Christmas Trees...Real or Fake? What's FBG's say? (1 Viewer)

[fasteddie_21]

What say you?

My gf comes home today and we're going to go get our tree. I'm torn on this, since, being from Oregon, I've always gone out to a tree farm and for $20, go cut our own down. But, being here in the desert now, they are like $70 a pop. Sam's Club has a really nice, good looking fake one for like $200 (with lights and stand included). So after 3 years, it paid for itself.

What's the right answer here?

 

[BigJohn]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

 

[[icon]]

My gf comes home today and we're going to go get our tree. I'm torn on this, since, being from Oregon, I've always gone out to a tree farm and for $20, go cut our own down. But, being here in the desert now, they are like $70 a pop. Sam's Club has a really nice, good looking fake one for like $200 (with lights and stand included). So after 3 years, it paid for itself.

Pretty sure this sort of logic doesn't apply for Christmas. Get a real tree.

This from a guy who's father's company used to be based upon the manufacture and sale of artificial Christmas trees.

 

[Reg Lllama of Brixton]

Bought a fake about 4 years ago. Best. Purchase. Ever.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I used to think fake tree=fake Christmas too, but let's be honest here. For 95% of us, Christmas is a store-bought, consumer-generated holiday anyway. Few people really still celebrate Christmas for what it was intended, it's just an excuse to take off work, get a little drunk, and hang out with friends and family to let them know you care about them. And there's nothing wrong with that since the entire premise Christmas is based on is probably a fairy tale anyway.

Anyway, I digress. I had a real tree every year until I was 33. Eventually, when it was to the point where I'd be paying $60-75 for a real tree rather than the $15-20 it cost me in NJ, I said forget it. Went to Walmart and bought a 6 1/2' fake juniper for $29.76 and got a couple strings of lights and a star to put on it. Total cost was about $40. This will be our 4th year using it and it looks brand new. The only thing I missed was the smell of a real tree, but a $20 investment at Yankee Candle for a "Christmas Wreath" candle solved that problem too.

 

[fasteddie_21]

I used to think fake tree=fake Christmas too, but let's be honest here. For 95% of us, Christmas is a store-bought, consumer-generated holiday anyway. Few people really still celebrate Christmas for what it was intended, it's just an excuse to take off work, get a little drunk, and hang out with friends and family to let them know you care about them. And there's nothing wrong with that since the entire premise Christmas is based on is probably a fairy tale anyway.Anyway, I digress. I had a real tree every year until I was 33. Eventually, when it was to the point where I'd be paying $60-75 for a real tree rather than the $15-20 it cost me in NJ, I said forget it. Went to Walmart and bought a 6 1/2' fake juniper for $29.76 and got a couple strings of lights and a star to put on it. Total cost was about $40. This will be our 4th year using it and it looks brand new. The only thing I missed was the smell of a real tree, but a $20 investment at Yankee Candle for a "Christmas Wreath" candle solved that problem too.

That's kinda my thinking too.Also, since we're going to be getting pets by this time next year, do cats and/or dogs prefer to eat and chew on real or fake trees more? I'm thinking real, but I dunno here. Thoughts?

 

[mon]

Allergic to real, so fake.

 

[Reg Lllama of Brixton]

I used to think fake tree=fake Christmas too, but let's be honest here. For 95% of us, Christmas is a store-bought, consumer-generated holiday anyway. Few people really still celebrate Christmas for what it was intended, it's just an excuse to take off work, get a little drunk, and hang out with friends and family to let them know you care about them. And there's nothing wrong with that since the entire premise Christmas is based on is probably a fairy tale anyway.Anyway, I digress. I had a real tree every year until I was 33. Eventually, when it was to the point where I'd be paying $60-75 for a real tree rather than the $15-20 it cost me in NJ, I said forget it. Went to Walmart and bought a 6 1/2' fake juniper for $29.76 and got a couple strings of lights and a star to put on it. Total cost was about $40. This will be our 4th year using it and it looks brand new. The only thing I missed was the smell of a real tree, but a $20 investment at Yankee Candle for a "Christmas Wreath" candle solved that problem too.

100% correct. And for some reason none of my 39 cats seems interested in climbing the fake tree as much as a real tree.

 

[Disco Stu]

A real one now and a fake one on clearance after Christmas would cost less than a fake one now.

 

[Thorn]

Hacksaw, quiet road, 10 minutes = free tree.

