Yesterday’s not-awkward shopping trip was at Walmart, and I have another Walmart pricing report. I’ve been unhappy to see at Target that the 20-pound bags of Iams cat food have gone up more than $10 over the past few years, from being about $24 to now being $35. So I checked the price at Walmart when I was there yesterday, and danged if it wasn’t $25! So I was hauling it into my cart, and….wait. It’s a 14-pound bag. Designed to be the same size/shape as the 20-pound bag, so that if you didn’t happen to look at the weight you’d think you were saving $11. Well-played, Walmart, but I win this round.
Now. We need to discuss Christmas trees. I’m going to buy a dead one this year for the first time, instead of using our fake tree. I have taken the first step: I have purchased a Christmas tree stand. But now I don’t know what the next step is. Just…go choose a tree? Here are the issues plaguing my mind:
1. Do I buy it at the cool gardening store or at the animal shelter or at the place within sight of our house? I’d like to support the animal shelter, but when I drove by it looked like they had a small selection of trees, and that most of the trees were wrapped up. The cool gardening store had a huge selection, but I know from past pumpkin-purchases that they tend to be significantly overpriced. The nearby place, it would be awesome to just go get it and carry it home, rather than messing with the car—but it looks like they have basically one kind of tree.
2. You might wonder why I don’t just go LOOK and SEE what kind of trees each place has, rather than driving by and guessing. I feel weird about browsing at a tree place and then leaving without a tree. Do people…do that? Plus, I don’t even really know what kind of tree I should be wanting.
3. I want a tree that smells really piney. I don’t know which kinds do that. It seems like in the open air it would be hard to tell.
4. Those trees are just SITTING THERE, and it seems like they should be in buckets of water or something. I’m worried I’ll buy a tree that was cut a week ago, and it will turn all brown and crispy before Christmas. Maybe I should wait to buy the tree. Or maybe I should go to a cut-your-own place? But that brings up so many more issues about saws and so forth. Wait, I’ll bet I need a saw to cut bits off a non-cut-your-own anyway.
5. I feel awkward about doing tests for tree freshness.
6. I want a tree that’s nice and sparse, so there’s plenty of room for ornaments. Maybe all the choices will be TOO FULL.
All right, I feel better. Now I think I can go look for one. I think I’ll go to the nearby place this year, to simplify things. Oh, wait, that gives me a new one:
7. Can one person carry a tree by herself? And I don’t think I have heavy gloves—or at least, none that weren’t stored in such a way that they might now have spiders in them.
Fraser firs are awesome – usually a pretty shape and very aromatic. =) Also, whatever tree you get, it would be good to get your husband to trim the trunk part just a tad so it will soak up more water and will last longer.
I miss having a real tree – mainly the scent of it, but it sure is easier to decorate once the lights are already on. And I definitely light my Yankee Candle What’s My Pine soy candle (found for much cheaper at TJMaxx) many times during December.
Every place I’ve been to where you cut your own they always provide a saw. :)
Also, my family always cut our own the day after Thanksgiving and then kept the tree in the garage in a bucket of water until the 11th or 12th of December. That way it isn’t so dry that it catches on fire by Christmas Day.
The last time I bought cat food I bought what was on sale at PetsMart – it ended up being a 14lb bag for about $15. As long as it’s Purina, my cat will eat it. She won’t even deign to sniff other brands. Such a diva.
As for trees… You CAN carry one by yourself, but usually if you’re alone you can get the Christmas tree yard people to carry it for you. :)
We always had a real tree growing up and the main thing I remember (besides the heavenly smell!) was that my mom was always worried about the tree becoming a fire hazard. And I’m honestly not sure if it’s the same in your area, but I grew up in the boonies, so by the time the cut trees reached us, they were already pretty old and destined for crispy-ville. So we’d either wait until probably the week before Christmas to get one… Or we’d go cut our own. But that did involve saws and lots of tramping through the snow.
So this is really not at all helpful, I’m realizing. I guess I’m saying, cut your own or wait a while. Or at the very least, see if the tree places will tell you how fresh their trees are.
