Chicken bald back

[LolaLayla]

I am in a bit of a dilemma. Last year when writing a zillion Christmas cards I felt I should maybe chop at least a third off the list in the next year. A lot of the people I send to I am unlikely ever to see again, haven't had any contact with for 20 years plus apart from a card and wouldn't recognise them if I bumped into them in the street. I also received a couple of cards from folk with a comment saying they would not be sending again but donating to charity instead.

I am not a mean person and would not want to upset anyone but feel I would like to pop a note in some cards just to say I was stopping and giving to charity instead too.

My first question would be what is the best wording if I do go ahead with this plan? Secondly, as suggested by my MIL, maybe I should just not send to those selected this year at all?

I am feeling a bit guilty about even thinking of doing such a thing

What do you think?

[soapdragon]

I thinks that its very sensible! Esp given the postage hike! I pruned the card list last year and just did not send to those people that I hadn't seen for ages; equally we did not receive from quite a few people so I imagine that many people are implementing the same strategy!

[The Dogmother]

I cut down my 'list' a couple of years back, also the oldsters and close family are the only ones to get paper cards, the rest get e-cards and I donate to either Cancer Research UK or Alzheimer's.org instead.

[Grandmashazzie]

Yes me too,I hardly sent any last year.Friends you see all the time you can wish Happy Christmas and as Dogmother says email others.If you are not in close contact I tend to move on and agree most people seem to be doing the same.I love decorations but hate cards and never put them up anyway.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I had a cull a couple of years ago (accompanied by guilt). Last year I pruned even further (and felt no guilt!).

 

Just do it . You will feel liberated and your bank balance will thank you .

 

I go on the principle that only those people who keep a list of who they send to and who they receive from would notice .

[Egluntyne]

I did a cull a couple of years ago, and now send ecards to many people, and handmade to the specials. I make a donation to St Luke's Hospice in Sheffield in lieu of paper cards.

[chuckmum6]

Personally, I think receiving a Christmas card is a lovely thing and is a way of keeping a link with people from the past. It only cost a small amount, but to some means such a lot, I will keep sending mine. I do give to charity, I always by a couple of chickens from Oxfam unwrapped, so someone struggling has an egg machine.

[C&T]

Someone I know sent out an email, wishing all Happy Christmas, but there would be no cards and instead a donation made to the Hospital that saved her sons life earlier that year.

 

I guess Facebook could be used in the same way also?

 

Relieve some of the guilt, still make some contact, and not have to send cards. And if you do make a donation, the charity wins as well.

 

Typing this is making me think - I maybe doing something similar this year...

[jacquiefrost]

I have been pruning my christmas card list for the last couple of years. I just stopped sending them and i have noticed that other are obviously doing the same as i don't get as many cards now.

 

I tend to text/phone/email or facebook most of them now instead, at least the contact is still kept and they know you are thinking of them.

[Charlottechicken]

Personally, I think receiving a Christmas card is a lovely thing and is a way of keeping a link with people from the past. It only cost a small amount, but to some means such a lot, I will keep sending mine.

 

My mum gets a fair amount of Christmas cards each year and really cherishes them. I also like sending cards, I think I buy around 30 a year, in the sales obviously! I actually don't send that many through the post, maybe 4 or 5, so it doesn't cost too much. They are generally accompanied by a keeping in touch type letter both sent out and received(NOT a round robin!) and it's great to get a yearly update from folk who I just don't see on a regular basis. I do give cards to neighbours too, and receive them. I like Christmas cards!

 

If you have a huge list though, I can understand the need to cull.

[LolaLayla]

Think I probably post about 60! Then there are possibly another 30 that I deliver. I am so out of touch with most of them that I do not have email addresses etc. and these are people we knew before emails existed.

I would not cut out the older folk and relatives but there are people OH worked with 4 jobs ago who we haven't seen since for example that I really feel need to go. I imagine they possibly feel the same each year when they get my card

[Bramble]

I agree! I do however think that older people (retired and perhaps living alone) do look forward to receiving cards and genuinely get pleasure from them so I haven't cut anyone like that off my list (I know from experience with my own family how much a simple card can mean). That said, there are lots of younger people/families, who as others have said, I wouldn't know if I met them in the street and am incredibly unlikely to see ever again, so they are gradually being pruned off the list.

At work, we decided a couple of Christmases ago to stop sending cards to colleagues, instead we all donate to a collection, and last year we bought "gifts" from Oxfam to be sent abroad - I think we got several goats, some chickens and a water pumping station. I know the money probably isn't actually used for that specific purpose, but we do all feel it's of more benefit than sending cards.

[PapaJuliet]

At work, we decided a couple of Christmases ago to stop sending cards to colleagues, instead we all donate to a collection, and last year we bought "gifts" from Oxfam to be sent abroad - I think we got several goats, some chickens and a water pumping station. I know the money probably isn't actually used for that specific purpose, but we do all feel it's of more benefit than sending cards.

 

I like Send a Cow, who do a similar thing to Oxfam. But they specifically say that they will not necessarily "send" the gift you choose. For example, if you choose to "send" a cow but the villagers actually need some chickens, a few goats and a keyhole garden then that is what they get. It's all about giving the villagers what they need to support themselves and get themselves to the position where they no longer need help rather than the givers possibly selfish choices.

 

That is one reason I like their approach, although others may have different opinions.

 

PJ