But I WANT to be...
The internet has provided some cool ways to express the seasonal sentiments without busting my budget...AND I can GIVE cards to ppl I am around/visiting and seeing around the holidays too...while cutting Uncle Sam's part out which just takes card giving over the top for me personally...
What about you? Are cards in your budget? There's some really pretty ones too, and I especially like the handmade cards like my blogger buddy Lynn makes GORGEOUS CARDS HERE! and photo cards~
Here's the ones we
gave last year at church with our VBS pic (made by Shutterfly). I want to create a list of CARD resources on a budget for anyone wanting to give cards who really is living on less like we are...
Here's some ideas and resources:
1. Save change all year long or purchase extra postage as stamps are bought so that the Christmas crunch doesn't make postage costs prohibitive.
2. Make cards recycling old Christmas cards you have received from friends and family~there's some faves that I've kept to look at each year. I also use them for Christmas crafts too so that I have some recycled pretty Christmas images for things like gift tags and cards...FUN!
3. Purchase cards after Christmas in the markdown areas...the selection might be limited, but the price will be better significantly.
4. Look for cards in places like bargain stores~Have I plugged 'dent can' stores lately? HUNT these down in your area b/c they have the absolute BEST value on food and other goods...what they do is purchase truck loads of discontinued stock from the major chains and pass along much of this savings to the consumers...Oh man oh man! I LOVE this kind of store, and I've been blessed with one right here in our area. I had one before this back when we lived out of state, but also spent about 6 yrs in another state and area where there wasn't one...When our son was little, I got pull ups for a song...$4 a big bag..the ones that are sooo spency now...WELL WORTH going in this kind of store~which often are not attractive nor in the best parts of town...never been unsafe, just not in the designer neighborhood. But let me tell you that canned foods and other stocking dry goods were well worth a few pennies about 1/4 the cost of what it is in the regular store...I *Like* that! Wouldn't you?? SAVINGS and MO SAVINGS! BTW~I purchased my cards yesterday at that local store for $2.50 for 100 cards...I'm pumped! AND these are very nice cards!
5. Email your wishes to those you don't see or won't see during the holidays. These include out of town relatives and folks who you wouldn't see personally anyway. There are some neat FREE eCards that really will make your friends and families' day. One year, we were sponsoring a soldier in Iraq with Christmas greetings and so I found a neat eCard that used our faces and voices to really make an animated card fun! Here's a few more eCard resources:
1 2 3 Greetings
eGreetings.com
BlueMountain.com
Care 2 Make a Difference
American Greetings FREE eCards
Funny eCards (some crass humor) I REALLY LIKE this one HERE!
Jib Jab Sendables (be sure and SEARCH for FREE in the search box)
6. Hunt down or make up some photo cards of your family. The photo processing sites of Snapfish and are excellent in creating picture cards, but what about WalMart and the local CVS? They do it too and you can go online and upload your pics from your MY PICS document files...HOW easy is that?? WOW! Now, ck pricing...but you CAN save...
Set a budgeted amount and do what you can IF you want to share cards...
Facebook and other social networking like Twitter will be good to send personal greeting too...
Do you have any other ideas for budget boosting and giving cards this Christmas season??
I'm all ears! GIVE ME a shout out with an idea~Entry ONE for two FREE books of stamps~AND if you follow my blog leave me 2 comments to enter for those same TWO BOOKS of STAMPS! ENDS Nov 22 11:59PM ET~
Blessings,
SisterT
19 comments:
For local friends we have made cards out of sugar cookies. They are a lot of fun to make & the people who we drop them off to love them. They wouldn't be cheap to mail though.
I follow your blog. entry #1
I follow your blog. entry #2
My frugal tip would be to go over your Christmas card list each year and try to eliminate some. However, even though I do this, I always end up with some to add, so it never really helps! LOL
I'm following you now. :)
This is my 2nd comment for following.
I know a lot of people who don't send cards any more. And those who do have been cutting back on how many they send out.
Several of us in my family enjoy making cards. They usually aren't fancy, but they look nice and people enjoy getting something hand-made.
My kids make cards for close family members. We don't usually send out cards.
I would love the stamps though because I am having to send out a bunch of baby shower invitations. lol
I am following!!!
Blog for photocards. ;)
I am now following with GFC.
I was already following on Facebook. :)
I just found an amazing 100 free postcards dealio from Staples. It cost me $10 shipping but I now have 100 postcards that I manipulated into Photo Christmas Cards using Staples templates and editing tools!! Free.
I guess it's a matter of checking out deals and keeping an open mind. Thinking outside of the box usually helps. This way I have enough FREE Christmas cards and will only have to pay part of the normal postage (post card rate instead of letter rate). :)
I am following your blog.
Great Job
I follow your blog. :)
My frugal tip: FORGET to buy the Christmas cards in the first place (insert sheepish grin here). LOL! Better than buying them and never getting around to sending them out (I've done that, too).
I am following you. #1
And I put a link on my blog, hope it and that you don't mind: http://homeschoolheartandmind.blogspot.com/2011/11/are-you-thriving-with-no-green.html
I'm following you. #2
I don't send Christmas cards. I would like to, and I think it's a neat idea. We just never want to spend the money when the time comes, (Who wants to buy stamps when you could be buying presents?!)and we don't plan far enough ahead. Someday....
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