Fraser fir is what you need! And people do just go look and leave without a tree. And take your stand with you in the car when you plan to buy and a lot of places will put it in the stand for you!You could probably drag a 6 foot tree by yourself, but after that help is good. And the more branches there are, the more places there are to hang the ornaments!
I feel Very Strongly that real trees are far superior to plastic trees and can back up my theory with all sorts of made-up facts about carbon footprints and biodegradability and other impressive sounding words.
The Fraser Fir is my family’s preferred tree – very piney, lots of short needles that are only slightly pokey, good branch strength for holding up our ornaments. My husband’s family likes the trees with the long soft needles but he is obviously wrong so we get the Fraser.
The cut your own places are my favorite and they do their best to make it as easy as possible on you. Most of the time you can just wander around, pick out a tree and mark it with your name on a tag and they will come and actually cut it down with the saw, drag it back to the parking lot, shake all the loose needles off and then tie it to your car (or load it in the back if it’s a big enough van/wagon). But beware, you’re going to pay $45 for that tree as opposed to the $20 tree from Home Depot. The benefit is that tree was alive RIGHT up until you picked it so it’s less likely to die before Christmas.
Man, I’m like a Christmas Tree EXPERT. I should start a business and charge $75 an hour giving advice and helping people pick out the right tree for them. Rich people pay for stuff like that, right?
When we buy our tree we ALWAYS saw off the last few inches of the trunk which is usually dried out so that it will still be able to suck up tree from the xmas tree stand. My dad always did this and it seems to make the tree last longer. In my opinion, it is worth the extra money to get the tree from a place within walking distance because fiddling with getting it in or on the car is always a gigantic pain.
Oh, I love Christmas trees. Here is what I can tell you.
1. Frasier firs have stronger branches and shorter needles. This is better for hanging ornaments (especially any heavy ones) but I think they are more prickly (last year my husband and I had to use gardening gloves to put on our ornaments). This year we got the other kind with the soft long needles. I think those smell better and are prettier to look at. However, a bit trickier for the ornament hanging as the branches are not as strong.
2. If you cut a real tree and keep it watered, it should be fine. We generally get ours right after Thanksgiving and it stays up until after New Years with no problem. You need to check the water every day. When it stops drinking water, you’ll know that it’s starting to die.
3. Whether you cut your own tree or not, you’ll still need a handsaw at home for trimming. To ensure freshness and a good fit in the stand, you’ll need to trim a few inches off of the trunk and possibly any low hanging branches. This can actually be more challenging on a fresh cut tree because the wood is so soft that the saw gets stuck.
4. Our local Christmas tree farm has saws on hand for cutting the trees down and they help you load it in/on your vehicle for the drive home. If you go this route, make sure you shake it really well outside to remove bugs and dead needles.
5. Our Christmas tree farm trees are only $28, no matter the size. The trees from the stores and/or lots are always WAY more expensive and not as pretty.
6. I would suggest getting a pair of work gloves and/or cheap gardening gloves to use when buying, transporting, putting up your tree. It makes it easier to handle the trunk and needles and keeps the sap off of your hands. Also, if you get a tree much taller than your own height it will probably be a challenge to carry it completely by yourself any distance without damaging it.
7. Go to Lowes or Wal-Mart and get a “Christmas Tree Bag” to put under your tree. This is like a giant tree garbage bag that you put down and when your done with the tree, you pull it up and over the tree to make it easier to get out of the house without needles getting everywhere.
Wow, this is already way too long. Have fun choosing a tree!
P.S. Feel free to “shop” all you want at the different places. You can go look without making a purchase, not a big deal at all.
Well, I think Therese answered all your questions, but I will re-confirm that yes, people do shop for trees and leave without buying anything all the time. Also, if you buy a tree now, it should still be fine until at least January.
1. bring a tape measure. you will want to make sure the trunk (diameter, whatever) is NOT larger than the opening in your tree stand
2. see above – also useful in making sure you don’t get a tree that’s too tall or too wide for your space
3. go somewhere where THEY will make the fresh cut off the bottom for you
4. use gloves. and long sleeve, obvs. the needles and sap will make you sticky and ITCHY. ugh.
