Christmas Trees: Artificial or Natural?
The Christmas Trees Debate Goes On
Each and every year families everywhere step up to the table to have the age-old debate of real Christmas trees vs. artificial ones. Lines are drawn in the sand and family traditions are started. Which side of the divide do you fall on? If you're undecided, here are a few things to keep in mind.
The Cost Factor
Believe it or not, artificial Christmas trees are more affordable than real ones. Sure, you can spend $300 on an artificial and only $40 on a real one, but when you purchase an artificial tree you're only making that payment once. With real trees you have to buy them again year after year after year.
The cost savings of artificial Christmas trees really comes into play when you buy them after the holidays, when they're on sale for fifty or sixty percent off. If you can get a $300 tree for $150 or less, artificial Christmas trees become a lot more affordable than natural ones.
The Safety Issue
Many people felt that live Christmas trees posed a fire hazard and that's why they opted for artificial trees instead. While this may have been true at one point in time, it's really not as much of a concern. As long as you use safe lights that don't give off heat and keep your tree watered and properly maintained, there should be little to no danger of fire.
A Matter of Convenience
When it comes to convenience, artificial and natural Christmas trees are pretty much the same, regardless of what some say. Yes, you have to vacuum up needles, but you don't have to spend hours assembling branches. It's give and take.
So what it comes down to is this... Natural and artificial Christmas trees both have a place in the holiday season. It's all really a matter of personal preference, so figuring out exactly what you like and what your family prefers.