HUSH! I know my dad is immediately thinking... UH OH!
But anyway... I love Christmas Cards. I love getting them, I love sending them, I love creating them (or having them created). But, I have been thinking. I sure do waste a lot of money on Christmas Cards. I waste a lot of money on cards that are precious to me, but I know are not saved and cherished by everyone else. Don't get me wrong, I personally scrapbook all the cards I receive, and I love seeing the kids change and grow over the years. But, how many of you save the cards you get past January?
I typically get around 80-100 cards printed, and by the time I mail them out I usually spend way more then I am prepared to document. In fact, it just occured to me that we could just about sponsor a child at the orphanage in Nicaragua for what I spend on Christmas Cards each year.
So, I am thinking... what if I DON'T do cards this year? There are so many good things that I could do with that money, good things that mean something to someone else.
Comments, thoughts... anyone care to join me?
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16 comments:
I've been considering the same thing, and I haven't made a final decision yet. How about you take a picture of your family and place it on the blog. I too keep old Christmas cards from year to year. I place them in a ziploc bag and put them away with the decoration every year. I usually go through them when I get out the decorations.
I love getting cards. They grace my refrigerator all year until we receive new ones the following December - they just make me smile. But they do get expensive. I've scaled my card list (who I send to) back over the years - of course I've also added in a lot of new adoption friends but I stopped sending them to so many people who had been on my list forever but I suspected I should be letting go of. I might give them up entirely but since we moved so far away from all of our friends and family last year I feel obligated.
PREACH ON SISTER !!!! I definatly agree. Christmas cards, 1 Starbucks a WEEK less, I family dinner a month .... by "sacrificing" any of these things, we could feed and provide for an beautiful child either here or in Nicaragua.
Ashley, I am thinking this too. Plus, would it not take a load off of us??? What if we encouraged our readers to do a bloggy Christmas card? I was planning on designing ours on PhotoShop anyway, so I could just post it on the blog and be done with it! :) It is a thought. And then we could put some options such as CCM out there as an alternative. Great, great post!
Personally, cards that I get with pictures are saved. The others are tossed. I love looking at the kiddos get older.
Yet, if given the choice, I'd sponsor a child. Having grown up from a poor country, I remember and know what it's like to not have.
Well, I love to get friends cards - especially if they have cute photos on them. However, true about the cost... what about an e-card? Or - maybe just don't do the ones that are quite as expensive.
I'm glad you made that decision after your AMAZINGLY CREATIVE, TALENTED, SUPER-EASY-TO-WORK-WITH personalized greeting card designer decided she was going to stop designing cards this year. :-) HA!
I save the cards if they have pictures on them. I hear ya though, it's a lot of time and effort for something most people throw away. I would say that I would join you, but it's our first christmas to send cards with Dylan on them.
I do have most of my old photo cards in a box (I am trying to ignore the part where you said you had yours scrapbooked!). My sister-in-law suggested putting your cards together after Christmas and throughout the year pick one out and pray for that family on that day. We haven't done this yet, but I think it is a great idea.
Anyway - could you still "create" your card and post it on the blog?? You are right that we could do so much more with a-lot of our $ this time of year. Good luck, I know it is hard to change tradition.
T.P.
Sounds like a plan. Except for me of course, I will still have to have a picture of all my guys dressed up and looking spiffy. Nommie
Nix the cards...do something new with the card money and post it for all your friends to read! Electronic is the "Green" way to go anyway...your good thing is two-fold! Margie
O.k. - First...thank you for your thoughts - I too am now contemplating this. It is SUPER hard to just omit this from the holiday - especially knowing all the people that love to get updates from our family - even though it is only once a year. Then again, I LOVE the thought of that money spent on cards (that usually get thrown away) going else where for a great cause. Not sure what I'll do yet...still need to think. But just for the record - I have all of my cards. I mean, all of them.
Hey - just had a quick brainstorm - what if you sent out postcards with a note stating your charity/cause that the money went to, along with a web address where they could go and view your holiday greeting. That would cut costs some (postcards are cheaper than regular postage, and there is no printing of the oh-so-cute Christmas cards you always send out!) Just a thought.
i'm contemplating that too. money "wasted"--just do a "bloggy" card!
Ashley,
We have been considering this very same thing. I agree with all the other comments. Let's put a picture on our blogs, or send Christmas greetings via email. (even possibly with an explanation)
Those hungry bellies are much more important than a picture of my family or yours anyway (even if it does get scrapbooked!)
I'm proud of you friend! Happy Thanksgiving!
Alicia
I have struggled with this so much this year. We just DONT have it this year. I love sending out cards of my kids and getting from so many but I just dont think it is even an option for us this year. This just confirms what I was thinking. I mean, we are on this "blog" world so much anyway right? I am just going to have to figure out how to get creative on the computer!:)
I save ALL of the cards that I receive each and every year!! I LOVE Christmas cards!!!
However, I totally agree about how expensive they can be. When I was out shopping the other day, I saw boxes of card for more than 20 bucks per box and that was for like 15 cards and they weren't even super cute (LOL)! I started designing my own cards this year because I just could not bring myself to spend the amount that we have been spending on cards!! And, I am trying to offer them to others at a price that is MUCH less than I paid last year (Oy...it is scary how much I paid last year...although I did really love the cards!!) God bless.
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