O, Christmas Tree, thy leaves are so not cheap

It seems a bit strange to have spent about $100 on Christmas stuff when we haven't even finished putting up all our Halloween decor outside, but that's what I did. But it was all stuff on sale! I was tempted to spend more, but decided to wait for the next paycheck before I buy outdoor lights.

You see, this will be the first Christmas my roommate Amanda and I have at our bachelorette pad. And we have hardly anything to decorate the place! The holidays get me in a very jolly spending mood, so when I saw half-priced Disney tree ornaments at the Disney outlet store at Sawgrass Mills Mall... well I couldn't resist. We have no ornaments for our first tree, so you got to start somewhere. And since we both are obsessed about Disney, I knew Amanda would love them.

Plus I picked up a few items that will be Christmas presents for friends and family, so not all of the $100 went to decorations. I tend to collect presents as I come across them, so there's no last-minute hurry to get everyone's Christmas gift. And in this case, I found some nice deals.

But getting a tree is going to be a tricky situation next month. We're both renting... so do we get a real tree and split the cost? We both come from families that have a big fake tree, so we don't exactly feel like dealing with the hassles that come with a real tree. Do I really want to spend a lot of money on a fake tree when it's just me and a roommie? Or if I find a good deal, is going fake a smarter investment because I'm not throwing my money away?

I also have to keep in mind a sensible budget for outdoor lights. I'm a big Christmas lights nerd, so I can easily get carried away in the store. But maybe not this carried away... yet...

Comments

[brayden]

I can't wait, Bridget, until you become "that crazy lights lady" and everyone gathers in your cul de sac to watch your ridiculous tacky art spectacle. You'll have stop-motion-type animation using blinking Christmas lights, and all the Disney characters will manifest, for a split second here, then there, as families cheer, little girls' eyes light up in wonder, little boys kick rocks with their feet, moms with strollers get all misty eyed and dads check out the other moms. Ah, Christmas.

[Ashley]

1. Ornaments after christmas go on sale like 75% off. I always stock up after the holidays for the next year.
2. When Disney releases their holiday catalog there is a $10 coupon on the back, and a buy two ornaments get one coupon too.
3. http://www.christmastreesgalore.com/
I got my tree there. They have expensive ones and cheap ones.
4. Michaels has been putting a 50% off coupon in the paper. They sell trees!

[Bridget]

Thanks for the tips Ashley! I'll check out Michaels. I do love stocking up for next year during the sales on the day after Christmas -- my family would do that all the time when I was a kid. But that's the trouble about this... I didn't really buy anything in previous years to decorate a tree, so I feel like I have to start from scratch. At least the ornaments I got were 50 percent off. I do have a few strands of lights from my college days, but no garland and other frills. But I certainly am going to keep he rest of the decor super cheap, such as getting garland at a Dollar Store. I need to remember to just keep it basic this year, so I can stock up during sales later for next year. :)