If you happen to live in a neighborhood where people enjoy decorating the outside of their homes for the holidays you may find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sure, decorating with an exterior Christmas decoration or two can get you in the holiday spirit, but when it becomes a contest between dueling neighbors it can quickly skyrocket into a high cost endeavor.
Im guilty of being one of those people who goes all out when it comes to decorating for Christmas. I have the prescribed strings of lights, a Santa Clause statue and even a few plastic reindeer adorning the front of my home. Every year I try and add at least one new exterior Christmas decoration to my arsenal, so that I can better compete with everyone else on my block.
It doesnt have to be an expensive investment though and I found out the best way to ensure this is the case. Purchasing a new exterior Christmas decoration each year after the holidays pass is going to save you money. If you were to buy that exact same exterior Christmas decoration in early December youd expect to pay full price. Once the New Year rolls around, youll enjoy a huge savings.
One of the most popular decorations that youll see during the holiday season is lights. These small and vibrant lights adorn not only the interior Christmas tree but also the exterior of your home as well. Many people utilize these blue, red, or white lights as an exterior Christmas decoration on their home or an outside spruce tree. Again, purchasing these lights after the holiday season means an instant savings, in some cases as much as half price.
Another tip I found that saves me money is to make some of the items myself. If you arent a crafty individual, dont fear. You can certainly still make a nice exterior Christmas decoration with just a large cardboard box and some gift wrap. All you need to do is reinforce the box with some packing tape, running it along the outside so the box doesnt cave in. Then wrap the box up in brightly colored, holiday themed gift wrap and presto, youve just made a great looking and very inexpensive exterior Christmas decoration.
Garage and estate sales can also be wonderful resources when it comes to finding all things Christmas. Often times when people move or downgrade to a smaller property theyll sell large items so they dont have to transport them to their new home. You can often find a very inexpensive exterior Christmas decoration or two at these sales.
Getting into the holiday spirit is always fun and when you decorate your home it makes it even more so. Dont overlook the outside of your home this year when December rolls around, instead find a cute exterior Christmas decoration or two to reflect how you feel about the season. You never know you just may encourage others to do the same.
