The 2008 Money Neutral Gift Challenge

brownjasperdog

Guys, what do you all do about birthday cards throughout the year? I have filled in my 2008 money neutral gift spreadsheet and worked out that including wedding anniversaries and so on, I have over 70 cards to buy in 2008!!! Clearly I am not going to be spending £1.50 to £2.50 on each one! In the past I have used charitycards.co.uk and have paid 90p per card for very nice cards. This is the case if you buy from their clearance range (99p each), then buy more than 25 (10% off and also free delivery). I don't usually buy the Tesco Value ones and so on because they are not as nice, but I have the problem that my kids get invited to loads of parties throughout the year and I really need to cut the cost of birthday cards. After all, they just get thrown away!

mumoftwo

brownjasperdog wrote: »

Guys, what do you all do about birthday cards throughout the year? I have filled in my 2008 money neutral gift spreadsheet and worked out that including wedding anniversaries and so on, I have over 70 cards to buy in 2008!!! Clearly I am not going to be spending £1.50 to £2.50 on each one! In the past I have used charitycards.co.uk and have paid 90p per card for very nice cards. This is the case if you buy from their clearance range (99p each), then buy more than 25 (10% off and also free delivery). I don't usually buy the Tesco Value ones and so on because they are not as nice, but I have the problem that my kids get invited to loads of parties throughout the year and I really need to cut the cost of birthday cards. After all, they just get thrown away!

make your own!! Can be as cheap or expensive as you want. I have been making cards for a few years now and have lotsof stuff. But even buying basic prefolded card isn't that expenisve. I personalise my cards ie

My nephew is Kung Fu mad, so I found an image online (black and white) printed it, also printed some japanese symbols as background paper, mounted the image on some black paper, stuck it all on the card and he was over the moon with it.

Lots of ideas online just google cardmaking. If you spend £2 on a card and need 70, You'd never need spend £140 on cardmaking stuff. Just a few basics like card, some stickers some paper and your computer.. it'f full of pictures/images etc you can use or why not put a picture that you took (of the anniversary couple) and stick that to the front of the card with some nice stickers..

Failing that, Asda do some really cheap birthday cards. (sorry just re read your post and you don't like those cheap cards, neither do I)

jamtart6

brownjasperdog wrote: »

Guys, what do you all do about birthday cards throughout the year? I have filled in my 2008 money neutral gift spreadsheet and worked out that including wedding anniversaries and so on, I have over 70 cards to buy in 2008!!! Clearly I am not going to be spending £1.50 to £2.50 on each one! In the past I have used charitycards.co.uk and have paid 90p per card for very nice cards. This is the case if you buy from their clearance range (99p each), then buy more than 25 (10% off and also free delivery). I don't usually buy the Tesco Value ones and so on because they are not as nice, but I have the problem that my kids get invited to loads of parties throughout the year and I really need to cut the cost of birthday cards. After all, they just get thrown away!

look on ebay for sizzix die cuts and you will find really cheap cut out shapes. go to the paper mill shop and get a box of card for £3.99 and some double sided sticky pads from the pound shop, and off you go!

Sallys_Savings

Thought I'd just let everyone know, (if they dont know already) its 10p listing day on ebay on saturday 29th December.

Think I'd better start taking piccies over the next few days ready

mumoftwo

Wahoo!! got email that I sold a book on Metropolis. My first £5 (minus postage) It feels great.:j :j
I am only a learner and most of you are so good at earning vast amounts already but you have to start somewhere, don't you? it fills me with confidence.

kbl

Hi, being nosy, but mumoftwo, what kind of baskets did you get in Argos? Have been trawling the website but can't find them?

mumoftwo

kbl wrote: »

Hi, being nosy, but mumoftwo, what kind of baskets did you get in Argos? Have been trawling the website but can't find them?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=649727

These ones, but some people got them at the silly low price and others didn't, I have ordered 6 sets (18 baskets)and the total price incl delivery was £14.98 but will have to wait and see if I get them all and at that price

kbl

mumoftwo wrote: »

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=649727

These ones, but some people got them at the silly low price and others didn't, I have ordered 6 sets (18 baskets)and the total price incl delivery was £14.98 but will have to wait and see if I get them all and at that price

Thanks for that, hope you got them. Unfortunately I was too late, but not that annoyed cos it's still not 2008, don't need the baskets for ages yet! Would have been good to have tho, cos knowing me I'll forget about them to the last minute. Saved a fortune this year doing a couple of baskets (wouldn't have thought of them till I discovered this site), hopefully next year will be even better.

Incidentally, have started a movie night basket for my wee girl's birthday in August, found a popcorn pot in Au Naturel marked down from 9 to 3.99, thought it was good.

brownjasperdog

Sallys_Savings wrote: »

Thought I'd just let everyone know, (if they dont know already) its 10p listing day on ebay on saturday 29th December.

Think I'd better start taking piccies over the next few days ready

Yes, thanks for that. Does anyone have any experience of what sells well on Ebay at this time of the year?

By the way, I've been in Tesco today, snapping up Christmas crackers and cards for next year and games for birthday presents throughout the year! Managed to ignore all the cheap Christmas cakes and chocolates! :A

SharkyGeorge

mumoftwo wrote: »

make your own!! Can be as cheap or expensive as you want. I have been making cards for a few years now and have lotsof stuff. But even buying basic prefolded card isn't that expenisve. I personalise my cards ie

My nephew is Kung Fu mad, so I found an image online (black and white) printed it, also printed some japanese symbols as background paper, mounted the image on some black paper, stuck it all on the card and he was over the moon with it.

Lots of ideas online just google cardmaking. If you spend £2 on a card and need 70, You'd never need spend £140 on cardmaking stuff. Just a few basics like card, some stickers some paper and your computer.. it'f full of pictures/images etc you can use or why not put a picture that you took (of the anniversary couple) and stick that to the front of the card with some nice stickers..

This is so true. Works do 50 A5 cards and envelopes in pastel colours for around a fiver. They (and Woolworths) also do lots of card making stickers and things, particularly wedding, baby and birthday ones. Each sticker may be around a pound fifty-two pounds but will have enough stickers for at least two cards. The beauty of this is that minimalism looks really classy so cut out two small squares of card, stick a 'wedding top hat' sticker on one, for example, and a bouquet sticker on the other and stick the two squares artfully onto the A5 card and voila, it looks beautiful!