For many households, a Christmas light display is one of those yearly traditions that can eat into the holiday budget. However, for those who don’t want to give up their lights, there are a lot of different ways to save when it comes time to flip the switch and show everyone that your family is really into the Christmas spirit. Click here for a great resource for cheap Christmas lights!
1. Get Your Lights Early… Really Early
If someone knows that they and their family are going to be putting up a bit Christmas light display, there’s no reason to wait until the holiday season and holiday prices are upon them to get the lights they need. Perhaps the best time to buy Christmas lights is right after the end of the Christmas season when everything is on clearance and stores are trying to get rid of the stock they just couldn’t sell. This means that serious shoppers can get bargains on everything, paying only a fraction of what they would have had to pay as little as a few days previously in the exact same store.
2. Long Term Savings With LED Lights
The cost of Christmas lights isn’t just measured in how much they cost to buy and replace, or the effort it takes to put them up in the proper patterns. It’s also measured in the amount of power it takes to light them up for a month or more. It’s for that reason that people who are really, really serious about their Christmas light displays should consider getting LED lights in order to minimize the amount of power they use while maximizing the amount of light they can create.
LED lights are more expensive in the short run, but over time they save the amount of money it costs to have a Christmas display up and running. They also tend to last longer than traditional Christmas lights before they burn out, which makes them a double saver for those willing to invest in them.
3. Use a Timer
It’s one of the smallest devices that someone can use for his or her Christmas lights, but a timer can save someone a lot of money. Rather than letting the lights burn the night through, eating a hole through one’s bank account, a timer can automatically turn the lights off once a certain hour rolls by. Maybe it’s ten o’ clock, or even midnight, but whatever the time is, it stops the lights from burning until dawn. It also means that no one has to go out in the cold and unplug them, or flick the light switch.
4. Buy Online
While it isn’t required, the Internet can save people a lot of money when they decide to buy Christmas lights. The web allows for buying in bulk, it’s often cheaper than buying in stores, and people can comparison shop right from home. That is a combination that simply can’t be beat, and it puts one more, powerful tool in the hands of families trying to save money.
I love Christmas lights, but it’s hard to think about Christmas right now! I feel like it just past. The best time to buy them that I’ve seen is the first week of January. There are some awesome deals.
Another benefit of LED lighting is the price is said to be trending downward as manufacturing technology improves. Economies of scale also put downward pressure on LED prices. Moreover, as the lights gain more market share, this can lower production input costs.
Waiting until after the holiday ends is also good if your existing lights are starting to fade. Christmas lights often go on clearance at pharmacies looking to restock for the next holiday in line. Discount retailers also tend to offer lower prices on light sets you might find for more elsewhere.
LED is the current fad and we have them in our kitchen. They are expensive though and there are newer technologies coming along so I would only put them where it is cost-effective.