The halls are decked, snow is on the ground and twinkling lights line the frames of many homes in neighborhoods across the city.

It’s really beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Problem is, it’s the end of January, people.

I understand snow and ice have all but buried many of us alive inside our houses over the past month. Taking Christmas lights down outside would have been next to impossible. In fact, the lights are still up on my house.

However, how hard is it to unplug the extension cord or flip the light switch?

A post-Christmas spending survey conducted by Consumer Reports revealed that U.S. consumers spent an average of $811 on gifts during the 2009 season, which was $112 “over budget” based on the results of its pre-Christmas poll. This first survey found that on average, shoppers planned to spend $699 per household on gifts. About one-fifth of respondents ended up spending $1,000 or more on gifts.

Consumer Reports found that overall, 81 percent of consumers purchased gifts, although this figure rose to 94 percent when households earning over $100,000 were factored in. Twenty-six percent of households earning less than $50,000 did not purchase Christmas gifts.

Christmas trees don’t eat much.

And other than during the holiday season each year, they don’t generate much cash flow, either.

Add a petting zoo and some reindeer to those trees, though, and there is the potential to have a nearly year-round operation, said Theresa Michaelis, co-owner of Bentz Road Farm in Kenosha County and a board member of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association.

Barb Morgan, who with her husband runs Morgan’s Trees and Wreaths, looks through decorative ribbons at the Northwoods Evergreen display during the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers convention Friday. Photo by Michael Spears

Money was almost nonexistent in our home during the Depression.

Dad was a great provider, always the hard-working optimist, but little was left over for extras, much less presents.

He was a building contractor, not that anyone was building anything, and had acquired a large metal holding tank that he stored behind our home.

A few days before Christmas, a man passing by saw the tank, had a need for it, and offered Dad $15.

Christmas for the five Anderson children that year was magical.

Toys, dolls and games galore under our sappy dripping Florida pine tree.