De-clutter Your Holiday Greeting Card List

By Ariane Benefit

cardTo simplify your holiday traditions so you can stress less and enjoy them more, a great place to start is to de-clutter and simplify your greeting card list! Here are some tips for choosing who to take off your list:

1. People who don’t send you cards. (including family members). Obviously they must not care about getting any if they don't send any, right?

2. People who are business / school acquaintances. Does your doctor really care if you send a holiday card? If they display their cards, or thank you for it, or send you one, maybe they do. In that case, send one. Otherwise, take them off the list.

3. People who understand your need to simplify. Talk to your friends and family and ask them if they really care about getting cards, if not, agree to not exchange cards. You might be surprised how many other people are ready to cut back their lists too.

4. People who won’t mind if you just send them a digital e-card! One way to simplify is to use an online greeting card service such as Plaxo.com that lets you design your own card and send it to individuals, groups or to your entire email list at once!

5. A great trend for making the holidays more meaningful is the practice of sending out donations in lieu of cards. Why not take the take the money you would spend on cards and donate it to a favorite local children’s charity? You might even be able to get a group of family and friends to all commit to do the same. How great is that?

People to keep on the list:

1. Family members & friends who send you cards regularly and really love sending & getting cards.

2. Older people who don't get a lot of cards, don't have computers, and for whom receiving a card means a lot to them. I love sending cards to the parents of friends of mine who have been kind to me. They especially appreciate receiving a card when they have recently lost a loved one.

The most important part of sending a card is how it will make the recipients feel. If they don't really care, why bother? Simplify your list and have a happy and healthy holiday!

Posted November 8, 2007, filed in It's That Time, Clutter Control Products, Less is More

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8 Comments

From Anita Hampl, November 13 2007

Ariane,
You got it right : The most important part of sending ANY card is how it will make the recipients feel.

If Christmas cards were more about the recipient, or even about Christmas (what a concept), and less about the SENDER, maybe more people would enjoy receiving them.

Photos are important, especially of children or pets, but bragging should be eliminated.

Which would you rather read: "John is stilll at Exxon" or "John was the number-one achiever in his region and the Chairman asked him to join a . . . blah blah blah "? "Tiffany loves cheerleading" or "The high school coach thinks Tiffany is the best they've ever seen and has a chance to make the Falcons cheerleaders next year"?

Disclaimer: I am in the card business. But I would rather people send fewer yet heart-felt cards, even if my volumes are smaller, than flood the mail system with impersonal cards because they felt obligated to send them!

From Becky, November 13 2007

Re: #1
The first suggestion is very harsh to me. Some people send cards, some just don't. It's a personal choice, not a rule. To me sending cards is just one of those things does not require reciprocation.

I send cards to people I care about to let them know of I'm thinking of them. Whether or not they send me cards is totally irrelevant.

Why make rules about this? If you knock someone off of your list because they don't send you cards…maybe there's more at issue with your relationship than just the lack of a card.

From Eva Wallace, November 13 2007

You're right, Becky.
I'm terrible at sending cards but I sure do love to get them. And the people who know me well know both of these things about me and are ok with it. :)

~Eva

From Ariane Benefit, November 14 2007

Hi Becky,

I does sound harsher than I meant it. These are only ideas of who to "Consider" not sending to - not that you you have to ruthlessly cut everyone. At the end note that I did say it's more about how it will make the recipient feel than anything else. There are people who love to receive even when they don't give, and vice versa…and they go great together! : )

all the best & Happy Holidays!

Ariane : )

From streamsquares » Blog Archive » Declutter Your Holiday Greeting Card List, November 14 2007

[…] more here […]

From I’m an Organizing Junkie » How Regis & Kelly help me get my Christmas cards done each year……, November 14 2007

[…] know I'm thinking of them. For more help simplifying your Christmas card list, please visit this post by my friend Ariane of Neat & Simple […]

From Marcia Francois, November 14 2007

Hi Ariane

I LOVE the idea of sending to older people. I'm going to email some friends now and ask for their parents' addresses.

I agree with Becky and Eva. I think any giving should come from a place of abundance and not expecting reciprocation. Otherwise it's not true giving.

That said, it obviously is much nicer when people do reciprocate.

I send cards to a basic list every year and then to people who I want to show that I care about (bad English but you know what i mean). So the second part differs from year to year and I don't care if I get anything from them.

I do find with clients and business associates that I get remembered fondly every time I send a card and often get more business. That's not WHY I send the card - it really is just to say thanks and thinking of you - but is a nice by-product.

Thanks for the great post :)

From Gert Hough, June 25 2008

Wow, do I feel ashamed!

It's been a shocker - It's been such a long time since I have taken the time to send out cards.

I do not have a problem simplifying my list but more of a problem starting the habit of caring again!

I personally think it would be better to send out cards on birthdays rather than on christmas.

Thanks again.

Gert Hough's last blog post..Business email list for sale - 5000 email addresses cheap cheap

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