Skip to main content

What to do with Christmas cards?

Today I'm doing some post-Christmas tidying up. Here's what I do with Christmas cards.

Saving space

Recently we've been going through all our cards. We scan those that are meaningful or sentimental. For me that's almost all of them.

But that's OK. Even at a decent resolution I could probably get a lifetime of cards onto a single USB.

Digital is such a space saver.

Upcycling new cards / gift tags

An easy way to avoid both waste and needless consumption is re-use and upcycling.

Many Christmas cards have writing only on the right hand side (or page 3 as I call it). These are easy to scan. Cut the card along the fold line and you can scan the card front and the message in one scan.


It also makes the card front into a blank postcard. These can be used as Christmas cards or gift tags for next year. If you're into a bit of arts and craft, they can also become home-made decorations.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Monopoly, money and you

One of the most well-known board games can also be a great way to learn about money and investing - according to this book. Perhaps one way to teach kids (and maybe ourselves) about finance is to play a board game. In so many ways, the game parallels our own financial life - and we can practice financial decision-making without losing any real money. Is monopoly like life? Yes and no. We manage our cash, negotiate, make deals, make choices, go through tough times, make investments, pay tax and reap rewards. To do well we have to make investments. It's very hard to win just by collecting $200 each time you pass go. There are rules, and wise moves. The better we know them, the better we do. However, in real life, you can win without forcing others into bankruptcy. Principles that work in the game and life Diversify. You might have hotels on the two most expensive properties on the board, but if no-one lands on them, you still might lose. Investments have a price and a value. They are...

The Latte Factor

For the first time ever I'm reviewing a novel. Latte Factor is a short story  - around 120 pages - and is equal parts of inspirational story and financial education. The combination of the two is quite rare, and done quite nicely. The story is about Zoey Daniels, associate editor for a travel magazine. Although she's never been outside the USA  - "a travel editor who's never travelled". She struggles with money and is considering a higher-paying job at the company her friend Jessica works for. The job would provide more income, but would also be more stressful and demanding. She already has a nightmare about being on an increasingly-fast treadmill that she struggles to stay on. Her current boss Barbara - aware only of the money situation - suggests she talk to Henry at the coffee shop. This peculiar suggestion is where Zoey's life begins to turn a corner. Spoiler Alert Being a book of fiction, I don't want to spoil the story for you. It's a book you ca...

Four Thousand Weeks - Time and How to Use It

First question. Why 4000 weeks? That's the average human lifespan. If you're reading this you've probably used up 1000 already. If you're a bit older you may have only 2000 left. Maybe just 1000. That can be a startling thought - given how quickly each week goes by. There's so much wisdom in this book, it's hard to summarise it briefly. But I'll give it a go.... Face the Finitude If time was infinite, we could work for 40 years and not miss out on anything. We could spend frivolously as we could always earn more money later. But in the real world there are time limits. Even if we have enough money to escape the nine-to-five, our time (though more plentiful) is finite. Just like money, we will run out if we fritter it away on low-value options. "Face the Finitude" has become one of my internal phrases now. It's my reminder that I don't have infinite time to waste. It may be helpful to think of it like money. eg. I might like something, but d...