5. freshness: they should smell fresh, have soft-ish needles, and the boughs should bend gently without breaking. that said, unless you’re going to a tree farm yourself they tree was probably cut down at least 4 weeks ago.
6. some varieties (white pine, others) cost a lot less but shed needles and sap a LOT more. some varieties like fraser cost a lot more but last a LOT longer. Note: if the kids are going to help you decorate the tree be prepared for itchy hands and complaints about needles (at least in my experience with white pine, others. not with frasers)
7. you will need to add water to the pan a lot. watch out for kitties and dogs that try to drink it (I wrap aluminum foil around the base of our tree trunk and cover the open part of the tree stand with it. it is a PAIN IN THE NECK to bend over and try climb under there and fill the pan every day.
8. because kids + cats = someone pulling on/climbing on the tree, we wire ours to the walls at two points. we also put down plastic, then an old sheet, underneath the tree stand to protect against spills
9. sounds like too much work? it is. but we LOVES us some fresh christmas trees, so that’s how we roll.
10. this year we are leaving on christmas day for vacation so I suggested that this year we skip the fresh tree and get a fake one. my husband said no way. funny part: he’s jewish.
Love ya, Swistle! have a great holiday :-)
1. bring a tape measure. you will want to make sure the trunk (diameter, whatever) is NOT larger than the opening in your tree stand
2. also to making sure you don’t get a tree that’s too tall or too wide for your space
3. go somewhere where THEY will make the fresh cut off the bottom for you
4. use gloves. and long sleeve, obvs. the needles and sap will make you sticky and ITCHY..
5. it takes two to put the tree in the stand and straighten it. (one to hold the top up and to occassionally stand back and say. “it’s not straight”
6. some varieties (white pine, others) cost a lot less but shed needles and sap a LOT more. some varieties like fraser cost a lot more but last a LOT longer and don’t make me itchy when I decorate them.
7. you will need to add water to the pan a lot. cover the water so the cats and dogs don’t get into it
8. because kids + cats = someone pulling on/climbing on the tree, we wire ours to the walls at two points. we also put plastic, and an old sheet underneath the tree stand to protect the floor
9. sounds like too much work? it is. but we LOVES us some fresh christmas trees, so that’s how we roll.
10. this year we will be out of town so I suggested we skip the fresh tree and get a fake. my husband said no way. funny part: he’s jewish.
Love ya, Swistle! have a great holiday :-)
Oooh, real trees smell so nice. Yours will seem especially fragrant if you’ve only had a fake one for a while.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the preferred tree is the Noble Fir. Branches with space in between, long-lasting, beautiful, smells awesome.
If you buy a tree already cut, you’ll want to saw off a couple inches from the bottom, then soak the tree in a bucket of water (outside) for a couple of days before you put it in a tree stand. That will make it last longer and shed fewer needles.
We got a Fraser fir a couple of weeks ago at Home Depot for a good price ($35) whereas it seems that we paid $65 on the seasonal tree lot a few years back. It drinks up a lot of water daily but the scent is so nice to come home to. Of course you can pick up other Christmas items at HD while you are there and everythings returnable. Don’t be afraid to browse the trees… ;.)
My theories on tree buying: (We always buy a dead one.) First, it is absolutely okay to go browse and not buy a tree. Second, it’s really fun to go with the kids and let them help pick out trees, although you often end up with two kids who want different trees and a dad who refuses to get anything but THAT tree and half the family ends up in tears. But the tree people usually give you a free candy cane, so…
The tree people will have saws and will cut off the very bottom of the trunk and the very bottom branches before they tie it to the top of the car. I usually tip $5.
The wrapped trees are fine once they are unwrapped and fluff out, but it is harder to see what they will look like.
We’ve bought $80 trees and $35 trees and they all bring us the same amount of happiness. And they all smell piney. Just remember to water them. We also don’t have a particular species that we like, we just go and look for one that catches our fancy. Just make sure it is not too tall for you house.
If you try to carry a tree by yourself, I insist on photographs and blogging.
Blue spruce or Noble fir are great, but I don’t know what’s available in your area. All of this advice is great. One other suggestion on a live tree, check the top. Make sure whatever tree topper you have will fit on it.
