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Birthday cards

(43 Posts)
Pleasebenice Tue 08-Sept-26 08:00:34

I have a lot of friends and a large family. For my recent birthday I did a rough guess at the cost of the lovely cards. I think the cost must be over £50. I only kept the homemade ones from the children. What a waste. Would it be rude to say please don’t buy me a card in future? If everyone gave a little amount a charity that would be good.

SpinDriftCoastal Tue 08-Sept-26 08:07:22

I would just accept them gracefully. Presents, yes, but cards are nice to leave up for a couple of weeks.

tanith Tue 08-Sept-26 08:10:32

Our family rarely send cards even Christmas. Personally I buy cards for my younger Grandchildren but either hand delivered or the overseas ones I post. We have a family Watsapp group and birthday greetings are posted there. It works for us but I’m sure not for everyone.

teabagwoman Tue 08-Sept-26 09:08:29

When I was a child my three aunts never wrote in a card. They put their greetings on an enclosed slip of paper so the same card could be used over and over until it started to fall apart.

J52 Tue 08-Sept-26 10:08:15

I use Jacquie Lawson e cards. There’s a huge variety, all with musical accompaniment. You can send them through email or WhatsApp. The recipient can then send a message by return.

pably15 Tue 08-Sept-26 10:17:42

I still send cards to my family and they send to us ,Christmas cards, I only post half a dozen.

labazs Tue 08-Sept-26 10:34:28

I think a lot of the e cards are nice but there is nothing like a row of cards on the shelf!

Esmay Tue 08-Sept-26 11:27:54

Enjoy those cards and treasure those from your loved ones.
I wouldn't say anything about the cost .
Careful what you wish for !

Oregano Tue 08-Sept-26 11:36:32

I buy most of my cards from Whistlefish, 10 for £12 + p and p. They are designed by Cornish artists and are beautiful cards.

M0nica Tue 08-Sept-26 11:51:17

It sounds a very Gradgrind notion. Never do anything just for the pleasure, make sure that every penny goes to some useful purpose.

I have just had a birthday, I loved receiving cards from people who cared enough about me acknowledge the day. They stand somewhere prominent in the living room, which I see constantly when I am sitting there and passing through it.

Quite a number of them are humorous and each has been chosen to specifically apeal to my sense of humour, showing that the person who sent them knows me well.

The cards have given me so much pleasure over the last fortnight that it is a shame that they are about to come down to make space for DH's cards, whose birthday is imminent.

I really do not think an email card is in anyway comparable or a replacement for a physical card. You only see it if you sit down at a computer and dial it up. There are few cards to chose from so that if two people send you ecards the chances are quite high that they will be identical. As for trying to appreciate it when on the screen on a phone, hopeless.

paddyann54 Tue 08-Sept-26 12:41:04

Idont keep cards on display after the event they celebrate.A birhday card will go in the bin before I go to bed,Christmas cards are out on Boxing Day.
My OH doesn,t buy cards ,hasn,t ever ,so any cards to his family have been sent by me for 52 years.
I send cards to the people I know who like them,my daughter and DIL and the wee ones who love a card through the post .
I,m not sentimental about things whereas my late mum kept every giant sized card my dad sent her in her life and all the big birthday and anniversary cards. If you enjoy them then that’s up to you.Just not my thing

Knitter43 Tue 08-Sept-26 13:55:39

I agree with every word MOnica has written and couldn't have put it better myself. I also get a lot of pleasure in choosing the right card to send to someone.

Fallingstar Tue 08-Sept-26 14:20:06

I don’t get many cards so treasure those that arrive on my birthday. After my younger sister died a few years ago I always put up the last birthday card she sent me. My older sister says it is morbid but then she bins all the cards she gets.

sodapop Tue 08-Sept-26 16:36:40

I love getting birthday and Christmas cards and to know friends and family are thinking of me. E- cards are definitely not the same as someone else said.
If you have environmental concerns pleasebenice I understand that but sometimes we just need a little joy in our lives. You could always make your own donation to a suitable charity.

grannyjan2 Tue 08-Sept-26 16:49:09

J52

I use Jacquie Lawson e cards. There’s a huge variety, all with musical accompaniment. You can send them through email or WhatsApp. The recipient can then send a message by return.

I'm afraid my heart sinks when I receive an e-greetings card .. especially the musical ones. In fact I don't bother opening them now.
Am I an old humbug ?

sodapop Tue 08-Sept-26 18:05:13

I open and read them grannyjan but I don't like them as much as a paper card.
I find the Jaqui Lawson ones a bit twee.

BlueBelle Tue 08-Sept-26 18:18:30

I love receiving and giving cards
I recently sent one to one of my granddaughters it was a congratulations card on some achievements I got a lovely voice mail back saying how thrilled she was to receive it, how thoughtful Iwas and how it made her day when she got in from work
Well worth the fiver it cost me buying it and sending it to Europe

MT62 Tue 08-Sept-26 18:24:47

teabagwoman

When I was a child my three aunts never wrote in a card. They put their greetings on an enclosed slip of paper so the same card could be used over and over until it started to fall apart.

Great idea 👍🏻😂

MT62 Tue 08-Sept-26 18:30:33

Fallingstar

I don’t get many cards so treasure those that arrive on my birthday. After my younger sister died a few years ago I always put up the last birthday card she sent me. My older sister says it is morbid but then she bins all the cards she gets.

I too put my sister’s Christmas & birthday cards up as they contain sentimental messages to me. It’s not morbid.
I went on holiday recently & took my dad’s memorial card so that he was close to us. Daft I know!
My dad loved his holidays, so wanted to include him.

Oreo Tue 08-Sept-26 18:30:45

Esmay

Enjoy those cards and treasure those from your loved ones.
I wouldn't say anything about the cost .
Careful what you wish for !

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

MT62 Tue 08-Sept-26 18:33:43

I love receiving cards, especially homemade ones from my GC.

Gmax3 Fri 18-Sept-26 14:09:40

I used to receive more bday cards; now it's 2 cards from my sisters and 1 from a longtime friend. My DC don't send me bday cards, they call me, which makes me happier than a card from them.
I'm just happy for the people who remember me.

Gmax3 Fri 18-Sept-26 14:11:51

Fallingstar

I don’t get many cards so treasure those that arrive on my birthday. After my younger sister died a few years ago I always put up the last birthday card she sent me. My older sister says it is morbid but then she bins all the cards she gets.

Aw, that's sweet that you put up your sister's last card. It's like receiving her wishes from Heaven. ✨❤️

Harris27 Fri 18-Sept-26 14:13:31

I treasure my last card off my brother . He died last year and it means the world to me. I’d rather have a card than a present.

Harris27 Fri 18-Sept-26 14:14:39

No granny jan I feel the same.