sweet cheeses. £40 for a very average christmas tree.

[TaggieCrimboBlack]

not even a fancy non-droppy one. Not even a 15 ft bigun.

40 whole bloody pounds.

Go to Ikea today or next Saturday. Not sure what they're like but they're £25 and you get a £20 voucher to spend in January

I bought an artificial one about 10 years ago. DH thought I was mad because it cost about £140 but it is looking good now! Damn thing needs a degree in engineering to assemble though!

I don't like plastic ones much. I am beginning to see the appeal though.

I'm thinking plastic this year, one that looks real though. Although storing it's a pain. We buy real usually from our pet shop, around £20 to £25 not more. Only 6ft high though but nice and bushy.

snap viper and i love my tree - its big and bushy and looks brill - i always used to get real ones and the faff each year drove me mad so i splashed out on a really good artificial one....

i wouldnt go back to real ones now.

Sounds like we have similar trees Vicar, mine is one of the big, bushy ones too. I hate spindly trees and mine always looks ace especially when decorated to within an inch of its life!

Used to get a real tree from nearby forest but they got too expensive. Have a very realistic artificial one now which is a lot less hassle and much cheaper in the long run.

£40 is about par for the course I think.

I still think it is worth it - I love a real tree. We got an artificial one that we used for a couple of years when DD was toddling but I much prefer the real thing. They smell so much nicer.

When I was a kid we always had this spindly little thing, my mum wouldn't have a real one as she said it would make too much mess. One year the neighbours gave us a real one because they unexpectedly found themselves with two. It was lovely - but when we came to take it out it dropped its needles a bit and mum went frantic and said it had left "a trail of destruction" and "never again!" You can probably tell she was rather houseproud.

Anyway, ever since I have been and adult I have enjoyed the real tree experience and to hell with a few needles......

We spend a lot of money for a real, non needle dropping, massive tree. It costs £80, but I just love them, they smell so gorgeous! We start putting a bit of money aside for it each year after the new years school uniforms are bought

I think about £40 is round about right now

I did a ring round to other day to try and get a couple of freebies for school and was told there's a shortage this year

We bought a gorgeous 8ft fake jobbie a couple of years ago in the sales. It looks real and cost about £60

I love real ones but I'm allergic to them

Pot-grown trees are currently £15 at Asda!

We paid £40 today of our real tree but it is over 6ft, non drop and very beautiful. The fella was trying to tell me same tree would cost £100 in London? ;)

Mine is in a pot and I have had it for about six years. It cost £25 originally. I have repotted it about three times. I think this may be our last year with it though coming inside..it has taken on a strange shape....one long arm like an old man reaching out to grab you and some balder bits at the bottom. Also, if I have to repot it again...I am never going to be able to lug it into the house!

I do love it though!

DP arrived home with one today 15 quid on the outskirts of London, it's a regular one so it may not last without losing all its needles (DP is new to the idea of real trees, and seemed to miss my hints that 2nd really is too early!) but it's a good price and a good tree so well worth it.

I could do without, but would absolutely do without if the alternative was a real one - the whole point to me is bringing real outdoor trees inside. So I do think 40 sounds excessive!

They are expensive. We have two medium/large sized ones every year. Put up and the lights put on. Plus a wreath plus the bannister and two fireplaces dresses. It is expensive but imo it is worth it because it deals with one bit of hassle. Failing that, I get an artificial one - couldn't be arsed with the effort and expense if we were on a budget.

5foot5 - laughing hard at your mums trail of destruction .
She has it spot on but I would still never have a fake one! Love the look and smell of ours, and the DDs like taking in turns to pick every year too.
They are expensive and getting more so every year, i've noticed it goes up by on average a fiver or so every year. Not a big difference really, but we started out by getting a 6ft one for around £60, and last year DP said they were averaging around £75-£80.
We love having it though, the wreath too and the fireplace dress look so beautiful and make the house smell gorgeous so sod the expense, it won't drive me to getting a fake!