Categorized | Retail/Consumer

Save Money On Holiday Cards

It’s the time of year when people start thinking about getting all of their holiday cards in the mail. Sending holiday cards can become costly, especially when you include the price of postage. If you’re looking to save money on holiday cards, consider email instead of a traditional cards. You don’t have to be an artist or a professional photographer to pull it off. A simple picture or graphic will be just fine.

Ideas to Save Money on Holiday cards

Use a photo

Look through your digital photos and choose one that represents you or your family well. It doesn’t have to be themed, but if it’s holiday-themed you are after, go all out! Get a friend to take photos and dress up in your holiday best! It could be a funny picture or a beautiful one, or an image that reflects your feelings. It might represent a seasonal feature, such as a Christmas tree or snow scene, but it doesn’t have to. Once you’ve chosen your image, you might want to trim it down, add a border or alter its appearance, using online programs or apps. Canva is a great tool with a ton of options. Play around with ideas and see what looks best.

Use a scanned or photographed drawing to personalize

Draw a picture with pen and paper or other real art materials. You could do anything from a doodle to a cartoon or atmospheric landscape. If you like to get really creative, you could make a collage out of scraps of shiny paper, gift-wrap, ribbon or tinsel. Now take some photos of your artwork and upload your favorites for cost-free, electronic sending.

Add a Digital image

Using a drawing or painting app, create your design. Try out different colors and tints and experiment with the virtual pens and brushes. Remember, you can edit or delete if it goes wrong, without the mess of having to start over in real life, and you’ll have no paint tips to worry about. If you’re stuck for ideas, just draw some bright, colorful swirls, or browse a Christmas card catalog for inspiration. You’ll find this a whole lot more fun than buying someone else’s designs.

Search for online templates for your holiday letter

There are a variety of templates available online that you can use for a cheerful and heartfelt holiday newsletter. Find one that fits your needs and customize away!

Send a decorative email

Emails can be made to look pretty, just as a document can, with some text enrichment, so if you’d rather do without an attachment, just brighten up your holiday e-message. Make good use of the colors, highlights, sizes, and spaces. Perhaps you can purchase a few stock image to enhance your email message. It’s hard to think of a simpler way to save money while keeping in touch with your contacts and bringing joy to your loved ones.

Make your greetings personal

To enhance the personal touch, it’s best to send a short message to each individual on your list. Personal e-cards will be more meaningful to send and receive than a generalized one. It may take a bit longer, but you’re saving time as well as money by avoiding the process of buying and mailing cards.

With a little bit of time and creativity, you can save money on holiday cards, and save your holiday budget for gifts and entertainment. Meanwhile, your friends will be delighted to receive your heartfelt and creative e-cards.


The team at CESI is committed to helping you make wise financial decisions and to helping you understand how to get out, and stay out of debt.  For a free debt analysis, contact us and find out how we can help.

 
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This article was syndicated and originally appeared on the CESI Debt Solutions website.

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