Logan is sparkling like a Christmas tree, its streets coming alive as more and more homes are dressed in festive lights and decorations.
But in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, some families may be reluctant or unable to splurge on lights and inflatables.
So a couple of the city’s Christmas buffs have laid out all the tips and tricks for locals looking to deck-out their residence.
Ash and Tash Beattie have been decorating their Eagleby home for three years – each year getting bigger and better.
They now have 26 inflatables on their front lawn, including a four-metre tall gingerbread man, a depiction of Rudolph’s pub, a snowman with a brain freeze, dinosaurs, dogs, reindeers and more.
The couple said they lost count of the money they had spent on decorations, but estimate it to be several thousand at least.
With prices ranging from $30 to $400-plus per inflatable, Mr Beattie said it was possible to do it for cheap.
“Some are cheap, some are dear,” he said.
“Shop at Bunnings, cheap shops, Big W, online.”
He said it was also important to jump on deals when you see them.
“Wait until after Christmas, but usually there are not a lot left, so you have to get in early if you want them,” Mr Beattie said.
Another way of saving money on decorations is to take good care of them.
Mr and Mrs Beattie said the decoractions last longer if you keep them dry and covered from the weather.
“Every night it usually rains here, so we put them down and cover them with plastic,” Mr Beattie said.
“It protects the motors and keeps the colour from fading.”
Mrs Beattie said that if the motors die, your best bet is to look for a new ones on Ebay or Temu, or even use motorised air-bed pumps.
In addition to all the inflatables, the Beattie house is covered in thousands of lights.
There are 1500 lights on the roof alone.
But Mr Beattie said it doesn’t hurt the energy bill, with most of the lights powered by solar and the others LED.
While the couple has run out of room on their lawn and “lost count” of money spent on decorations, they said it was all worth it “for the kids”.
“My husband didn’t have a really good childhood growing up, and he wanted to give it back to the kids now that he can,” Mrs Beattie said.
She said their festive cheer was also inspired by her husband’s battle with stage three throat cancer in 2019, which gave him a “second lease on life”.
Now the couple spends their evenings on their front lawn, dressed up in their Christmas outfits waving to local families and handing out candycanes.
“Closer to Christmas, the kids all come out in droves,” Mrs Beattie said.
“If their parents don’t stop when they drive by, you can literally hear them squealing as they go past.”
