cool pre-sale OR an artificial tree that gives me 10 or more years of use before I discard it. Our local trees don't lend themselves to being used as a substitute for an evergreen. They're either to cumbersome for indoor use, or they suck up lots of water (another environmental issue in an almost water-scarce island like ours) I tried one a few years ago - to keep it green I had to feed it a bucket of water every day! Actually, an artificial tree won't be discarded entirely - I have salvaged branches from a retired artificial tree which became craft material. Napkin rings, candle rings, mini-wreaths, holiday centerpieces - the opportunities for re-purposing an artificial tree are endless. Last edited by timzagain; 10-22-2009 at 03:10 PM.

10-22-2009, 03:04 PM	#21
StephMK DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: TBD Posts: 4,007	I agree w/the CL suggestion. There are usually people moving &/or changing trees around this time of year. We got one for $20 a few years ago & it just took a few weeks of looking for the right size/shape to come up for sale. The seller was very nice & even gave us a 3' tabletop tree that she didn't want as well. __________________ DD DD DS

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10-22-2009, 02:14 PM	#18
wdwfan16 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2,931	Non-prelit are getting hard to find. We got ours at a seasonal Christmas store at Halloween. They usually have a 50% off sale that weekend, which they open. The selection is great and we get a great price.

10-22-2009, 02:42 PM	#19
NYCDiane DIS Veteran Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1,491	Too late/too early for this suggestion, but I would wait until after the New Year to purchase an artificial tree. Earlier this year, I got my daughter a very cute PINK pre-lit 4' tree for her bedroom. The cost? $5 on final holiday clearance. I also got a 6' tree for our livingroom --- not sure if it's pre-lit or not ---- for less than $10 (I don't remember the exact cost). Maybe you can choose "the one" --- then buy a cheaper one for this year and get "the one" after the holiday season is totally over and everything is on clearance.

10-22-2009, 03:19 PM	#24
KennedyMcKenna Mouseketeer Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 201	Thank you everyone, we have decided to wait until AFTER Xmas to get a tree. And, maybe with a little coaxing get a real one this year again, I promise to get rid of all spiders who end up inside by taking them by the leg and gently explaining that they should live outside, not in my house.