 

[GroveDiesel]

There's one big negative to a fake pre-lit tree: If something breaks in the lighting, then you have a pre-lit tree that doesn't light anymore. I got a fake tree last year that is a pre-lit tree. Put it up Saturday and it won't light. I've gone back over everything multiple times, replaced the fuse in the plug, and got nothing. So now I have an artificial tree with lots of lights that don't light up. So if I want lights, I'm going to have to go out and buy the lights and string them on my tree that already has lots of unlit bulbs on it.

 

[SPM]

We're doing fake for now but I want to go back to getting real ones when we have kids

 

[SkyRattlers]

It's a great time to buy fake trees now that most of them come pre-strung with lights. I got a 7 foot tree with 400 whites and 400 coloured, and a remote to switch between them or have them all on. The pink light they chose was god awful ugly though so I bought 70-80 more whites and replaced them.

But it's so nice now that I can get the tree up in 30-45 minutes instead of 90+.

 

[shuke]

I will never have a fake tree.

 

[Reg Lllama of Brixton]

I will never have a fake tree.

You obviously love Jesus more than the rest of us.

 

[HopHead]

We went fake for the first time this year. For a real 9' tree we're talking about $75+, no thanks. We actually borrowed a neighbor's extra fake tree that was too big for their living room so I didn't even have to buy the fake tree.

 

[BigJohn]

I will never have a fake tree.

You obviously love Jesus more than the rest of us.

Does Jesus sell real trees?

 

[Harry Manback]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

With tradition being passed over more and more for convenience these days, I'm sticking with the real tree tradition that I grew up with.

We're going out this weekend to get an over-priced, non-pine smelling tree in cold, wet, rainy weather from a local tree farm that has luke-warm hot chocolate and a bumpy tractor ride. Jealous?

 

[whitem0nkey]

I will never have a fake tree.

You obviously love Jesus more than the rest of us.

maybe he is a big fan of Yule (the pagan Sun God)

 

[BigJohn]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

 

[Harry Manback]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Then there's disposal.

 

[BigJohn]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Then there's disposal.

I load it up in my truck and dump it in my parents' pond. Structure for the bluegills. Really though, all I do is but one of those big tree bags for 4 bucks, put it on the floor before the tree and stand, then when we get all the stuff off of it, just pull the bag up and done.

 

[Klimtology]

Real trees are the best by far.

We get a Frasier Fur every year.

 

[Jaysus]

I will never have a fake tree.

You obviously love Jesus more than the rest of us.

WTF does jesus have to do with christmas?

 

[Bill Young]

Allergic to real, so fake.

except that applies to my wife.

 

[Punk]

I will never have a fake tree.

You obviously love Jesus more than the rest of us.

WTF does jesus have to do with christmas?

 

[Reg Lllama of Brixton]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Real Treerive to the lot with the wife. Spend at least 20 minutes walking around while she finds the right tree. I keep looking at the price tags :blink:. After paying $50-60 I get to shove the thing into the back of the SUV. This ensures that there will be needles stuck in places that the car wash guys won't even try to get out.Drive home and unload the thing. Then I get to cut off a couple of inches at the bottom with a hacksaw. Haul it inside and spend 10 minutes on my belly underneath it trying to get it in the stand just right.3 weeks later I get to repeat the process except this time there is 20 times as many needles since the thing is half dead. Drive to the recycling place. Chuck it on the pile and be thankful that you don't have to do it again for another 350 days or so.Fake Tree:Carry the box in from the garage. Spend 5 minutes putting it together. Watch the wife decorate it. 3 weeks later take it apart, put it in the box and put the box in the garage.No contest.

 

[Team]

I say real. Wife says fake. So fake.

 

[Drifter]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Real Treerive to the lot with the wife. Spend at least 20 minutes walking around while she finds the right tree. I keep looking at the price tags :blink:. After paying $50-60 I get to shove the thing into the back of the SUV. This ensures that there will be needles stuck in places that the car wash guys won't even try to get out.Drive home and unload the thing. Then I get to cut off a couple of inches at the bottom with a hacksaw. Haul it inside and spend 10 minutes on my belly underneath it trying to get it in the stand just right.3 weeks later I get to repeat the process except this time there is 20 times as many needles since the thing is half dead. Drive to the recycling place. Chuck it on the pile and be thankful that you don't have to do it again for another 350 days or so.Fake Tree:Carry the box in from the garage. Spend 5 minutes putting it together. Watch the wife decorate it. 3 weeks later take it apart, put it in the box and put the box in the garage.No contest.

Go to Home Depot, pay $32 for a very nice tree that we picked out in under 5 minutes. They fresh cut the base, trim the bottom branches and bale it up. Throw it in the back of my pickup, drive home, stick it in the base, decorate. Have a beautiful, natural tree that makes the house smell awesome.