Love your blog,
Kalendi
I believe that pretty much all Christmas trees come from North Carolina, and are cut down at the same time. So it is not a huge deal when you buy the tree. When you get it, they will slice a bit off the bottom so that fresh trunk is exposed to more easily drink the water in the stand. And, once you have the tree, check the water regularly–the tree drinks a surprising amount, especially at first.
Definitely OK to browse and not buy. It has been my experience that seasonal tree lots are indeed more expensive than stores like Home Depot and grocery stores. Even our Whole Foods offers very nice 7-8′ Christmas trees for $50, which is much less than the seasonal lots. I believe Costco does trees, too. That’s where we’re going to look this weekend.
Good luck! Can’t wait to see photos!
Oh and that Walmart thing really pisses me off.
I’m sorry, I don’t have time to read all of the other comments, so I may be repeating. But we always get a dead tree, so here’s what I’d suggest:
1. Find a tree that doesn’t have sharp/pokey needles. Otherwise you’ll be bleeding while decorating. Not an exaggeration. Fraser firs have soft needles, but so do some others.
2. When you get your tree home, cut off several inches of the trunk or it won’t be able to soak up water. It’ll soak up a TON (like, a gallon) of water a day for the first few days. Check it often.
3. We’re going to cut our own this year, b/c in recent years ours have dropped needles to the floor by just LOOKING at the tree. Every time the kids/cats go near it, the carpet was COVERED in needles. They were not sharp needles, so they didn’t hurt to step on, so this was purely a “mess-factor” problem.
4. I have no idea if cutting our own will solve this problem, but I suspect that many of the parking-lot trees have been cut for a week or two before we buy it. So I’m GUESSING that if we cut our own, it will be fresher and therefore lose less needles.
5. Make sure the trunk’s not crooked. I repeat, make sure the trunk’s not crooked.
6. Make sure you don’t by too big of a tree for your tree stand on accident. They look so much smaller in the lots than once you get them home. And a too-big tree will tip over.
But most of all, HAVE FUN WITH THE HAPPY-FUN BALL! (old snl quote, right there.)
Oh! And the best place for price/beauty in trees around here is Lowe’s.
Pretty much everyone has already covered the things I would tell you. We have always gotten a real tree, and for the last several years have gone to the mountains near our home to cut one down. Some years it has been lots of fun. Other years it has been more akin to torture (this year, for example), but we’re making memories, right?
Make sure you buy a free-range, grain fed, forest grown tree, rather than some tree in one of those inhumane fenced tree lots. Also ensure that the tree was felled in the most humane way possible, i.e., receiving trunk sedation prior to being chewed by beavers.
Well, you already have a lot of comments, but hey, that never stopped me before.
I have, in fact, left a tree lot without a tree because I didn’t like what they had. We have bought our trees at Home Depot the last two years. They arrange them by height and species (we like Noble firs – less dense than Douglas, sturdy branches for ornaments, and a nice fir-y smell). At Home Depot, they will cut open their tied trees for you to look at and will cut off the bottom if you want, tie it back up, and help you to your car as well.
The trees seal up their cut trunks after a few hours, so they retain their moisture as long as possible, I guess. If you cut a couple inches off the bottom and put it in water as soon as you get home, it should start drinking again and shouldn’t really be a fire hazard until Christmas week or so. :-)
Please, oh, please, let’s not get into the Walmart vs. Target thing again! I’m not a fan of Walmart, myself, but I don’t think it’s a deceptive business practice to sell a product in a different size package than your competitor. As long as there really are 14 lbs. of catfood in the 14 lb. bag, they’re being honest and upfront. Most people I know either carry a small calculator in their purse or there’s a calculator function on their cellphone or the store provides the unit price right on the shelftag.
