The last time I bought a Christmas tree, President Clinton was still in office. It's a slim one that has served me well,

but now that I have more room for a larger tree, After Christmas, I'll try to sell it or maybe I'll give it to a family member.

Yesterday, I started scouting out what's new. Target and even Bachman's on Lyndale already have their trees discounted 50 percent. I've also seen several people buying real trees. I've wondered if they're getting a discount with less than a week before Christmas. I found a nice fake one at Bachman's that's out of my price range, so I asked if they would be marked down more on Dec. 26. An employee said they would probably go to 75 percent off. Perfect.

Bachman's prices on trees are a lot higher than Target's, but at Bachman's Lyndale store, I found flocked fakes, 9-ft. trees, a wider variety of needle choices and a large selection of pre-lit trees with energy-saving LED lights on them. Most pre-lit trees are still using the conventional mini-lights.

By Friday or Saturday this week you can probably get your real Christmas tree free. Who waits until the last minute to grab a tree? Do sellers just leave them there with a handmade sign saying "FREE TREES. MERRY CHRISTMAS"? I'd like to hear from last minute buyers of real trees.

If you're considering an artificial tree on Dec. 26, the ones already at half-off will probably be 75 percent off. Target usually discounts its holiday decor 90 percent in early January. Maybe the 90 percent off will come a little earlier this year.

Merry Merry.