 

[BigJohn]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Real Treerive to the lot with the wife. Spend at least 20 minutes walking around while she finds the right tree. I keep looking at the price tags :blink:. After paying $50-60 I get to shove the thing into the back of the SUV. This ensures that there will be needles stuck in places that the car wash guys won't even try to get out.Drive home and unload the thing. Then I get to cut off a couple of inches at the bottom with a hacksaw. Haul it inside and spend 10 minutes on my belly underneath it trying to get it in the stand just right.3 weeks later I get to repeat the process except this time there is 20 times as many needles since the thing is half dead. Drive to the recycling place. Chuck it on the pile and be thankful that you don't have to do it again for another 350 days or so.Fake Tree:Carry the box in from the garage. Spend 5 minutes putting it together. Watch the wife decorate it. 3 weeks later take it apart, put it in the box and put the box in the garage.No contest.

Real Tree:Spend a great afternoon with my wife, kids, brother, sister and parents walking around a tree farm, genuinely enjoying ourselves while we find our trees. Still only paying $29 for a soft pine, since the tree farm has been family owned for 50+ years.Drive to the hamburger wagon in Miamisburg, just like the last 20+ years.Spend 10 minutes total with no "belly time", mounting the tree, since I've done this a few times before.Spend another few hours decorating the tree while eating a Marion's pizza, again, just like the last 20+ years.Enjoy 20 or so days of a great smelling living room that brings back memories from my youth.Fake tree:None of the above except decorating the tree.No contest.

 

[Reg Lllama of Brixton]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Real Treerive to the lot with the wife. Spend at least 20 minutes walking around while she finds the right tree. I keep looking at the price tags :blink:. After paying $50-60 I get to shove the thing into the back of the SUV. This ensures that there will be needles stuck in places that the car wash guys won't even try to get out.Drive home and unload the thing. Then I get to cut off a couple of inches at the bottom with a hacksaw. Haul it inside and spend 10 minutes on my belly underneath it trying to get it in the stand just right.3 weeks later I get to repeat the process except this time there is 20 times as many needles since the thing is half dead. Drive to the recycling place. Chuck it on the pile and be thankful that you don't have to do it again for another 350 days or so.Fake Tree:Carry the box in from the garage. Spend 5 minutes putting it together. Watch the wife decorate it. 3 weeks later take it apart, put it in the box and put the box in the garage.No contest.

Real Tree:Spend a great afternoon with my wife, kids, brother, sister and parents walking around a tree farm, genuinely enjoying ourselves while we find our trees. Still only paying $29 for a soft pine, since the tree farm has been family owned for 50+ years.Drive to the hamburger wagon in Miamisburg, just like the last 20+ years.Spend 10 minutes total with no "belly time", mounting the tree, since I've done this a few times before.Spend another few hours decorating the tree while eating a Marion's pizza, again, just like the last 20+ years.Enjoy 20 or so days of a great smelling living room that brings back memories from my youth.Fake tree:None of the above except decorating the tree.No contest.

Yeah but you actually seem to like Christmas. I don't.

 

[wadegarrett]

Real tree. Every year. No contest.

 

[Disco Stu]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Real Treerive to the lot with the wife. Spend at least 20 minutes walking around while she finds the right tree. I keep looking at the price tags :blink:. After paying $50-60 I get to shove the thing into the back of the SUV. This ensures that there will be needles stuck in places that the car wash guys won't even try to get out.Drive home and unload the thing. Then I get to cut off a couple of inches at the bottom with a hacksaw. Haul it inside and spend 10 minutes on my belly underneath it trying to get it in the stand just right.3 weeks later I get to repeat the process except this time there is 20 times as many needles since the thing is half dead. Drive to the recycling place. Chuck it on the pile and be thankful that you don't have to do it again for another 350 days or so.Fake Tree:Carry the box in from the garage. Spend 5 minutes putting it together. Watch the wife decorate it. 3 weeks later take it apart, put it in the box and put the box in the garage.No contest.

Real Tree:Spend a great afternoon with my wife, kids, brother, sister and parents walking around a tree farm, genuinely enjoying ourselves while we find our trees. Still only paying $29 for a soft pine, since the tree farm has been family owned for 50+ years.Drive to the hamburger wagon in Miamisburg, just like the last 20+ years.Spend 10 minutes total with no "belly time", mounting the tree, since I've done this a few times before.Spend another few hours decorating the tree while eating a Marion's pizza, again, just like the last 20+ years.Enjoy 20 or so days of a great smelling living room that brings back memories from my youth.Fake tree:None of the above except decorating the tree.No contest.

