Oh, you guys. Do you know how many stores I’ve been to looking for the perfect Christmas tree for my living room? Well, let me tell you the tale of how I searched the entire state of Utah for the best Christmas tree for the best price. I’m not even kidding. I’ve also scoured the internet and had samples of tree branches sent to my home. Because who can really tell from a picture what the tree is actually going to look like?! This whole saga started almost a year ago when I moved…
We have a Christmas tree. It’s a mostly good 7 1/2 foot tall something or other that I got on Black Friday several years ago at Home Depot for a killer deal. There’s only one strand of lights that seems to be faulty and I just throw on a string over that area so I don’t have to check bulbs and fuses and all that nonsense. Because that doesn’t sound fun and sounds like a total waste of my time. And it’s been a good tree. I like it just fine. Well, last year we threw that tree up in our new living room. And it looked ridiculous. Apparently, our new living room is much bigger and has much taller ceilings.
I decided that after Christmas I was going to get a new taller tree for half off somewhere. And so the search began. And I found the perfect tree. It was at Tai Pan Trading in St. George and it was beautiful. It was 9 feet tall with a touch of frost to the branches, two sizes of beautiful white bulbs that made the frost glimmer, and branches accented with pinecones. I was in love. And so was everyone else in St. George, it would seem. Because there were about 200 feisty women out to get a new tree from Tai Pan the day after Christmas and by the time my turn came around the only size left in my beautiful tree was a 12 footer that would have been way to monstrous for my living room. Bummer.
Well those trees at Tai Pan, beautiful as they are, are ridiculously expensive. And I knew that the only way I was going to be able to stomach the price was if I slowly saved money all year in preparation for this November when the trees arrived again. And that is what I’ve done. Now, the only problem with my plan? Tai Pan in St. George closed a few months ago. Seriously. What rotten luck, right?
And so the hunt began. I’ve been to Target, WalMart, Michaels, Pier 1, Home Depot, Lowes, Kohls, Costco and KMart. Did I miss a store in St. George? I don’t think so. I’ve searched online at all the websites for these stores, just in case there was an online-only tree. I’ve ordered tree branch samples from Balsam Hill… you want to talk expensive trees? This one takes the cake. The box has 25 branch samples in it. Some look exactly the same! I didn’t even know where to begin! I’ve online shopped at Wayfair, treeclassics.com and Overstock. Believe me when I say I’ve done my due diligence.
My last resort was a trip up North to hit a Tai Pan in Salt Lake City. I knew there was no other way. I knew I’d find my tree there and all would be well. So I called my brother in Draper, told him I was coming for a visit and then headed out the door way too late one night. I listened to an audiobook and ate Peanut Butter M&Ms until I got there. I crashed on his couch for five hours, then got up and started my search.
Tai Pan was, of course, my first stop. They have beautiful trees. But they didn’t have my tree. The tree guy (really- he had a flocked mess all over his black shirt, a clipboard full of tree stats and an earpiece to call back orders to the stockroom) knew my tree, but told me they didn’t buy from that tree vendor this year. What are the odds, huh? They had some other trees that were nice and I could’ve probably been happy with one of them. But they are still too expensive for me to buy when I just felt “eh” about them. So I left and figured I’d shop around and come back for one later.
Hobby Lobby saved my bacon. And saved me about $300. I showed up there, not even knowing if they had trees because we don’t have a Hobby Lobby in St. George. I WISH WE DID! They had beautiful trees and everything Christmas was 50% off! I found an awesome 9 ft. tree with white lights and pinecones and it’s slim, which is exactly what I wanted. It’s going to look fabulous in my living room- I can hardly wait to get it up!
I know this all sounds so extreme. A trip four hours away just for a silly tree? Well, when you save and anticipate something for a whole year, four hours is nothing. I got what I wanted, saved myself a boatload of money, and had a visit with my brother. I’d say it was a pretty productive use of a day and a half.
Now, I know not everyone has the luxury of driving all over the state in search of the perfect tree. So, here are a few of my tips when searching for yours:
- Black Friday is a great time to buy a tree, but do your research BEFORE you head out. Scout out the stores and see what you like. Check the ads and see who is having the best deal. Most of the Black Friday ads are already leaked online- look ’em up and make decisions!
- If you can wait till the day after Christmas, you will almost always get a tree for 50% off. But again, do your research! Also, plan to go out early- be at the store before they open so you can get exactly what you want.
- Found a tree, but the branches seem too scarce? Buy filler branches and place them in the tree strategically! You can buy filler branches at Michael’s, Tai Pan, Hobby Lobby and other places. Hobby Lobby had THE best selection. If you live near one, go check it out. ( Why don’t I live near one?!)
- If you’re leaning towards a flocked tree remember these things: if you’re storing your tree in a garage that heats up during the summer, beware! Flocking will not last long once the heat has taken its toll. The same goes for too much sunlight- it will break down faster if placed in a window with direct sunlight. You might end up tree hunting again much sooner than you want! The best way to store it is to bag the whole thing and store it upright in a cool, dry area.
- Always search for a coupon if you can’t get the tree on a sale. More often than not, I can find a coupon for just about anywhere. Sign up for emails or texts and then unsubscribe once you’ve taken advantage of the deal. Whatever you can do to not pay full price!
I’m a fan of the trees at Hobby Lobby, obviously. But I was also impressed with the trees at WalMart! If they’d had a 9 ft tree in the one I liked, I’d have been done with the whole mess there. They are reasonably priced and are very pretty! Go check them out if you’re in the market for a 7 or 7 1/2 foot tall tree. I loved their frosted tree- only $149! And my mostly good 7 1/2 foot tree came from The Home Depot. They always have a killer Black Friday deal on one of their trees. It never disappoints- I’ve loved ours! It now becomes our downstairs kids tree. Fun, right?
Finding the right tree can be a daunting task. Take your time, do your research and it will be worth it in the end!
*Pictures of my tree are to come- I don’t put mine up till after Thanksgiving. 🙂
