Cards and 75p 2nd class stamps

I still like sending and receiving cards.
I have cut down over the years and now even more because of the postage.
But a few don't break the bank and I know some people who are really happy to get a card. There's a lot of loneliness amongst older people and just being thought of with a card cheers them up .

I love cards - Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without them, in my opinion. Writing them and delivering them’s all part of the build up to the big day, and they’re an essential part of the decorations round here. We always buy charity cards. Our family and friends must feel the same, as we send and receive as many as we ever did.. We don’t have to post that many, really - yes, it’s expensive, but Royal Mail, like all other businesses, needs the support. E-cards were a bit of a novelty when they first appeared, but I really don’t like them now.

Now their numbers are dwindling because so many loved ones are longer here.

It's really quite depressing going through the Christmas card list and crossing off names, so yes, we'll be sending them to family and friends while we still can.

Christmas isn’t Christmas without the sending and receiving of cards. I remember the days when there were so many it was hard to know where to display them all. Now their numbers are dwindling because so many loved ones are longer here. That makes the ones that plop on the door mat even more special.

I can understand if somebody says they can no longer afford to send them but the, ‘We’re donating to charity instead,’ always makes me think, Oh yeah?

🤔

I found in DH’s desk enough new Christmas cards to last me the rest of my life, given that I send fewer each year. I do like sending ( and receiving them ) to the many friends of yesteryear.
I do send emails to some, but they are long newsy letters, tailor- made for each person, though some text is repeated for all recipients.
This year I will be sending to some people for the last time, especially to some of DH’s friends, to thank them for their condolences earlier this year.
I blutack my cards to the inner glass door of the porch, apart from family ones which go on the mantlepiece. My local family don’t do cards, but those who live at a distance do.

Any gifts I post to family with contain their card.
I think many people want to stop cards. Perhaps I'll hand deliver the usual and wait until I receive a card in the post and then post one in return. Does than sound mean?

BlueBelle

I hate email cards you can’t hang them u and decorate the room
I ll still send them

I agree, and hope I'll receive some too.

I'm another who will send some.
I like receiving them.
I want to keep the Royal Mail going
Maybe fewer abroad
I wish they didn't cost so much. Cards themselves are cheaper than postage which seems wrong somehow.

Most of my family and friends who live abroad will get WhatsApp messages - my 3 children who live nearby will get cards - neighbours will still cards.

I put letters in with quite a few of my cards which is something you can’t do with the electronic ones. I do use the latter though for those who don’t wet a letter. I already pay a lot extra for cards advertising my favourite charity to give them publicity as well as money from card sales.

I do like to receive cards as well as send them out but as most people I know are on Facebook - I am considering the posts that people put out as a blanket message saying that they are supporting a charity rather than sending out cards.
We have recently adopted a kitten and therefore been made very aware that many of the smaller rescue charities are desperate for donations - I feel the postage money would be better sent to one of these.
The work these people do is nothing short of amazing and is non-stop. One charity has recently had to block all further rescues simply because they do not have the space, fosterers or cash to help any further kitties. It really is a sad state of affairs.

Could you not send as a bundle or 2, and ask friends and family to hand them out for you?
I used to do that with relatives far away, knowing they all mingled plenty so would received their cards!

Unfortunately that wouldn’t help Ali08 as postage for the overseas cards is determined by weight. I sent a card by airmail last week and attempted to buy the stamp in advance. I was refused the stamp and told they needed to weigh the actual card.

I love to receive Christmas cards especially my first one it’s a personal favourite. Even if I don’t see someone receiving a card means a lot to me. The last few years though a few people have informed us they don’t send cards now but give to charity. I am generous giving to charities all year around I don't just give money or donations at Christmas.

I shop for cards and stamps as it’s a tradition I enjoy and it’s only once a year I decided those who don’t send cards are now off my list. I don’t like to get an email instead of a card it does not impress me one bit.
I know it’s very commercial time of year but a card might be the only communication some people get at Christmas time. I will keep sending to those who send them to me the price of postage won’t put me off.

Bluebelle
I'm with you, I love to display cards!

Grannynannywanny

I drastically cut my Christmas card list 2 years ago . I now only send physical cards to a few very elderly friends. The rest are sent on WhatsApp. I have a nice little selection of Christmas scenes to go with the message such as the one I’ve attached.

I posted a new baby card to Ireland this morning. The stamp cost £2.20. I have relations and friends at 15 different addresses in Ireland. At those prices it will definitely be Whatsapp Christmas messages for them !

Could you not send as a bundle or 2, and ask friends and family to hand them out for you?
I used to do that with relatives far away, knowing they all mingled plenty so would received their cards!

Last year there were postal strikes and I must admit to sending a few less than normal to people I had lost contact with. Normally I send about twenty odd by post and then hand deliver others to neighbours or close relatives.

ExDancer, you assume that 'we' pay £1.50 - when, in fact, here we gave up sending cards many years ago. They're a waste of effort and environmentally unfriendly. Younger family members didn't want them.

I did keep sending cards to a few (very) elderly aunts, back then - not wanting to cause any upset, but now they're gone and times move on.

I’m in the enjoy receiving and will still send camp.

It costs more to post the cards than to buy them,in some card shops you can buy 4 x £1.00 they may not be the best but the thought is still there.

I think it’s sad and that stamps should cost less for cards to help people spread some cheer. However we’ve had strikes close to Christmas before or not had enough delivery staff or something, so it’s another running down of a service and probably goodbye to cards like it’s goodbye to a lot of things that bring that little bit of warmth and cheer.

I’ll probably cut down on the number of cards I send but I won’t stop sending them to most people. I don’t like emails of the round robin sort, we only get one or two of those. Sending and receiving cards is part of Christmas for us.

I will stick to doing what I have done for several years now - only sending cards to the couple of people who I know would be upset if they didn't receive one from me, and a couple of others who I want to keep in touch with but have no email address for. One of those who would be upset not to get one from me is my elderly mum, even though she will be staying with us over Christmas itself.

Unlike many of you, I actually hate displaying Christmas cards now. Our tiny house really doesn't lend itself to it - the window ledges are too narrow, as is the mantelpiece, and there isnt room for any sort of furniture that they could be stood on. Wherever I put them, they just look messy! I've taken to putting most of them on top of the kitchen cabinets though they do keep falling off when a door is opened. I make an exception for any cards from the immediate family purely for my mother's sake. As I said, she stays over Christmas and would be quite upset if those were not on show for her to browse.

I prefer to get catch-up emails (or similar) from people who I rarely see but don't want to lose touch with.

I will still send out some cards, but might cut back a bit. I’ll start buying stamps now so that the cost of them is spread over a few months.

I love receiving proper cards as well BlueBelle don't like e-cards. I enjoy looking at the cards all through the Christmas period and thinking of the people who sent them.

Last year I used Christmas cards to thank all the people who sent condolences after the death of my DH. I haven't worked out what to do this year. But I expect I will send them, along with the round Robin letter which people say they like to receive, as I enjoy receiving theirs.