Yeah but you actually seem to like Christmas. I don't.

It also sounds like he lives in "Real America". Not all of us are so fortunate.

 

[Reg Lllama of Brixton]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Real Treerive to the lot with the wife. Spend at least 20 minutes walking around while she finds the right tree. I keep looking at the price tags :blink:. After paying $50-60 I get to shove the thing into the back of the SUV. This ensures that there will be needles stuck in places that the car wash guys won't even try to get out.Drive home and unload the thing. Then I get to cut off a couple of inches at the bottom with a hacksaw. Haul it inside and spend 10 minutes on my belly underneath it trying to get it in the stand just right.3 weeks later I get to repeat the process except this time there is 20 times as many needles since the thing is half dead. Drive to the recycling place. Chuck it on the pile and be thankful that you don't have to do it again for another 350 days or so.Fake Tree:Carry the box in from the garage. Spend 5 minutes putting it together. Watch the wife decorate it. 3 weeks later take it apart, put it in the box and put the box in the garage.No contest.

Real Tree:Spend a great afternoon with my wife, kids, brother, sister and parents walking around a tree farm, genuinely enjoying ourselves while we find our trees. Still only paying $29 for a soft pine, since the tree farm has been family owned for 50+ years.Drive to the hamburger wagon in Miamisburg, just like the last 20+ years.Spend 10 minutes total with no "belly time", mounting the tree, since I've done this a few times before.Spend another few hours decorating the tree while eating a Marion's pizza, again, just like the last 20+ years.Enjoy 20 or so days of a great smelling living room that brings back memories from my youth.Fake tree:None of the above except decorating the tree.No contest.

Yeah but you actually seem to like Christmas. I don't.

It also sounds like he lives in "Real America". Not all of us are so fortunate.

Good point. We don't have hamburger wagons here. Just regular hamburger buildings.

 

[belljr]

Never had a real tree my entire life.

We've used to have a fake with no lights and you put the lights on, the last 6 years have been a prelit one.

Looks great.

 

[Ron_Mexico]

Fake

White tree with Florescent blue lights.

It looks LSD trippy with the lights out.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Never had a real tree my entire life.We've used to have a fake with no lights and you put the lights on, the last 6 years have been a prelit one.Looks great.

To me, the pre-lit ones are a waste of money. Buying all the lights, ornaments, garland, etc.. costs about $10-15, while the pre-lit trees are usually anywhere from $50-150 more than the unadorned ones. Seems like a huge waste to me.

 

[belljr]

Never had a real tree my entire life.We've used to have a fake with no lights and you put the lights on, the last 6 years have been a prelit one.Looks great.

To me, the pre-lit ones are a waste of money. Buying all the lights, ornaments, garland, etc.. costs about $10-15, while the pre-lit trees are usually anywhere from $50-150 more than the unadorned ones. Seems like a huge waste to me.

it doesn't come predecorated (ornaments on it, etc)... just the lights. We still put ornaments, garland etc on it. It's a 7 footer that we bought for like $129 6 years ago.I replaced 2 bulbs on it the past 6 years

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Never had a real tree my entire life.We've used to have a fake with no lights and you put the lights on, the last 6 years have been a prelit one.Looks great.

To me, the pre-lit ones are a waste of money. Buying all the lights, ornaments, garland, etc.. costs about $10-15, while the pre-lit trees are usually anywhere from $50-150 more than the unadorned ones. Seems like a huge waste to me.

it doesn't come predecorated (ornaments on it, etc)... just the lights. We still put ornaments, garland etc on it. It's a 7 footer that we bought for like $129 6 years ago.I replaced 2 bulbs on it the past 6 years

That's kinda what I mean, though... you paid $129 for a 7 footer 6 years ago and I paid $29 for a 6 1/2 footer 4 years ago. The only difference seems to be a few strings of lights. I got 2 strings of multicolored lights on special at the supermarket that have like 8 different blinking patterns for $5.99. They take about 10 minutes to put on. Where's the value in the extra $100? The tree I bought looks totally real too, in fact, with the candle burning, you'd never know it was a fake unless you literally walked up and touched it.

 

[belljr]

Never had a real tree my entire life.We've used to have a fake with no lights and you put the lights on, the last 6 years have been a prelit one.Looks great.

