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How to dispose of a Christmas tree?Your local municipal will start collecting the Christmas trees in January. Disposing of the Christmas tree in Germany varies from state to state. In Germany's capital, Berlin, disposing of the tree is straightforward. You must remove all the decorations and put the tree on the sidewalk. Ensure that you are not blocking the way. The local garbage collection authorities will pick the tree for free on the pickup date. But in other states like Stuttgart, you must take the tree to one of the many collection points communicated by the municipal authorities. To find out how to dispose of the Christmas tree in your city, Google "Weihnachtsbaum abholung <city name>." Here, we share how to dispose of Christmas trees in major German cities. How do you dispose of a Christmas tree in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt?As mentioned already, leave the tree on the sidewalk up to 2 days before the pickup date. You can find the exact collection date on the municipal authority's website.
NOTE: The garbage authorities pick up trees up to 2 meters long. So, you must chop the bigger trees before putting them on the sidewalk. For Frankfurt, you must chop the tree so that the pieces are a maximum of 1 meter. How do you dispose of a Christmas tree in Munich?Bring the Christmas to one of the collection points from 7 Jan to 4 Feb 2025. You can find the nearest collection point here. Save hundreds of euros in private health insuranceWith the recent increase in public health insurance premiums, private health insurance has become even more attractive for high earners. You can save between 100€ and 700€ per month. This converts to 1200€ and 8400€ per annum in savings. Here are some calculations showing how much you can save by switching to private health insurance.
NOTE: Getting private health insurance is a lifelong decision. You cannot return to public health insurance later, so always think long-term before making the switch. Calculation 1: Single high earnersWe have made the following assumptions for this calculation.
Here are the savings. Calculation 2: High-earning employee with a familyWe have made the following assumptions for this calculation.
Calculation 2 needs some explanation. As of 2025, the maximum amount employers can contribute to your health insurance premium is capped at 570€. Moreover, the employer won't pay more than 50% of the actual health insurance premium. This is why, in the table above, the employer contributed 350€ (700/2) to your private health insurance premium. The good news is that the remaining employer's contribution can be used to pay for your children's private health insurance. The same rules apply here. This is why the employer contributed 60€ (120/2) per child. Calculation 3: High-earning self-employed with a familyWe have made the following assumptions for this calculation.
Should you switch to private health insurance?Like German health insurance, the answer to this question is complicated. Several factors must be considered before deciding. This is why, we recommend consulting a fee-based advisor or an insurance broker for personalized advice. Moreover, they are liable for their advice. This means you can sue them if they offer the wrong advice.
NOTE: Always get the insurance advice from an insurance broker in writing. If you feel cheated by the broker in the future, you can use it as proof in court. We have also created a checklist that you can use during your call. The checklist contains all the essential services a good private health insurance policy should cover. Ask your insurance broker to fill out the checklist and sign it. You can book a call with the insurance broker we recommend here. Community Shoutouts!It's 2025. 🥳 We hope you had a relaxing holiday season and a great start to the new year. We wish that the best of your last year be the worst of this new year. :-)
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GermanPedia
Learn something new about Germany every day. We cover every aspect of life in Germany: insurance, tax, real estate, schooling, scams, etc.