A Few Tips for Saving Money This Christmas

Everyone looks forward to the holidays. The chill in the air, the cheerful feeling and the warm memories. This year will be no different. But, with so many families facing tough economic times this year, we thought it would be a good time for us to offer a few tips on ways you can save money on Christmas decorations.

1. Consider LED Christmas Lights instead of traditional incandescent lights. LEDs are a better investment because although they cost a little more to buy, they save you lots of money on your power bills year after year. LEDs last longer and use up to 98% less energy than incandescents. That means you pay just 98% of the cost to power them and you don't have to replace them as soon. In fact, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recently made this announcement to its residents: "Upgrade decorative or holiday lighting with ENERGY STAR qualified Light-Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lighting strands. LED holiday lighting strands last up to 11 holiday seasons, rarely burn out and will save you up to $100 per year on your energy bill!". That says it all.

2. Buy an Artificial Christmas Tree, don't spend money year after year on real trees. Real trees can cost up to $95 or more for the nice ones. While it's pleasant to smell them initially, its's not as nice when you have to water and dispose of them. It's even worse when they (God forbid) catch fire. But, you never have to take that risk with artificial trees. They don't need watering or disposing and they are fire resistant. Cost-wise you're talking about 2 to 3 times the cost of a real tree (depending on the quality), but they come with warranties that last for up to 10 years or more. In fact some families keep their artificial trees all throughout their children's childhood and long after they leave the house. You may remember that about your own family tree. So again, just a little bit more upfront will save you 7 times the cost or more compared with replacing real trees. No wonder artificial Christmas trees are the most popular option for families. It just makes more sense.

3. Shop online for Christmas Decorations. Online shopping is way more convenient. You don't fight traffic, waste gas, pay sales tax (in most cases) and can get items you won't find at your local stores. Our company, Christmas Lights Etc. (www.christmaslightsetc.com) is celebrating it's 9th Christmas online this year. We have a pretty good idea of what most folks are looking for and we've got an unparalleled selection of products to choose from. The best trees are available with FREE shipping (for Tree orders over $95) on top of other savings. All orders placed before 12:30 ET each day are shipped out the same day so you get them faster. It's hard to go wrong with more choice, no tax and FREE shipping.

Giant Artificial Christmas Tree

A Giant Artificial Christmas Tree is the one element that often has the power to single-handedly transform entire indoor and outdoor environments into familiar scenes from a Christmas play or catalogue. One single centerpiece can seemingly fill public centers with the spirit and tradition of the holidays. And while it is very common for local town centers, libraries, businesses, churches, hospitals and colleges to decorate using large-scale Christmas trees, office buildings, hotels, theme parks, malls and retailers also participate during the holidays by putting up Giant Artificial Christmas Trees as a way to make bold, festive and charitable statements to their patrons about their companies.

But, if you're one of those libraries or businesses that want to take part in the celebration this year, do you really know what to look for? If not, here are some key things to keep in mind:

Fill & Branches
When considering fill and branches, it’s important to make sure that your Giant Artificial Christmas Tree is made with high grade branch needles. 0.2mm PVC is one that will snap back when bent or crushed. This is important so that your tree can maintain its beauty and integrity over time. UV protection that resists fading and fire resistance is another feature to look for.

Density & Appearance
For density and appearance, it's important to understand that the fill density of a tree and the way the branches hang will often times determine whether or not your tree will appear life-like or cheap and unnatural when it displays. Comparing tip counts for the size of the tree you're purchasing is smart, but often times that's not the best way to determine the depth and fill of a tree and whether it will have natural appearance.

Instead of tip counts, find out whether the tree you're looking at is a hook, panel or conical-shaped one. Panel or Conical-shaped trees are distinguishably unnatural looking trees, are less expensive to produce, of lower quality, and are often times passed off as substitutes to unsuspecting buyers. Instead, look for a tree that combines 0.2mm PVC needles and hook branches that fit into 3-foot tall ring (not 2-foot tall ring )bases. This dream combination provides the most visual impact and natural overall result. An example of this type of quality combination can be found in the Giant Everest Artificial Christmas Tree seen here:



Construction & Affordability
Note that quality trees typically come with a minimum 5 year warranty and are constructed using galvanized steel circular rings that are stacked one upon another at the base. Quality 3-foot size rings (mentioned above) will help the tree stand up against the rigors of the outdoors year after year while also allowing for growth and expandability. What that means is that a library or a business on a budget that can only afford to purchase a 14-foot tree this year can buy that tree and easily and inexpensively add height to it later as budget allows. This is done by simply purchasing additional 3-foot rings to add to the base of the existing tree, therefore increasing the height of the tree over time.

Lights
Giant Artificial Christmas Trees typically come pre-lit, often times with mini-lights or incandescent bulbs. When determining how to light your tree, it's important to consider purchasing a tree that has the option of LED Christmas lights which are brighter, last longer and use less energy (lower energy costs). Giant Everest Trees (mentioned above) provide the option of using C7 (cone-shaped) or G20 (round) LED lights. With the focus today on the environment and reducing overall energy consumption, LED holiday lighting is the best all-around choice when it comes to decorating a Giant Artificial Christmas Tree.

Availability & Experience
Many companies advertise Giant Artificial Christmas Trees for sale, but most of those companies don't actually carry them and have very little experience actually selling them, let along installing or supporting them. Not stocking them means that your tree has the potential of being delayed or damaged in transit as it passes from unknown parties into your hands.

It's important to consider that almost all of the companies selling Artificial Christmas Trees focus on selling smaller, residential sizes. To keep your positive investment from turning into a frustrating frenzy, you should work with a company that offers responsive state-side customer support with Giant Tree installation experience. 7-foot residential trees and 20-foot commercial Christmas trees are constructed and installed very differently. Christmas Lights Etc. (http://www.christmaslightsetc.com) is the exclusive provider of the Giant Everest Artificial Christmas Tree. Having sold 100's of Giant Commercial Trees to customers including Walt Disney, Sea World, Hard Rock Cafe & Casino, University of Alabama, City of Yonkers, NY and others, their customer service people are the best and most knowledgeable in the industry.

To find out more about the Giant Everest Artificial Christmas Tree, you can download a complete brochure at: http://www.christmaslightsetc.com/images/PDF/GiantEverestBrochure.pdf