To me, the pre-lit ones are a waste of money. Buying all the lights, ornaments, garland, etc.. costs about $10-15, while the pre-lit trees are usually anywhere from $50-150 more than the unadorned ones. Seems like a huge waste to me.

it doesn't come predecorated (ornaments on it, etc)... just the lights. We still put ornaments, garland etc on it. It's a 7 footer that we bought for like $129 6 years ago.I replaced 2 bulbs on it the past 6 years

That's kinda what I mean, though... you paid $129 for a 7 footer 6 years ago and I paid $29 for a 6 1/2 footer 4 years ago. The only difference seems to be a few strings of lights. I got 2 strings of multicolored lights on special at the supermarket that have like 8 different blinking patterns for $5.99. They take about 10 minutes to put on. Where's the value in the extra $100? The tree I bought looks totally real too, in fact, with the candle burning, you'd never know it was a fake unless you literally walked up and touched it.

I agree mine looks real..... wheres' the $100 value???? My wife doesn't complain about putting the lights on.

 

[FatMax]

A real one now and a fake one on clearance after Christmas would cost less than a fake one now.

Nothing now, and a real tree after Christmas would be even less expensive.

 

[fasteddie_21]

So we went looking at 'fake' trees yesterday...

Walmart's are really meh. I mean, they look fake. Same goes w/ the ones @ Sam's Club.

Then we got to Home Depot and they have one that looks fantastic! I mean, it looks real. The downside? $279...granted it comes w/ 1200 clear lights, which is great, but damn...

Gonna hit up Lowe's today and check out their selection then have to make a choice. Man, this sucks. $280 for a tree seems a bit steep to me....

 

[Jaysus]

So we went looking at 'fake' trees yesterday...

Walmart's are really meh. I mean, they look fake. Same goes w/ the ones @ Sam's Club.

Then we got to Home Depot and they have one that looks fantastic! I mean, it looks real. The downside? $279...granted it comes w/ 1200 clear lights, which is great, but damn...

Gonna hit up Lowe's today and check out their selection then have to make a choice. Man, this sucks. $280 for a tree seems a bit steep to me....

If you want a good deal, wait until the 26th before making a purchase.

 

[GroveDiesel]

So we went looking at 'fake' trees yesterday...

Walmart's are really meh. I mean, they look fake. Same goes w/ the ones @ Sam's Club.

Then we got to Home Depot and they have one that looks fantastic! I mean, it looks real. The downside? $279...granted it comes w/ 1200 clear lights, which is great, but damn...

Gonna hit up Lowe's today and check out their selection then have to make a choice. Man, this sucks. $280 for a tree seems a bit steep to me....

If you want a good deal, wait until the 26th before making a purchase.

Actually, if you wait until the week before Christmas you can get great deals as well. My wife and I got ours at Target at about half price a week before Christmas last year. We also had a hard time finding one that looked realistic that was reasonably priced. Kept putting it off until they finally were on sale. Of course, that didn't exactly work all that well since our lights are screwed up this year.

 

[The Juggernaut]

Festivus pole.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

If I bought a fake tree my wife would shoot me.

 

[Broncoholic]

Real tree this year, and buy a fake one for nothin the day after Christmas.

 

[Hov34]

Festivus pole.

This is the correct answer.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Fake tree = fake Christmas.

=money saved, time saved on cleanup/maintenance/can't even tell with some fake trees.I go with fake, I'd rather not deal with the mess from the little needle leaves all over the place.

How much is 30 minutes of my time worth on a Saturday afternoon? If cleanup time is the only thing keeping you from getting a real tree, then you're really missing out.

Real Treerive to the lot with the wife. Spend at least 20 minutes walking around while she finds the right tree. I keep looking at the price tags :blink:. After paying $50-60 I get to shove the thing into the back of the SUV. This ensures that there will be needles stuck in places that the car wash guys won't even try to get out.Drive home and unload the thing. Then I get to cut off a couple of inches at the bottom with a hacksaw. Haul it inside and spend 10 minutes on my belly underneath it trying to get it in the stand just right.3 weeks later I get to repeat the process except this time there is 20 times as many needles since the thing is half dead. Drive to the recycling place. Chuck it on the pile and be thankful that you don't have to do it again for another 350 days or so.Fake Tree:Carry the box in from the garage. Spend 5 minutes putting it together. Watch the wife decorate it. 3 weeks later take it apart, put it in the box and put the box in the garage.No contest.

Go to Home Depot, pay $32 for a very nice tree that we picked out in under 5 minutes. They fresh cut the base, trim the bottom branches and bale it up. Throw it in the back of my pickup, drive home, stick it in the base, decorate. Have a beautiful, natural tree that makes the house smell awesome.

Keep your receipt, and return it on the 26th.