I recommend cutting down your own tree. There’s no guarantee that the ones at the lot are fresh. All the tree-cutting places that we’ve been to over the years provide a saw to use. Depending on the place, some provide a little cart to wheel it back to your car on and some twine to tie it to your car. Otherwise you might consider bringing one of the kids’ sleds or wagons. I would call first and ask what services they provide. Or have Paul do it–I know how you hate to make phone calls! :) I also recommend a place that will bale it for you (that is, shake it out to get rid of loose needles and any, ahem, critters that might be living inside and wrap it in a net bag that makes it ever so much easier to get onto the roof of your car and into the house. I highly recommend putting it in the stand while it’s still wrapped up and only snip off the net once it’s in and straight. Also, it’s not a bad idea to know how high your ceilings are and bring a measuring tape: trees looks much smaller outside than they do in your house. Good luck! :) We’re going tree hunting this weekend, too.
Since living in our own house where we could get a fresh tree (our apartments always banned them for fire safety reasons), we once bought a tree from a lot but all other years we’ve gone to a U-cut place (which provides saws & they will shake the tree & wrap it & even load it in the car if you bat your eyelashes at them all pretty-like). I find that the U-cut places have superior trees if you want a more sparse one that leaves room for decorations. I’ve noticed that the ones at the stores all seem to be this perfectly triangular shape with no holes at all in between branches. It’s like they cut a triangle out of an evergreen hedge and call it a tree. I find those annoying, so we go to the U-cut place. The one near us is $40 no matter the size of tree, and to get a tree the size that we get would cost closer to $100 at a tree lot.
Biggest piece of advice (speaking from experience): don’t get a tree that’s too tall for your roof. Now I just repeat to myself as I wander the lot: don’t get a tree much taller than Leonard (who is 6 ft).
We have gotten trees from tree farms, tree lots, and most recently, Lowe’s. I would prefer to cut our own down but several years it’s been bitterly cold and several more years, my husband has whined and complained about the whole process, so I think from now on we will just go to Lowe’s. I couldn’t tell you if they are in buckets of water at Lowe’s or not, but we’ve been happy with the trees. They’ve been much cheaper, havent been too dried out and I agree with many other commenters, Fraser fir is the way to go! Lots of openings to show off the ornaments. I can’t remember if Lowe’s cuts off the bottom inch of the tree or not. If they don’t, borrow a sawzall from someone and cut off the
bottom part, stick it in the tree stand, fill it with water and
your tree will drink it right up. I will not give up on a real tree!
When we lived in South Jersey, there were numerous places to buy trees, and all the trees were standing straight up and it was easy to see what a tree looked like. You could get a good tree for about $40 or so, and the tree place would trim the trunk of excess branches and shave a few inches off the bottom so it was fresh. For $2, they would also put the tree in a netting bag, so you could easily get it in your car and get it home.
Then we moved to North Jersey, where these wackadoos have all the trees TIED UP LAYING IN PILES, so you have no idea until you get home if your $90 tree is full and fragrant or sparse and Charlie Brownish. Wth, North Jerseyans??
It makes me feel Grinchy.
But! You presumably live in a nice small town where people are normal, and thus buying a real tree will be a fun experience. Last year I found a place that has the trees standing up, and I let my oldest pick out the tree. He took it very seriously and picked out a great tree. That I way overpaid for. But it did look pretty.
Many places will trim an inch or two off of the bottom for you, then put it into netting for you to take home. I’ve seen it at small garden places and at Lowe’s and Home Depot. I wanted to go to a cut your own place this year, but apparently there aren’t fir trees grown in this area, only pine. And, we always buy Fraser fir, but I’ve seen others with Blue spruce that were gorgeous, too.
I have a vintage 50’s aluminum pom-pom tree that I use every year, and then I go to a boutique and buy a really fancy holiday scented candle.
My sister got a huge deep cut that required stitches on the bottom of her foot one year from a christmas tree needle that got embedded in the carpet! Yikes – has totally freaked me out ever since. But the chances of that are 1 in a million, right?!
So good luck with the tree, and vacuum diligently!
We always had fake trees growing up, I found out later that was because I am allergic to the pine needles when they die! My husband and I went and bought a real tree last year. I was So! Happy! It made all the differnce. We bought a Noble Fir from Home Depot. Our 5-6 foot tree was about $20, it smelled amazing and had sturdy branches that were well spaced.
This site tells you how to pick a fresh tree and has a nifty chart that tells you stuff about sturdiness and smell.
http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id1389-pick-perfect-commercial-christmas-tree.html
Happy shopping!
