How to Save Money on Christmas Lights

It seems that the holiday season has become synonymous with the image of trees and houses aglow with Christmas lights. While these images are pretty, they're also expensive. Some people spend over a few thousand dollars each year on the Christmas lights that they use to decorate their house. And no matter how good you are about taking care of your Christmas lights, there's a big chance that they'll be ruined by the weather or that a fuse will burn out. Our question is, "why spend money on something that might only work for two years or less?"

To save money on Christmas lights, follow some of the suggestions below. Why not use some of the money you save toward some extra presents to go under the tree this year?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Buy them used. A lot of people will have garage sales or moving sales where they'll be selling a ton of Christmas lights for unbelievable prices. If you know how to haggle, you might be able to get a couple hundred dollars worth of Christmas lights for $50 or less.
   
   The only thing to be wary of when buying Christmas lights used is to make sure that they work. Ask the people selling the lights if you can use a plug in their front or back yard to see if the lights function properly. If they're not willing to let you test out the lights, be suspicious. If you don't want to take the chance, simply walk away and follow some of the other suggestions we provide to save money on Christmas lights.

2. Do a swap. People tend to get tired of their Christmas decorations very quickly and are just dying to get some new decorations to spruce up their home during the holiday season. Organize a group of your friends or co-workers and do a decoration swap. You can get rid of some of your old Christmas lights (make sure they still work!) or various Christmas decorations and score some new Christmas lights from a friend or co-worker who doesn't want their Christmas lights anymore.

3. Buy them on clearance. Oftentimes, Christmas lights are one of the most heavily discounted items during day after Christmas sales. If you don't intend to use new Christmas lights until next year, this is the best way to get Christmas lights for an amazing price. The other plus is that the Christmas lights are brand new, so you shouldn't have to worry about whether they're going to work or not.

4. Ask for them. Tired of receiving ties or poorly fitting sweaters from relatives? Why not send out a note to friends and family that this year you could really use some Christmas lights instead of their well-meaning gifts. Chances are that your friends and family will be relieved to have an easy gift to shop for, and that they'll be happy to know that they're getting you something that you really want.

[casey77]

on 12/30/2008 I found the a good website that offers deep discounts on Christmas Lights, and Tree Storage solutions. I called them and talked to the lady on the phone to see if the pricing was correct, and she assured me that they were. Nice Website, Courteous People. I will order from them again.

Casey

[Bfastattiffanys]

on 11/10/2008 Swapping is a great idea. Nice article! *****