Cutting the ax to the dictatorship of the tree is a good start. The decoration portion is the easiest budget item to eliminate in 2023.
According to the Association of Christmas Tree Producers of Quebec, this year you will have to pay $80 to $120 for a 6 to 8 foot premium quality natural tree.
If you already have your artificial tree, the problem is solved. For others, a quick look at Pinterest will show you how easy it is to find another solution.
The big societal trend is towards diversity? Apply the concept to the Christmas tree. Whether it is created with garlands of lights hung on the wall in the shape of a tree or formed with a triangle made with ropes and branches. The idea that is sure to impress your guests is that of the stack of books arranged like a tree and decorated with lights, balls or garlands.
“I save the trees,” Marcia Pilote said in an interview. The author, actress and columnist goes on a trash spree in her region every Sunday and talks about her finds on social networks.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Marcia Pilote
I don’t know what’s happening this year, but I picked up several artificial trees that were still good in the original boxes. It’s crazy, the number I found, and of all sizes.
Marcia Pilote, author, actress and columnist
Marcia Pilote displays these trees on her Facebook page, will take them to the community counter or to the Filles d’Isabelle. Because the author of the book series Life as I like it doesn’t make a Christmas tree. “I love vintage Christmas baubles, I have accumulated several over the years,” she says. I put them on vintage plates that I place around the house. It ends there! »
Five tips to get there
- Do you have an artificial tree? Don’t change it! Camouflage damaged branches with decorations.
- Borrow excess decorations from your friends. They often have more than they need!
- Dig through the abandoned decorations in grandma’s, grandpa’s, your aunts’ and uncles’ closets.
- Visit Marketplace, your city’s Pay It Forward group on Facebook, and donation sites: many people are getting rid of their trees and decorations right now.
- Keep an eye on inheritances: families who empty a house get rid of decorations.
ARGUMENT
“If you really have $1,000 to put into a tree and its decorations, take that money and give it to those who have nothing to eat,” suggests Marcia Pilote. The magic of Christmas also means ensuring that everyone can spend the holiday season with dignity. I also get uncomfortable when I see the houses lit up with decorations and all that money spent on electricity. »