3 Tips to Consider While Christmas Tree Shopping

Christmas is just 54 days away, and with that in mind, there’s a lot to consider. Do I have all my shopping done? What about decorations? Am I going to reuse things from years past or do I want to get all new items? And dinner? Who is going to do the cooking? If it’s you, do you have everything you need to accommodate all your guests? With so many things to consider, it can be quite overwhelming, and that’s never fun especially when you’re already stressed with financials and other things along the way.

Falling in line with this, have you started to think about a Christmas tree? There are many options and details to consider with this as well. Real tree or artificial, if it’s artificial, pre-lit or not lit. Then there’s the size of your tree, how tall is too tall? Would you prefer a fuller tree or one that’s a little on the thin side? So many things to consider that sometimes slip through the cracks or cause additional, unnecessary stress.

To help get you through this holiday season without any of those added stressors, I’ve compiled a quick, easy guide to Christmas tree shopping to help ease you through this important aspect of the holidays!

Real vs. Artificial

Personally, I’ve never had a real Christmas tree; however, I know that this is the only way to go for some people, and there’s nothing wrong with that! There are pros and cons to both a real tree and an artificial tree, but in the long run, it’s a personal decision.

Do you need a way to get the whole family together and have a “bonding” experience of sorts? If this is you, then I highly suggest a real tree. Gather the family, find a local tree farm or tree lot, and go out and choose a tree that fits your family. If you choose to go to a tree farm where you can cut down your own tree, all the better! This is a great way to get everyone together and create memories and experiences that you will never forget.

If you’re renting an apartment, townhouse or just a house, personally, I feel as though an artificial tree is the best way to go. An artificial tree is a good alternative option that you can reuse and you also don’t have to worry about if there’s any code in your rental agreement that doesn’t allow live trees.

Another benefit to artificial trees is that you can keep it for years to come. If you decide to buy a new one each year, that’s up to you, but given the cost that is often associated with artificial trees. I just recently moved into my first apartment and bought my first artificial tree. The cost that was associated with it was a little unexpected, but at the same time I know that it’s something I can keep for more than one year and use again and again.

Pre-lit vs. Not Lit

Now this particular topic applies only to buying an artificial tree. Do you want your Christmas tree to have lights? There’s a 99.9% chance that the answer to this is yes; however, do you want to string the lights yourself or would you prefer that hard work to be done for you?

If you string the lights yourself, you can apply them in a fashion that is to your liking; however, at the same time, you have to go through the steps of untangling the lights, making sure none of the bulbs are out and if they are if it effects the whole strand or just that one light, and then from there proceed to string them upon your tree.

If you buy the tree pre-lit, you save yourself the hassle, the lights are “smartlights,” most likely; meaning that if one goes out it doesn’t affect the rest of them, but all of this comes at a cost. I bought my tree from Hobby Lobby this year, and it was pre-lit. It saves me the hassle; however, the same tree size and style in an unlit version was about $50 cheaper, but I know me, and I know I wasn’t going to want to string the lights myself.

Tree Size

The size of your tree is obviously going to vary based on the size of space you have for it. Personally, I live on the top floor of an apartment building and have extremely high ceilings (they’re honestly amazing and now I never want a place without them). My ceilings are probably 10-12 feet tall, so with that in mind, I bought a tree that wasn’t super small, like a Charlie Brown tree, or super big, like one you would see in Rockefeller Center.

When looking at tree size, you want to do something similar. You don’t want the tree to overtake whatever room you’re setting it in; however, at the same time, you don’t want it to get lost. If you’ve been in the same home for years, this is easier, but if this is your first Christmas in a new place, it might be a tad bit more difficult. If you are a visual person, going into the store or tree lot will be all you need to figure out which tree is best for you and your home.

These three tips will help you find the perfect tree for your home this holiday season. If you go with a real tree, that’s great and your house will be smelling like the holidays before you know it! My suggestion? Don’t get your real tree too early; I’ve never had a real tree, but from my research, many people who do get a real tree tend to go the weekend after Thanksgiving or, at the latest, two weeks after. You don’t want your tree too soon, and you don’t want it too late and cause even more stress running around and trying to get it decorated before family comes home for the holidays.

If you choose to get an artificial tree, there’s nothing wrong with that! Most stores already have their trees out for purchase, and some may even have them on sale. I know when I went to Hobby Lobby a week ago, all their Christmas décor, including trees, were 50% off! This helped a lot with finances and expenses. I try to save where I can, so having that 50% off was great. Can’t seem to find a sale? No worries! Use ChameleonJohn to find coupons for all your favorite stores and find your Christmas tree today! You can find coupons for Walmart, Target, Michaels, Hobby Lobby and more to help you start your tree shopping.