To wonder if people really do donate to charity instead of giving Christmas cards

[MumblesParty]

I see a lot of posts of Facebook from people saying “happy Christmas everyone, I’m not doing cards this year, donating to charity instead”. Obviously it’s entirely up to individuals if they do cards or not, but I often find myself wondering if they actually do calculate the cost of card and stamps, and give that amount to a charity. Or if they just don’t get around to it!

Anyone on here prepared to admit they said they’d donate but actually haven’t done it?

I do, and when I put it on Fb I put the charity confirmation up too to be clear which charity I’ve given to and my reasons why.

Ps. I do it not just for the good cause but because cards are shit and stamps are expensive

That’s a good idea. People should post a screenshot of the receipt!

I don't do cards, I haven't for many years, I donate to charity instead.

In my case (and the cases of many I know) it is related. We cannot stand to write a happy family Xmas card and miss the name of our deceased children on, and I know many who donate to the relevant charities instead.

You would be surprised at the amount of folk who do mention it, so I get people making an announcement to save explaining themselves.

I can just see people holding up a printed 'thank you for your kind donation' receipt with their thumb carefully placed, so that £4 can be passed off as £40!

I send cards, and donate to charity. I also work for a charity 😂

I think most of them.don't give to charity.

We don't pay for stamps anyway, but we do pay for cards.
it would only be a couple of pounds for us.

I do. Have to send cards to some family members but tiny amount now.
Give at Christmas and other times during the year when I am feeling grateful for something.

I used to work for an organisation where lots of people sent cards to each other.

One year a few weeks before Christmas it was suggested that instead of giving out cards, people donated £5 to a local charity. So if 40 people did this it would be £200 for the charity.

Everyone was keen so I was asked to get a collection box for the staff room and people would put their donations in there, to save them the bother of having to contact the charity etc.
A few days before Christmas I went to get the box to take to the charity along with my £5.

It contained £1.83!

The very first year that we decided to stop sending cards (except to relatives where they are the only annual contact), I announced on facebook etc that I'd give to charity instead (so that, I hope, people wouldn't feel slighted). Now I just silently give a bit extra to a foodbank every December. No need for repeat announcements!

Do they bollocks 😂 I don’t donate to charity OR do Christmas cards. I think on a world that’s more and more conscious of waste, we need to collectively stop this Christmas card nonsense. I send an e-card instead.

I do.

i donated but never wrote out a social media post announcing it lol

I do usually but I forgot last year so will be donating to Shelter.

I do. This year I gave the Big Issue seller £10, last year I bought £10 raffle tickets for a local hospice. In all honestly I can’t stand the faff of cards and the waste and so this works for me. However I also don’t post that I’m doing it, it’s more a habit I’ve got into.

It's my pet hate when people feel the need to announce it on SM. The whole sanctimonious "I donated instead"

I donate money to my favourite charities and I send cards. You can do both. I buy the cards from the charities I support. I got a thank you today for a card I sent which I certainly didn't expect with the line " I donated to blah charity instead of buying cards" just virtue signaling nonsense inmho.

It's attention seeking naffness. A bit endemic within my countrywide hobby group unfortunately and I don't react to their silly posts.

I preferred the one response that said, "not sending any cards this year because I'd rather spend the money on my kids and alcohol". Fair - a bloody - nuff! Be honest fgs!

It's a dying of death tradition now anyway although the cards and envelopes have been making handy firelighters.. Sorry if any of you have sent one to me and it cost you a quid to send it 😅

I never open e cards because I assume they are infected spam.

Christmas cards, or lack of, are separate to our family's charitable giving.

We don't send cards to people we see in person throughout the festive season and I'm open at work that I don't do cards for environmental reasons. Anything environmental on here is met with scoffs of "but you have children" and the general rhetoric that people are lying when they say they are environmentally conscious. Our friends know us well enough to know our reasons and colleagues or acquaintances are free to judge or not.

Some people I know chose to stop cards and donate to charity after losing one or both of their parents. They usually donate to a charity linked closely to their parents' illness.

I don't do it because of the money. I can't bear the waste that Christmas cards represent.

I think if you want to then do, if you don’t then just own it. You don’t need an excuse, I personally do give a donation ( this year 10 big selection boxes and 6 packs of mince pies to local food bank via school. Not loads by any means but I prefer the families to enjoy a treat than a card that gets chucked in a bin. Each to their own ✌🏼

To all those who eschew Christmas cards, do you also reject birthday cards (either for yourself or your children)?

To all those who eschew Christmas cards, do you also reject birthday cards (either for yourself or your children)?
We don't send birthday cards unless it's close family. DH and I don't send each other birthday cards or valentine's or anniversary cards though.
I've generally found that if people know your decisions make sense with the rest of your lifestyle, they're not bothered.

When I said that’s what I was doing, that’s what I did. Worked out the cost of cards and gave it to charity.
Now I do t say it because I don’t do it. And no, I cba to write a load of cards to people I can easily wish Merry Christmas to another way.

I buy charity Christmas cards.