Oh, They also trimmed as much off the bottom and side branches as I asked, also, they tied it to the car roof for me. Then wouldn’t accept a tip. All in all it was pretty awesome.
If only you had written this post yesterday! I JUST bought an Iams bag at Wal*Mart and was all proud of myself for the cheapness. Lo and behold I just checked and that MFer is a 14 lber! Damn them!!!!!!!
On the tree situation:
You can ask them to cut open the trees to inspect them – but keep in mind that wrapped trees usually take a day or two to “fall” back into place. They will also be knowledgable about scent/etc. questions you have.
My family always always always had fresh trees growing up and we never had a problem w/ them dieing. No matter if we bought them from a charity, grocery store, cut ourselves, etc. I have heard that a “freshness” test is to run your hand backwards down a branch and if a bunch of leaves fall off it’s not fresh.
You’ll have to cut off a section when you bring it home so you’ll need a saw. The first day or two it’ll drink A LOT of water – like a liter or two. After that it’ll slow down to a cup or two.
Depending on size, yes you can carry it alone. When I lived alone I selected, threw in car, hauled inside, and put in the holder all by myself. I’d say the tree was about 5-6′ tall??
Also — if the tree is NOT wrapped, you can ask them to wrap it for you to place in your car. They throw it in this weird netting circle thing that secures it for you. I’ve found it helps w/ hauling and mess. They usually also help you put it in or on your car too.
Boy, everyone seems to cover it all. The important part is cutting the butt off the tree trunk so the tree can drink. Water at least twice a day..if not more.
I actually love Balsam Fur trees. That is the type they put in those little sachets…they are a pretty tree, too…not too “picky” and are strong enough to hold ornaments well. They all are beautiful, especially after you put your own priceless ornaments on them…ah the memories they bring!!! enjoy…and share a picture of your tree!
I have been getting the same Kirkland maintenance cat food from Costco for the last 4-5 yrs and it’s gone from about $8.99 to almost $16 for the SAME size bag. I think maybe cat food is going up in price in general?
wisdomandpeace, Please, oh, please, let’s not get into the “Walmart isn’t deceptive because they’re not doing anything actually illegal” thing again. If everyone else sells the cat food in 5, 10, and 20 pound bags or whatever, and Walmart sells it in 5, 10, and 14 pound bags, and their 14-pound bag is the same size and shape as everyone else’s 20-pound bag, that is SHITTY AND DECEPTIVE and we all know it. They do the same with a ton of stuff: the box looks the same, everyone else has standard sizes, but Walmart has less in their boxes. I can’t shop there if I have to know the unit price of every single item at other stores, and compare it to Walmart’s special unique just for them sizes.
Allison: I wouldn’t assume that ANY retailer (even the friendly-seeming ones) is giving you a bargain unless you’ve done the math. For better or worse, we live in a free market economy and the retailers are out to make the biggest profit possible. It’s not shitty, it’s just the system. You say that my argument is that “Walmart isn’t deceptive because they’re not doing anything illegal” and that isn’t my argument. My argument is that Walmart isn’t doing anything illegal OR deceptive. The size is right there on the bag. If the bag says 14 lbs. and it only contains 13 lbs., that would be deceptive. If the bag is marked $15 and they charge you $16, that’s deceptive. But if they charge you the advertised price for the advertised product size, they’re doing nothing to deceive you. Perhaps they’re HOPING you won’t notice that the size is smaller than another store’s, but you have to be smarter than that. The onus is on the customer to know what they’re buying. I don’t think it exactly amounts to wizardry to calculate the unit price on something before you decide to purchase it, especially for anything you buy in quantity. But you can’t blame the company because you weren’t paying attention.
wisdomandpeace- I agree in part with this—but what about situations where sizes are standard at all stores except Walmart? (We know from previous posts on the topic that they do in fact get special sizes designed just for them.) Like, I can and DO compare unit prices, but I don’t know off the top of my head how many ounces are in a can of corn or in a loaf of bread—not because I’m not smart or because I’m not paying attention, but because these things come in standard sizes, and those standard sizes ARE the units. If I’m at Walmart and see a can of corn, I can look at their per-ounce unit price—but I won’t be able to remember what the per-ounce price is of a differently-sized can of corn elsewhere. I would say that DOES require a certain level of wizardry.
