Ways to Save Money on Christmas Lights & Decorations

The holidays are truly the best time of the year for many of us. And the kindness of the Christmas spirit becomes infectious when we’re closer to Christmas. But that kindness, sadly, does not extend to your wallet.

The average American spends $1,000 on Christmas every year. That’s a cool amount of cash that can send shivers down the spine of any savvy shopper. Given the hefty budget that Christmas calls for, it’s smart to find ways to save money on Christmas lights and decorations. And we’re here to share 6 great ways to shop for Christmas decorations so that your wallet can enjoy the kindness of the Christmas spirit, too.

Look for Sales Throughout the Year

One of the best ways to save money on Christmas supplies is to plan your needs ahead of time and spread out your spending. Take your time over the first, second or third quarter of the year to purchase your decorations. And pay attention for Christmas in July: many brands have some type of mid-year sale, including Christmas decoration companies. Be sure to sign up for promotional emails so that you never miss out on any seasonal or flash sales.

The kickoff to the holiday season over Thanksgiving and Black Friday means many hot sales, and fierce competition for your business. This makes the question of where to find sales on Christmas decorations easier to answer, but diving into a lot of these enticing offers just might leave your budget begging for mercy.

Why not let your budget breathe easy? Take advantage of Christmas in July sales so that your savings are distributed more evenly throughout the year. This will free up your wallet for spending during the holiday season on Christmas gifts, travel expenses, taking time off of work for sickness, and other holiday-related purchases.

Christmas suppliers can sell out of hot products, too. So buy your decorations early to get ahead of the holiday prep hullabaloo. If you need specific colors, lengths, or amounts for your meticulously planned theme (which we talk about later in this article), buying your supplies in advance will help you make that plan happen without any out-of-stock hiccups.

Also, for where to find sales on Christmas decorations, look for places that have after-Christmas sales. There are sometimes Christmas decoration sales abound during the first quarter in an effort to clear out the last year’s inventory.

Look for Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs take a lot of the guesswork out of where to find deals on Christmas decorations. Loyalty programs reward you with special deals to help you save cash, sometimes on top of existing sales.

And if you’re wondering where to find Christmas light sales, we’ve got you covered: Christmas Designers is the only pro grade Christmas supplier that helps you stack up the savings with our exclusive loyalty program.

Earn awards for purchases, referrals, social media likes, and account anniversaries! Check our rewards page to learn more about one of the best ways to save money on Christmas supplies.

Buy LED Christmas Lights Instead of Incandescent Christmas Lights

It’s hard to stress enough how great LED Christmas lights are. One their most valuable qualities helps where it counts—your wallet. And the savings are substantial. With LED Christmas lights, your energy savings are between 80-90% each year. And it doesn’t take long for the lights to pay for themselves in terms of savings. You can see your return on investment in as little as 2 to 3 years over incandescent lights.

For colored Christmas lights, LED stands clear above incandescent. Colored incandescent lights fade faster due to how they’re created. To create a colored light set, paint is applied to the lens of the incandescent bulbs. This painted lens style is prone to fading from exposure to sun, dirt, and other outdoor elements. LED lights, on the other hand, produce colors from a diode or combination of diodes, resulting in a more pure, saturated hue that doesn’t fade over time. LED Christmas lights also shine brighter than incandescent lights, glowing up your holiday displays in shining brilliance. Keep these benefits of LED lights in mind when you look for where to find Christmas light sales.

Buy Professional Grade Christmas Lights and Décor vs. Retail Grade Christmas Décor

Spend a little more up front to save more money in the long run.

Professional grade lights such as 5mm wide angle conical lights use high-quality components, and their one-piece design prevents water and debris from finding its way into the sockets. This one-piece design in pro grade lights improves their durability. And with more durable lights, you’ll need far fewer replacements in the future. And you’ll encounter much less fading or electrical failure when you use pro grade Christmas lights for your yard and displays. There are also light options that offer even more weather protection, such as coaxial conical lights with watertight seals.

Pro grade lights also offer superior brightness and color quality. It's easy to see by comparison that pro grade 5mm conical lights completely dwarf the brightness and hue of retail grade T5 lights. There's no wonder why thousands of home decorators choose commercial grade LED lights for their outdoor display.

For the best results, use the best lights. Choose the same lights that professional Christmas lights installers use to get the most out of your displays.

Take Down and Store Your Holiday Decorations with Care

Much of the wear and tear that Christmas lights and other decorations suffer from happens during the take-down stage. Lights that are ripped from their place and thrown down carelessly can be damaged in the process. The way you take down your decorations has a major impact on their lifespan. And if you can extend the life of your decorations, you can save good money in the long-run.

Take care of your pro grade decorations properly and you’ll get many joyful holiday seasons out of them. Pro grade Christmas decorations last around 6-8 years, but special care can result in up to 10 years of wonderful life with them.

Decorations stored improperly are prone to damage and degradation, and will have to be replaced more frequently. Replacing large objects like trees or outdoor decorations is sure to eat up your decoration budget faster than Santa Claus eats cookies on Christmas night. And depleting your budget for the current season leaves you less to splurge with for next year.

So avoid storing your decorations wet. And don’t leave bows or ornaments out longer than a season, as the colors are vulnerable to UV damage and fading.

Plan Your Indoor and Outdoor Christmas Theme Ahead of Time

Santa’s workshop prepares for Christmas almost all year-long (except January). And it always goes off without a hitch. Therefore, we suggest taking a cue from Saint Nick himself: plan early and prepare accordingly.

When you’re prepared early, you’ll waste less time and money on costly mistakes. You’ll also be able to commit to a well-formed vision, rather than going through the confusion of changing plans on the fly.

If you find it difficult to commit to a theme for a few years, consider empty socket light line. This lets you swap out the bulb color so you can get a different look for the next season. Your green Grinch C9 lights and theme can easily be converted into a multicolor marvel or a red/white gingerbread theme—all you need are new bulbs.

Also make sure to order enough supplies for your best Christmas yet. Shipping fees add up with additional orders for items like extra clips and bulbs. Likewise, time and gas money is fleeting when you make multiple trips to the store. So put together a comprehensive plan that includes every bit of supplies you can think of for your holiday season’s dream theme. Remember: it’s always easier to strike off what isn’t needed on your list instead of ordering more.

Our ways to save money on Christmas supplies will help you put that extra cash toward other important purchases for the holidays. Stay in the know about our sales throughout the year by signing up for our emails. And start earning awards today: create your rewards account with us here.