Sending Christmas Cards

gangy5 - I bought my cards at the start of the year, too! That way I can get lovely ones for half the price! Perhaps it would be a good idea to nip out and buy some stamps before the price rise on Monday, but either way, next year, the cost will still be as high, if not higher, so we're between the devil and the deep blue sea, aren't we?

I'm afraid I just don't.

Thanks for all your comments on this subject. I have to confess that I unfortunately have already bought the cards for this Christmas and have to fess up that my usual wease is to get them in the January sales at half price.
So I suppose that I'll be sending them this year, maybe with a little note in them.
It is nice to receive them but it is perhaps a good idea to keep them this year for display in future years!!
Now I have exposed myself as being the meany that I am - Half price cards, reluctance to pay the postage and recycling for the coming years! A good representation of a Christmas Scrooge

It is cynical the way they price the cards, isn't it? Christmas cards are cheap because they know most people send a lot - special occasion cards such as birthdays, valentine's day etc. are ridiculously expensive. I really think the Royal Mail (remember their ill-fated attempt to rebrand themselves Consignia - at great expense!) have shot themselves in the foot with the huge increase in stamp prices.

I hand deliver local cards or send on scout post service which goes to a really good cause,my special cards to friends abroad will be smaller cards this year and probably bought in multipacks to keep the cost down.I will also be sending e-cards and donating to charity.

I like to see the cards that I receive hanging up at Christmas time so I shall still be sending out cards. I agree that it's a big expense, but as someone pointed out, it's only once a year.
Hope people will still send out Birthday cards - now there's an even bigger expense, with most cards costing around £2 each

In defence of the price rise , maybe it costs more to sort and deliver the mail( even to far flung places)than it does to manufacture a mass-produced card?

It is a great shame when the price of a stamp is more than the price of the card.

I solved the problem of Christmas cards a few years ago. I sent a Christmas card to everyone on my list with a note asking them to save it for future Christmases, because I would be emailing greetings in future. I also said that their current cards to us would be saved and would go up on display every Christmas. So now I send a round robin (I know - but I try to make them jokey instead of braggy) by email. So many friends have said how much they enjoy receiving it. After all I only ever wrote, "with love from specki and mr specki" on Christmas cards because there was never enough time to write personally to everyone. I still send cards to family though and to anyone who doesn't have access to email. Getting the cards out in December has become a lovely moment, just like opening the box of tree decorations! And we get lots of email round robins back! Ding! dong!

I heard on radio this week that in 10 yrs time postage as we now know it will not exist.So don't stockpile too many stamps at todays prices

Yes, and the Royal Mail is rationing post offices because people are stocking up - get your skates on!

One little tip I learned from my late Mum - if you buy the stamps that state '1st class' or '2nd class' rather than the amount in pence, you buy them at today's prices but they can be used after price rises!
I have confirmed this with my local postmaster. Obviously means you have to pay out now but will save in the future!

Maniac; the Jaquielawson advent calendar I had for my grandson [on your recommendation I assume; certainly someone on gransnet] was pure magic. On the downside, I have always saved favourite cards, because my cousin has all the family photos and many cards going back to the early 1900's and I've always loved looking at them.

I have sent jaquielawson e-cards to some of my friends for several years now.
A very varied selection for all occasions. some folk are a bit sniffy about them I've sent them to selective friends who a)are on email b)I know won't mind not having a card to stick on the wall.Also good if you've missed the last posting date.My GD loves seeing the picture unfurl.

PS The number we send goes down a bit every year too, unfortunately, as older friends and relatives pass away...

I think we'll probably still send cards, though might make a bit more effort to hand-deliver where possible! These days we hardly need to use the postal service, as bills etc are now paid by direct debit, or online, and Christmas is only once a year

gangy if you have an email address for someone or if they are a Facebook "friend", you can send them a charity e-card. Last year I made an online donation to the Macmillan Nurses and sent their animated Christmas cards to workmates etc. I just posted cards to close friends and relatives

It's such a shame though, isn't it? I just love to receive (and send) Christmas cards.

No gangy I'm sure many people will be doing the same thing because of the huge rise in the cost of postage. I will definitely be cutting back this year unless our local scouts do a Christmas delivery again.