With you on the C'mas card front. A total waste of money nowadays, especially the cost of postage. I've only sent two by post. A few more will be hand delivered. I'd far rather people gave the money to charity. The charity cards only receive a tiny amount of the cash raised too. Love that @wild edges. Reminds me of the printed card I gave my younger daughter for her birthday a few years ago. She can't be bothered with cards of any kind, unless they have cash in them On that note - her Dad's family still like to send cards in the post - with cash in them. I say send - nowadays they take them to her Dad, and she has to go and collect them.
I came across some of the cards my girls made for me when they were little. Lovely jubbly
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I foresee the tradition of sending Christmas cards dying out within a generation, probably much sooner. I think it is a great shame. I love the custom of staying in touch with relatives, distant friends, folk you met on holiday and sharing snippets of news and extending goodwill greetings.
But, it’s not cheap. We send by hand or by post just over 100 cards and get a similar number back. Postage this year came to just over £50 and the cards, mostly from the RCA and bought in the sales, cost another £50 or so. Would that money be better spent by going to charity? Probably, yes. But there again people who advocate this approach could themselves buy one less present, buy cheaper cuts of meat, not visit the garden centre, buy a better value replacement sofa etc and make a charity donation with the money saved. Do they do this? I think not.
And if people do donate their Christmas card money to charity - we have had about five of these emails in recent years - I do wonder if the charitable donation extends to year 2 and beyond. It is not a question you can ask but I expect it is like the conversation along the lines of ‘to save on postage let’s buy our own presents this year’. It does not last long.
The cost of postage is getting silly though. The mail co are moaning about the drop in business but they are pricing themselves out of the market. I bought a book of 2nd class stamps ,when told the price I thought not as bad as I feared then I realised there were only 8 stamps in the book not the 12 we used to get.
I've bought my cards, and quite a few gifts, from WWF. Some lovely things, and not expensive. 100% of profits go to support their work. I also shop locally and have had some lovely cards from a local artist.
I don't send many, mostly to family and some to a few of the old "retired" beekeepers I know. They still dabble a bit with advice and support for new beekeepers, but are not fit enough to keep hives themselves. They love to hear how our bees are doing. Some of them live alone , so may not get many cards. I never expect to get one back, but they always thank me when I catch up with them at summer meetings.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
christmas cards aren't really a thing here, nor in Belgium, tho it's growing a bit. Certainly haven't come across any from charities and most people send cards wishing everyone a great New Year. This year we've bought commercial cards for OH's family and close friends in the UK and Belgium with whom we keep in touch.
The embroidery specialist at the patchwork club has recently shown us how to embroider cards - simple motifs of Xmas baubles or trees - and it's surprisingly relaxing so I've done some for the neighbours but don't expect to get any back.
Next year everyone will get home-made cards and I'll put the money saved to better use such as the French RNLI as we're near the coast or maybe an animal sanctuary.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I've bought my cards, and quite a few gifts, from WWF. Some lovely things, and not expensive. 100% of profits go to support their work.
Bee x
You’ll probably will never know how much their profit is! Profit is after taking out their expenses, office rental, wages, could be 4p in the pound profit at the end of it.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
I must admit l do love sending and receiving Christmas cards (and birthday cards come to that), but as @BenCotto says, the cost is astronomical and has been for several years.
The Royal Mail strike has meant we haven't received any post for a week now, l'm assuming it's all backed up in the Bristol sorting office where apparently there are now foxes and rats investigating the parcels. I have seen a Royal Mail van twice in the last week. On each occasion the postman/woman got out with one parcel, delivered it and then disappeared back down the road. I'm just grateful we're not waiting for important documents etc.
Anyone sending important documents at the moment should be sending them Priority Signed For or whatever it's called. I posted a small package containing a birthday card and gift by this method on Friday ... it was received on Monday ... it cost a bit more, but it got there safely and well in time for the birthday.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I bought a book of stamps last week....went in for a book of six, came out with a book of eight( nothing less) and they cost me £7.60. I nearly dropped on the floor.
Posts
I'd far rather people gave the money to charity. The charity cards only receive a tiny amount of the cash raised too.
Love that @wild edges. Reminds me of the printed card I gave my younger daughter for her birthday a few years ago. She can't be bothered with cards of any kind, unless they have cash in them
On that note - her Dad's family still like to send cards in the post - with cash in them. I say send - nowadays they take them to her Dad, and she has to go and collect them.
I came across some of the cards my girls made for me when they were little. Lovely jubbly
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
But, it’s not cheap. We send by hand or by post just over 100 cards and get a similar number back. Postage this year came to just over £50 and the cards, mostly from the RCA and bought in the sales, cost another £50 or so. Would that money be better spent by going to charity? Probably, yes. But there again people who advocate this approach could themselves buy one less present, buy cheaper cuts of meat, not visit the garden centre, buy a better value replacement sofa etc and make a charity donation with the money saved. Do they do this? I think not.
And if people do donate their Christmas card money to charity - we have had about five of these emails in recent years - I do wonder if the charitable donation extends to year 2 and beyond. It is not a question you can ask but I expect it is like the conversation along the lines of ‘to save on postage let’s buy our own presents this year’. It does not last long.
100% of profits go to support their work.
I also shop locally and have had some lovely cards from a local artist.
I don't send many, mostly to family and some to a few of the old "retired" beekeepers I know. They still dabble a bit with advice and support for new beekeepers, but are not fit enough to keep hives themselves. They love to hear how our bees are doing.
Some of them live alone , so may not get many cards. I never expect to get one back, but they always thank me when I catch up with them at summer meetings.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
The embroidery specialist at the patchwork club has recently shown us how to embroider cards - simple motifs of Xmas baubles or trees - and it's surprisingly relaxing so I've done some for the neighbours but don't expect to get any back.
Next year everyone will get home-made cards and I'll put the money saved to better use such as the French RNLI as we're near the coast or maybe an animal sanctuary.
The Royal Mail strike has meant we haven't received any post for a week now, l'm assuming it's all backed up in the Bristol sorting office where apparently there are now foxes and rats investigating the parcels.
I have seen a Royal Mail van twice in the last week. On each occasion the postman/woman got out with one parcel, delivered it and then disappeared back down the road.
I'm just grateful we're not waiting for important documents etc.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.