to judge people who don't send charity Christmas cards

[AnyoneforTurps]

I totally understand if people can't afford /can't be arsed to send Christmas cards. But - if you are going to send them - why in the world would you enrich WH Smith or Paperchase when you could support a charity?

I may not support the particular charity.Oxfam has been mentioned and that's not a charity I favour. Perhaps I like the other cards more,really it doesn't matter why. It's my choice,and again one could get into a very long and involved game of top trumps over this. Why not buy a charity card? Well I don't buy cards at all and give to charity. Well I buy charity cards and give a donation.Well I only asked for charity gifts this year etc.

You could go on and on. Whom I do and don't donate to is my business and mine alone,and people should pay more attention to what they do for charity than they should to what others do.

Interesting article here:

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2063881/Charity-Christmas-cards-offer-chance-enter-true-spirit-goodwill--they.html

Charity Christmas cards bring in £50 million a year for the charities - but the actual percentage that goes to the charity varies hugely.

Oddly enough, I buy Christmas cards because I want to wish people a Merry Christmas.

If those people judge me because I have chosen ones with a nicer design than the charity ones, then that can shove their Merry Christmas wishes up their arse.

What if they started selling charity turkey? Would you judge everyone that didn't buy them? Or charity crackers? Or charity trees?

I give enough money and time to charity throughout the year, if I want to buy non charity cards then I bloody well will.

In fact OP, I judge you for being on MN when you could be out packing parcels to send to third world countries, or answering phones at Samaritans, or making soup and giving it out to homeless people. What a selfish and callous person you must be for not doing those things right now.

I buy cheap cards - like 15 for £1.

But then I go to things like SANDS fundraisers and spend £30 of my housekeeping money there, because I know that it makes a difference.

Everyone is entitled to give to charity how they wish. YABVU to judge on the base of a card.

sreepur is awesome GeorgeElliot - They are more expensive than other charity cards so I used them while cutting back on present giving this year - giving a lovely handmade card on beautiful paper seemed a good intermediate step between a present and "just a card."

So from EdithWeston's link 3.75 pack of 10 cars, of which the charity will get 2.34 (20% VAT and then 75% of the remainder) which means the 10 cards cost 1.41 So if you can get cards cheaper than 14.1p (or 18p or 21p with gift aid) you could give more money to charity than by buying the cards. And it's very easy to buy cards cheaper than 14p for example direct.tesco.com/q/R.213-5415.aspx has them at 6p or 11p before the sale.

So charity Christmas cards are a very bad idea, they give the charity less than half the money a direct donation to the charity with gift aid that higher rate tax payer would give.

So YABU.

I love moonpig, mrsdevere

Me too. Actually they were doing a multipack of cards with 15% going to charity.

Perfect!

There's nothing wrong with Moonpig.

Charity cards often look budget. I buy prettier ones. I donate to charity. Big deal. Why not say you judge people who buy clothes in shops rather than charity shops?! Oh cos it's a weak argument?! Quite.

If you buy directly from charity shops, not the "Charity" packs sold in WH Smiths etc, they get all the profits Are you sure OP?
I buy whatever cards I like, some are charity and some are not.
I don't choose them based on charity status.
IMO, it's all about marketing. Makes people feel good, lines the pockets of retailers, manufacturers whilst throwing a few pence in the direction of one or two charities.
I would prefer to give directly to the charity of my choice.

The best time to buy charity christmas cards is early January when the charity shops knock them out cheap. That way next christmas you can act smug without having to waste too much money on dubious causes.

Up till about 3 years ago, all I bought from charity shops were books.

Until the day I saw a brand new Next Petite (am short arse) work skirt for £2. I'm now in there all the time, have got loads of great stuff. TBH I shop there because it's so satisfying finding a great bargain, the charity bit is just a bonus.

Maybe because I just don't give a fuck?

Erm - YABU, because we hand make our own...

Lovely coldweb

wed

Charity christmas cards are such a con. £9 for 30 cards with a tiny fraction of the profit going to charity. Or £1.50 for 30 not charity cards (bought last January in the sales) and £7.50 going to a charity of my choice.

Judge me however you like.

YABU.

YABU and ridiculous!

As others have said most "Charity" cards give about 4p per card. You need 100 people to buy a pack of 25 cards to raise £100.

I donate about £25 a month to different charities. Still willing to judge OP, you silly cow?

I normally buy Oxfam cards as I did this year and to be honest with you, the spiel they've put on the back about 'the person who sent you this card cares about the world' etc makes me feel a bit icky. If I'd seen that before purchase I might not have bought them.

why in the world would you enrich WH Smith or Paperchase when you could support a charity?

Are you also aware that WH Smith and Paperchase have their own charity cards?

If the charities want to produce cards like I can buy on Romford market...ie a pack of 30 glittery cards for £1 then I might consider it.

Otherwise, bugger that. It'd cost a fortune once the kids had got through their card lists.