...to think that having Christmas lights in your garden...

[Fraidylady]

...is like making a bonfire with £10 notes?

But it's purty.

Bah humbug.

One £10 note maybe, over the entire Christmas period!

It's worth it.

*disclaimer, we only have white dangles outside the drink door and in a tree.

Fraidy I know exactly what you mean.

I would say though that we are considering putting some up this year. I am not a huge fan but I have noticed how much the dcs enjoy them elsewhere.

Living in the NE of Scotland we are also experiencing shorter and shorter days and it does lift the spirits a little when it is dark and gloomy outside.

My compromise is to try solar lights. We don't yet know if they will soak up enough UV during the day to light up at night but it seemed the least wasteful economically and environmentally.

There is a balance between the bank account and the spirit too.

I love seeing them. We stopped driving on a street last night and got out to view someones garden - it was fabulous! I don't do it myself as I'd be hopeless getting all those lights up outside (wouldn't know where to start). I have quite a few lights inside and around the windows though. Electricity doesn't even cross my mind to be honest.

I had the same thought on the way home from work tonight , My DC would love it, my current bank balance and current great savings in electricity would hate it so a Christmas tree in the window Christmas week will have to do.

Well aren't you just full of the christmas spirit!

Methe that is not outdoor Christmas decorations, you need to start at the garden gate and finish at the chimney pot and fill every space in between. It must be seen from the moon at least

Methe, you have a drink door ?

We do our garden every year, every available space in the garden and on the house and the fence is covered with lights, rope lights , blow moulds etc - we just love it! The kids love it to of course

Cant say we every worry about the cost

This year for the first time we have contacted a local charity and have a tin and are collecting money.

Think National Lampoons.........only better!

Everyone needs a drink door.. Hic!

A freid puts out lights, candy canes and baubles every year. It always gets admiring looks from everyone that goes past. She spent all afternoon yesterday getting her garden just right then woke up this morning to find some scumbag has broken or stolen the lot. :(

The street near me that does it raises thousands for charity each year asking people to donate

I don't mind as long as they're not blue - I get worried there's an accident

You can get solar powered ones.

That's horrible, kipper.

Poor thing.

Solstice powered more like.

We have solar powered ones.

If you do them with LEDs it's nowhere near as bad as traditional lights .... I wouldn't but I love these guys ones www.holdman.com/christmas/video/ puts me in the festive spirit every year

I think they look lovely but don't do it myself as I close the curtains and would not get the benefit. I do however have a veritable fairy grotto on my patio of solar lights and leave the back curtains open until its well dark to admire them.

We've ordered some solar powered ones- no idea if they will work but fab reviews on amazon. Can't wait

We've ordered some solar powered ones- no idea if they will work but fab reviews on amazon. Can't wait

I do like them but the really flashy ones can a nightmare for those with certain kinds of epilepsy. The ones that slowly change colour as so much nicer.