LAKE ELMO, Minn. — With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, its officially time to deck the halls, and across the metro it'll be the perfect weekend for it weather wise.
"Yeah, nice and warm, unbelievable," said Kevin and Kelsey O'Neil as they were out shopping for a tree Friday evening.
If you're like the O'Neil's you may find yourself outside at a Christmas tree farm.
"We just like the vibe, it's a cute setup and its fun to get into the Christmas spirit," said Kelsey.
But before you get to rocking around the Christmas tree, you may want to make sure your holiday budget is in line with what it's going to cost you.
Real trees are up 5-15% from last year, according to the Real Christmas Tree Board, with the average tree now about $85 to $93.
Christmas tree farmers say there are several factors contributing to an increase in prices for trees this year, whole sale costs are up, the price of fuel for things like tractors is up and fertilizers are pretty pricey too.
For John Krueger...
“Business has been good.”
Owner of Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm in Lake Elmo...
"We've done our best to try to control all those costs," said Krueger. "Our trees are up maybe five or ten percent over last year but a lot of it is just because of those costs we can't avoid."
But even with a slight increase...
"In the recession 10, 12 years ago, people still came out and bought trees, our numbers were very consistent so we know that Christmas trees are something people want to have in their house, and even if it costs $5, $10, $20 more, they're willing to do that," explained Krueger.
A will to deck the halls this holiday season, keeping the Christmas spirit alive no matter the cost.
"Worth the investment to get the, we like the real trees, yeah!," said the O'Neil's.
Experts say when it comes to Christmas tree shortages, those tend to be more localized, so make sure you reach out to your local tree farmer if there's a specific type of tree you want in a specific height.
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