Today’s post is all about saving money on greeting cards. I am a BIG fan of saving money, and these are a few good tips to save while still showing your loved ones that you’re thinking of them!
Novel Ways to Save Money on Greeting Cards
It’s getting harder and harder to find quality gifts for a good price. And the gift isn’t even the end of it as convention dictates that we must buy each other greetings cards to accompany our presents.
It’s undoubtedly a nice thing to do but there are so many occasions over the course of the year that the cost soon mounts up. It doesn’t have to be this way though.
Why pay $5 for a card that’s not even half as nice as one you could make yourself for free? Even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body and want to buy from a store there are still some great ways to make killer savings. Here’s everything you need to know.
Make your Own
This is the first port of call for saving money on greetings cards. Obviously when you buy a card from a store they’ve got to make a profit so by making your own you can make huge savings.
There are loads of tools you can use that will help your homemade card stand out from all those shop-bought monstrosities. Raid craft shops for inspiration. You’ll definitely need a good set of pens and some quality card. Rubber stamping kits are also popular and they’re a great way to add a professional finish.
It’s going to cost a bit to set yourself up, but you’re sure to save money in the long run!
Get Creative for Extra Savings
If you’d rather not spend money on the tools to make professional-looking cards at home that’s absolutely fine. You can still make some top quality cards, you’ll just have to be a little more creative.
Your masterpiece needs a solid base, so unfortunately you can’t use paper. Using the cover of an old magazine works well as you can get a nice firm bend. Magazines are particularly useful as you can cut letters from the headlines and paste your message on the inside.
Just let your imagination run wild. A cool thing to do is to get a solid slab of tree bark and use it like a postcard by creating a pattern on one side and a message on the other. There really are loads of novel ways to make some funky greetings cards that won’t cost you a thing.
Use Free Computer Programs
The first two tips are all well and good if you’re a creative soul but what if art isn’t your thing?
Well there are loads of free tools on the internet that can help. Many of these let you design a card, customize it and print it out with a matching envelope, which is pretty cool! The EZ Greeting Card Creator and CropMom’s digitial scrap-booking tools are without doubt two of the best options around.
Also if you’ve got a digital camera it’s worth taking a look at the software programs that come with it, as most have the necessary facilitates to turn your photos into awesome card designs.
Save and Re-Use
Reusing old cards might sound like it’s a step too far at first, but it’s a really great idea when done properly. When you receive a card with a particularly heartfelt handwritten message inside save it and give it back to the original sender a few years later with your own comments added.
From experience people seem to love that you saved their card for all those years and enjoy re-reading their original message. It’s the perfect way to relive great memories.
Plan Ahead
If you really don’t want to make your own card or re-use old ones there’s still a great way to save a lot of money. Cards are always cheaper after the season has just past. So Christmas cards will cost a lot less in January than they would in early December.
If you go down the shop-bought route it’s a good idea to buy in bulk. Take advantage of multi-buy offers even if there isn’t another occasion on the immediate horizon. As with so many other things, effective planning is the secret to great savings.
E-Cards Don’t Count!
People often think they can save money by simply sending a e-card, but they should really only be used as an extra and not as an alternative. The best thing about greetings cards is that they can be displayed in the home and can be kept up long after all the gifts have been put away. Once an E-card’s been opened it probably won’t get looked at again.
About the Author: Oliver Donald writes for Find Me A Gift, the online gifts and cards specialists from the United Kingdom. Image credits: Photo 1: Flickr, Photo 2: Flickr, Photo 3: Flickr.
Yeah, making personal cards are they way to go. I always like adding a personal touch to each card.
This is very timely especially now that Christmas is fast approaching. Thanks for sharing these ideas…