If, like me, you find yourself stunned at the lack of cheap Christmas trees this year you’re not alone. Real Christmas tree prices have soared across the UK and appears to be blamed on a reduction of imports of trees from abroad leading to higher demand for those trees that are available.

If you’re desperate for a real Christmas tree, the cheapest option is probably going to be one of the biggest buyers such as B&Q. Even if their prices are higher than previous years, you could secure a cheaper tree by “downgrading” from the ever popular Nordman Fir back to the cheaper Spruce tree. These tend to be around £10 cheaper for a 5ft tree. The problem with these trees can be needle loss. The solution is to use a tree stand that holds water in it and cut a bit off the bottom of the tree (at an angle) to maximise water uptake. Obviously don’t sit your tree beside a radiator or over a heating duct if you wish to maximise it’s chances of making it to christmas.

Charity trees – in the weekends before Christmas, many local community groups such as Round Table, Scouts etc hold Christmas tree sales around the country. These trees are usually sourced from local growers. While they might not be the cheapest, you know that a good chunk of the money you are paying goes to the group selling the trees and it might make it easier to pocket. Check your local paper to see if any groups are selling trees in your area.

For the risk taker searching for the cheapest Christmas tree, you could wait until the day or two before Christmas and head down to your local garden centre or DIY store. Often these places apply massive discounts to their trees just to shift the stock as it’s useless stock as soon as they’re past the 24th of December.

And finally, if you really want the cheapest tree, you should maybe consider artificial. Many of them now look fantastic and are a great price. With a life of several years, these are definitely the cheapest option in the long run but you might want a pine scented candal or two in your living room to complete the experience. However you find your tree, I hope you have a happy Christmas.

Tree Photo by brockvicky