Best times to buy your tree

Christmas tree prices peak around Thanksgiving and mostly fall thereafter, new data shows.

Why it matters: Timing your annual purchase can be a balance between cost and how long you'll get to enjoy your tree.

By the numbers: The average Christmas tree went for a high of around $131 on Thanksgiving last year, then fell to about $55 by Christmas Eve.

• That's based on data from payments firm Square, which gathered info from more than 3,000 countrywide tree merchants.

Zoom in: Michigan is the U.S.'s third-largest harvester of Christmas trees, Bridge Michigan reports. 

• Farms here are expected to sell out quickly, as real trees have regained their popularity in recent years, per Bridge.

💭 Annalise's thought bubble: I recently bought my first real Christmas tree as an adult at a farm in the thumb for $95, at 7.5 feet tall.

• It's definitely more than I expected to pay, but we do what we must when we want a live tree.