Christmas Cards...Am I turning into Scrooge???

[Pembo]

Every year I have the kids picture taken, write one of those stupid Christmas letters and mail them to about 40 people, most of which we never hear from except at Christmas.

This year I'm asking the question "WHY???

Why do I spend the money on cards, pictures, postage for a lot of people that we NEVER hear from except once a year?
Why do we only hear from them once a year?
Will these people even NOTICE if I don't send them a card?
Will they care? Do I care if they send me a card?
What's the point???

My idea for 2002 is to only send cards/pictures to a few people who we talk to occasionally and forget all the rest! Am I turning into Scrooge????


What do you think???????? What do you do?????????

 

[ncligs]

I agree 100%!!!!!!!

 

[Tony-NJ]

but there are a number of people on my card list who we only hear from via Christmas / holiday cards. I guess these people, even though they are now farther away than they used to be still have a place in my heart. It's also to let them know that I am thinking of them.

BUT I can also see your point, in a way. I guess it depends on who these people are..

 

[montessori]

I agree with you.
Last year I bought a pack of 10 Christmas postcards.
I sent them to the people I don't talk to very often but don't want to lose touch with completely.
Those are the people I am happy to get a card from too.
Card sending is a tradition that should be re-evaluated by everyone.
It's a waste of money, time, and environmental resources.
Just my humble opinion, of course!

 

[Poohbear123]

I do NOT know that many people, so NO I would NOT do it. Just immediate friends and family, please. I have 2 cards I send out, thats it!

 

[snowwhitemom]

Drop the letter ...keep the card and photo...make it a lil more simple for you so you too can enjoy the season.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I've cut several from the Christmas card list, but others will always be on there even though we contact each other at that time of year. Some people were just very important at one time or another, and I still appreciate them. For instance, a couple that were friends of my parents for years. We would get together with their kids when we were little....sleep overs, parties, food shopping on Saturday mornings. They're just a treasure to me. And they did come to our wedding, which was a GREAT surprise. Even though my parents have been gone several years, I still send them a card, note, and a picture of DS. I have a few I treasure just like them. And each year we look forward to that Christmas card arriving.

 

[aprincessmom]

For a long time my friends and I would do the yearly card thing. Then we decided to take the money we would normally spend on the cards and just make a donation to charity in the rememberance of friendship and good will.

It works well and, as a welcome byproduct, we tend to talk more than just the once a year because we don't depend on that year end catch up as the excuse to put off the calls, emails, letters, etc.

 

[Lucky4me]

I cut back on sending cards years ago. I probably send out less than 20 each year. One year I wrote them out, addressed and stamped them and promptly tucked them away in a drawer! No one noticed or at least said anything. Since I don't date the cards, the following year was really easy.

 

[tiggerlover]

Definitely something to ponder.

 

[grinningghost]

If you're a scrooge, so am I. I'm sending NOTHING this year. I talk to you DIS people way more than anyone on my Christmas card list.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

No you are not turning into Scrooge. I go thru this every year too. I mean at which point do you drop the relatives in CA-AZ-RI that you may see once every 10yrs., you know?
I keep telling myself I do it because I enjoy sending the cards out but really I think I do it because of tradition and I do like getting them. Kinda nice just to see how others are doing.

 

[JohnTBap]

I have a large collection of unused, mint in the box Christmas cards. I mean well, but my execution could use work!

 

[Keli]

No, don't do it!!! Ok, I'm just kidding but really I wouldn't stop sending out my cards and letters every year. I have several friends that the only time I hear from them is at christmas (and the only time they hear from me too) but I really care about them and I want to know what's going on in their lives. A couple of friends and I have already started to have more contact with as our children grow up and we are less busy and I am sure the same thing will happen with some more of them in a couple of more years. Plus, I value my friends, even the ones I rarely hear from and I just don't want to let them go.

 

[nativetxn]

I go through phases with Christmas cards. For years we didn't send out any then I started sending a card to a few people each year. Now I send about 50 cards out each year.

We don't do the "business" card list thing, though. We only send to family and friends, not clients.

 

[C.Ann]

After years of being railroaded or guilted into killing myself at Christmas trying to "do it all", I only do what I enjoy now..

Some years I send lots of cards - some years I send a few cards - and some years, I don't send ANY cards..

I say if it makes your holiday even one iota less enjoyable, drop it!!

 

[Boots]

I am cutting way back on my Christmas card sending this year. For one thing I can't afford postage anymore!!!

 

[d.kurz]

Christmas cards.....I never send them. But I see hundreds of them every year. I have an imprinting machine in my basement and I do all the imprinting work for 2 card shops. By the time I'm done with all that, I never want to send them. But it's funny how much people pay for cards/imprinting...hundreds of dollars in some cases. Some people buy really CHEAP cards and pay MORE for the printing than for the cards. Then there are the people who have me imprint 20 cards....20???? Coudn't write out 20 cards??? My favorite is when they have "Love, The Smith Family". LOVE?? Write the darn card.

I do love the extra cash this generates at this time of year, though.

My favorite thing to do with that machine is personalized stationery. The glory of some fine Crane's notecards with an embossed monogram!! I'm sure I've surprised some of my kid's teachers after they've seen some of my DELUXE stationery and then I show up for a meeting in my jeans and Mickey shirt, carrying a backpack as a handbag!!

 

[Chattyaholic]

I've considered cutting back, but never seem to. I actually enjoy writing out my cards and I'm probably in the minority here but I do enjoy receiving those "holiday letters" from people too. I enjoy reading about things they've done the past year. And I write up my own letter to send with cards too. There are quite a few family members and friends that we only keep in touch with once a year, with a Christmas card, but I would rather hear from those people once a year than not at all.