wisdomandpeace: I think we disagree on what the word “deceptive” means. And what the word “smarter” means.
just a note about the tree freshness thing, for years we’ve gotten a tree the day after thanksgiving and left it up until new years with no problem at all. You should probably put a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree, both so it will get more water, and fit better in your tree stand. If you are worried about doing that yourself, take the tree stand with you, most places are happy to to the trimming, and they have the saws and the know how.
1 – the real tree thing seems kind of … overwhelming to me now.
2 – I had NO IDEA there were so many different kinds!
Last year we bought a live tree, (you know, with roots) and then planted it in our back yard after Christmas. We named him Monty because he is a monterey pine. We’re doing the same this year. Last year we bought Monty from our grocery store. Which sounds lame but he’s so happy! ( need to take a picture.
About the tree – whenever I’ve bought a cut tree, the guy always cuts a couple of inches off the bottom of it so the fresh cut will drink the water. They also should tie/wrap the tree up and load it into the car for you. When I get home, I take it out and leave it on the front porch, in a bowl/bucket of water until the husband gets home to help set it up.
And about the cat food – I KNOW, right? I found the same thing with dog food – Walmart & Sam’s have 44-pound bags that look exactly like everyone else’s 48-pound bags. It’s just a good thing (since I’m buying dog food by the 44/48- pound bag!) that I checked the “per pound” price! Then I found that our local pet store carries a better selection of food, it’s not much more expensive AND, once you buy 12 bags, you get the 13th free, which actually makes it cheaper. Ha.
I haven’t read the comments, but my understanding is that all of the trees are pretty much cut at the same time, so buying it closer to xmas doesn’t really make it last longer. Unless maybe it lasts longer by being out in the cold even if it doesn’t have water??
Swistle–Is it nice of them to package products in sizes you’re not used to? No. But they’re trying to make money, not be nice to you. I keep track of unit prices in my cell phone, but before that I kept a little notebook in my purse. Not for everything, mind you, I don’t have that kind of time. But certainly for the things I buy a lot of: diapers & wipes, paper towels & toilet paper (usually this is calculated in price per 50 sq. feet, if the store calculates it any other way, I don’t buy it because I can’t tell if it’s a good deal or not). I typically buy a couple boxes of pasta a week and I always look now because it used to always come in a 16 oz. box and now it’s often 10 or 12 oz., especially the whole grain varieties. Sometimes the store circular can throw you off: not everything in there is “on sale”–sometimes they advertise the regular price to make you think it’s a deal. Sometimes the huge “economy” size costs more per unit than a smaller size of the same product. Sometimes store A’s version of a product, though lower in price, contains substandard ingredients compared with another supermarket’s same brand. (I realized this the other day when I bought a carton of Swanson chicken broth at a store that is not my usual supermarket and when I read the ingredient list, realized that it contained artificial ingredients that my usual supermarket’s carton of Swanson broth doesn’t contain. When I compared the two cartons side by side at home, I realized that one is marked 100% natural and the other is not. But they’re otherwise identical cartons of Swanson broth in the same size carton. (Neither of the stores is Walmart, by the way.) The lesson is, assume that nothing is a good deal unless you’ve done the math. Every store is out there to try to get you to buy things you don’t need, didn’t think you wanted and pay more for less if they think you won’t notice.
I’ve been thinking of getting a Christmas tree for my apartment. I’ll go to my parents’ house for Christmas and they will have one there of course, but I’m thinking of the next couple weeks when I’ll be here in my apartment and longing to make the yuletide gay. So maybe. But it will probably be a little wee one. And maybe one that’s alive and in a pot so I can plant it later?
You know, at my job I try to make money AND be nice to people. It’s a shame that it’s gotten to where people find it totally acceptable for businesses not to do both. But I digress.
We actually got our first FAKE tree last year and really kinda dug the whole “pre lit” thing. Of course, we kinda miss the smell…