A SHOPPER has shared how he bagged a £70 B&M Christmas tree for just £8 – from an unexpected place that everyone should check.
Rather than in his local discount store, the man found the festive must-have in a charity shop.
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Taking to Facebook to share his success, Corey wrote: “So worth checking your charity shops for trees.
“£8 for this B&M one, £70 sticker on the box and looks fab.
“So much cheaper than buying new.”
The post, shared to the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group, racked up 176 reacts, with many users also agreeing in the comments.
One said: “Agree. Lots of great items in my local charity shop.”
Another shared their own experience, writing: “I bought our 7ft Christmas tree from a bootfair in the summertime quite a few years ago, it’s was a bargain at £1.50, and it’s still going strong.”
A third echoed: “I got my 7ft one brand new in the box from the charity shop for £5 originally from B&Q!”
However, another joked that they hadn’t been so lucky, writing: “I had the 7.5ft version of this tree with gold glitter.
“It was such a lovely tree, but I couldn’t cope with the amount of glitter that was coming off it.
“It took me a nearly a year to get rid of it all.”
It comes after a savvy Facebook user left others stunned when she revealed her very simple trick that gives her artificial tree a fuller look.
Posting on the same group, which boasts 2.6million members, Sandra said: “The lower third of my tree, I move the branches over to the front.
“This helps me place the tree closer to the wall and always makes the tree look fuller.
“Not a bargain just a hack. I’ve done this for a few years now.”
Sharing a before and after picture of the tree, Sandra’s tree looks immediately fuller with no gaps visible between the branches.
Things to consider when choosing where to put your Christmas tree
Before you head out to find the perfect tree for the season, there are some things to consider, the experts at Christmas Tree World have said.
- Visibility: The tree should be placed where it can be enjoyed, whether from the sofa in the living room or while hosting dinner. Think about the room’s layout and how much of the tree will be visible from various angles.
- Foot traffic: Consider people’s movement. Make sure your tree isn’t blocking doorways, hallways, or areas with high foot traffic.
- Heat sources: Avoid placing your Christmas tree near heat sources like radiators or fireplaces. Not only can this pose a safety hazard, but it can also dry out the tree, affecting both real and artificial Christmas trees over time.
- Furniture: Consider the layout of your furniture. You don’t want to overcrowd the room, so ensure there’s still enough space to move around once the tree is up.
- Power source: If you’re going to hang lights on your tree, or you’ve chosen a pre-lit Christmas tree, with its own lights built in, make sure it’s near an outlet to avoid unsightly extension cords or tripping hazards.
Top charity shop tips for bagging a bargain
Ross Dutton has been a manager for Crisis’s charity shops for four years and currently runs the charity’s Finsbury Park shop in London.
Choose your area – As a rule of thumb, the posher the area, the better quality the clothes that are donated.
Don’t hang around – If you see something you like, buy it, as it’ll likely be gone when you come back
Look out for cut-off labels – Some of your favourite high street stores will have deals with local charity shops to donate stock that isn’t sold during their own sales. Often part of the deal is that they need to cut the labels off the clothes.
Stay at home – While some charities have their own site, like Oxfam and Crisis. many also sell from dedicated eBay stores, such as British Heart Foundation and Scope. You won’t get the range of bargains that you would get in a physical store, but if you’re looking for something specific it may be worth checking online too.