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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find it difficult to throw away bday cards

58 replies

jacksonbrowne · 23/09/2023 18:26

Strongly suspect I ABU, particularly since I already have more than enough clutter. I’m not one of those people who gets 50 birthday cards, but a few from people I care about. Do you throw them away? Keep in a box? How long do you keep them out for (e.g. on mantelpiece or similar)?

OP posts:
TinglingTangling · 23/09/2023 18:26

I throw them away.

No one wants to have the hassle of binning them all when I die.

KajsaKavat · 23/09/2023 18:28

Tbrown soon as guests have gone sometimes, other times they stay up for a while, never ever keep any. The only exception were the ones my children got when babies, they stayed in their baby books.

SeekChase · 23/09/2023 18:33

I throw them away, because I cant be arsed to hoard them for some time in the future to look at them and say 'ah' and probably start crying.

RightOnTheEdge · 23/09/2023 18:35

I used to keep them but now I've got better at throwing them all in the recycling after a couple of days.

The only ones I have kept are cute ones from my kids, that they've written in, and all the ones they made at nursery and primary school.
I keep them on top of my wardrobe in a little cardboard box that one of the kids decorated.

ManchesterLu · 23/09/2023 18:38

I throw most of them away, but I will keep a few if they have a nice, handwritten message in them (like from DP).

I will admit that for the past couple of years I've kept cards from my grandparents because, although I've been SO lucky to have them into my 30s, I don't know how many more I'll get from both of them. So I don't want to throw away what might be the last one.

Silly, perhaps, but I don't keep much so it's not bad.

Beebumble2 · 23/09/2023 18:40

I cut the written part off and use any nice picture sides for notes/ lists/ bookmarks.

Oysterbabe · 23/09/2023 18:42

Once the day is over, straight in the bin.

Lagershandy · 23/09/2023 18:45

I have the last birthday and Christmas cards my Mum ever sent me. I keep them in a special tin, and every year they have pride of place on my mantelpiece.
Mum passed away 14 years ago aged 88, but seeing her familiar spidery writing gives me a lovely feeling.

TheFormidableMrsC · 23/09/2023 18:45

I keep special ones, ie : big birthdays. Honestly don't leave it for somebody else to sort out. When my mum died, we discovered how much she kept and it filled THREE large skips. Parents had a big house and a huge loft so we didn't notice it until my Dad decided to move after Mum's death. It was a nightmare and emotionally difficult to sort out. We even found a layer of my parents wedding cake from 40 years earlier. Since I've had that experience, I'm determined that my children won't!

DixonD · 23/09/2023 18:47

I keep all mine. I have cards from when I was a teenager (I’m 41!) from my school friends.

Helenahandkart · 23/09/2023 18:48

I keep special ones from special people. The rest can go. My husband makes a card for every birthday or anniversary, usually based on a recent event in our lives, and looking back at them is like having a diary to read.

scrivette · 23/09/2023 18:48

I have all of my children's since they were born and mine from the last six years. The idea was to cut them up for pictures but haven't ever got around to it.

I also keep them up for a month - I am so surprised to hear some people only keep them up for a day.

When I (eventually) get around to sorting them I know I will be pleased as some cards and letters are from people who are no longer with us.

Mammma91 · 23/09/2023 18:48

I keep all DS birthday cards. Don’t keep many of my own unless from grandparents who I’m blessed to still have.

pavillion1 · 23/09/2023 18:49

if i get a really nice one i take a photo of it on my phone .

DoratheFlora · 23/09/2023 18:52

Mine stay up for a month. I love cards.

I only keep an odd few. I've got the last one my Granny sent me. I've also got some 18 and 21 cards. It's funny to see how the style of cards have changed.

RightOnTheEdge · 23/09/2023 18:55

Helenahandkart · 23/09/2023 18:48

I keep special ones from special people. The rest can go. My husband makes a card for every birthday or anniversary, usually based on a recent event in our lives, and looking back at them is like having a diary to read.

That's really lovely!

bobbitybobbitybob · 23/09/2023 19:00

I keep a few family ones but the rest I give to a friend who re-uses them to make cards to sell for charity

Moredarkchocolateplease · 23/09/2023 19:01

I only get one from DH, one from my mum and MIL and one from my best school friend. DC never get me one (although DS wrote me one for my 40th which is very cute so I've kept that).

I put them on the kitchen island for the day to show willing and then the next morning they go into the bills filing pile and then I chuck them next time I do the filing.

Echo what others have said. No one wants to move that stuff when I die. I remember the stuff my mum had to clear out when my granny died, every post card anyone had ever sent her.

cocksstrideintheevening · 23/09/2023 19:02

Bin.

RichardArmitagesWife · 23/09/2023 19:55

I throw them away (well, recycle) after a week to 10 days.

In a family of 5, we’d end up drowning in the dashed things

Blazzingsaddos · 23/09/2023 19:58

I’ve kept every single cards my dc have ever been given. No idea why I started and now I can’t throw them out. I think I need someone to come and do it for me

squashi · 23/09/2023 20:12

I keep them up for about 2 weeks. Then keep them for a couple of years ('zero birthday' ones for a bit longer) then chuck them away except the ones with particularly nice messages in them.

biddybid73 · 23/09/2023 21:11

I recycle mine but keep photos of the special ones so I can look at them whenever I want!

VestivalBoom · 23/09/2023 21:22

I photograph the front and then the inside of the card, that way I can look back on them whenever I feel like it, not rifling through a box stashed somewhere. As they are digital they take up no physical room in my house.

bluesatin · 23/09/2023 23:04

We have a special stand for cards - mine stay up 'til DH's birthday, his 'til our wedding anniversary, then Valentine's, then back to my birthday. Any very, very special ones I keep. We try to take Christmas cards (displayed elsewhere) down by March, LOL. Before the kids left home theirs had a turn too

When MIL died we discovered she had kept every birthday and Christmas card she had received for decades.

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