Are real or fake Christmas trees cheaper?

Virgin Radio

7 Dec 2022, 13:02

If you haven't purchased a tree yet, it can be a big decision to make.

With the cost of living crisis continuing, many people are looking for ways to cut costs, but still want to celebrate.

Some are looking to cook their turkey in a slow cooker, others are crafting presents at home.

So which is cheaper, an artificial or real tree?

Artificial trees can vary wildly in price and quality, from £20 up to the £300s.

However, one thing to bear in mind is they last a lot longer, with most quality trees lasting for 10 years on average.

This might work out as a saving, depending on how much the real ones are, if you're splashing out every year.

Some people also love a themed tree, preferring to buy a rainbow-hued artificial one instead of going for the real green one.

If you fancy that fresh-tree scent in your home, you can pick up a real Christmas tree.

Aldi are selling real trees from £14.99.

However, Music Magpie found a real tree costs an average of £84.99.

Chairman of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association Rory Young gave some advice to The Guardian.

He said: "The best way of getting a cost-effective real tree is buying local and British-produced – that way, you are cutting out all the transport costs of imported trees. If people hunt around, there are trees out there to suit most budgets."

Dan Whittaker, Personal Finance Expert at CashLady.com told Metro: "Whilst the up-front cost of artificial trees can be more expensive, they work out cheaper to purchase in the long-run because they can be reused for several years.”  

"The average consumer uses their artificial Christmas tree for ten years and some retailers even offer lifetime guarantees on their Christmas trees meaning that the one purchase could last even longer."

"It’s important to weigh up the price that you typically pay for a real tree against what you’d be looking for in an artificial Christmas tree.

" For example, if you typically pay around £25 for a real tree, that will add up to £250 over a ten-year period. For £250 you could buy a high-quality artificial Christmas tree with a lifetime guarantee, making it a much better and cost-effective purchase in the long run.

"If your tree is kept in good condition you could even sell it when you’re looking to upgrade for some extra cash!"