Missed Royal Mail's last posting date 1st class: WWYD?

[Wauden]

For various reasons, we haven't posted our cards yet or even written them and the last recommended date has gone.
It would take three hours or so but we don't have time tonight for the 9am collection anyway so the next collection would be Tuesday 9am. We have the 1st class stamps.

Would you take a risk and post them tomorrow or would you email an image instead?

I've just finished mine, they'll get posted tomorrow. May even have to use second class stamps on some. Better late than never.
I'm planning on emailing a few people - relatives mostly - as well.

Three hours 😱

I have sent mine second class today; they will get there eventually

Send them anyway. People will just think they got caught in the strikes. I think the last postal date for Christmas was 15th November!

Are these people you have on SM? Or talk to fairly regularly via phone or text? I’d come clean and say ‘thinking of you all over Christmas - but missed the post! Will donate postage not paid to charity this year instead!’
But saying nothin is completely fine too. Send your cards next year - a lot of people saying send anyway but I think receiving them after Christmas will be a bit naff, even though I do keep my tree and decorations up until the 6th! But for me Christmas cards are part of the build up to Christmas Day.

I would do any of them that you actually care about the person receiving then and want them to know you're thinking of them. You'll presumably be thinking of them when you write it and then who cares if they get it a day or two late the thought is what matters here.

I can tell you with certainty that it does not take 3hours to write Christmas cards and if you do them now, you can easily pop to the postbox tonight.

Can you start writing them and then nip to the post box when you get fed up?

They might get there. They'll be at the top of the pile for sorting.

why do you have to write them all at once in one three hour session?

write the most important ones first tonight and post them tomorrow. Any others you can either post Tuesday or email

I’ve only had 2 cards through the post, so presume they are stuck somewhere. I sent mine last week, but have had nobody ring to thank me for the card, which normally happens.

I don’t think I’ve ever made the last posting dates. Just send and hopefully they’ll arrive at some point

I never knew that phoning to thank for a Christmas card was a thing.

I have never rung or been rung, that's a whole extra level of unnecessary obligation imo

This is what I’d do.

I would send them anyway. I've missed the last posting date before, even in non-strike years.

I would post. Just because you've missed the last guaranteed date for posting doesn't mean they definitely won't get there on time. Some of the things I've posted have got there in a normal expected amount of time

In normal years, I always would post the week before Christmas after the last dates, and the cards would get there as it was usually quiet by then. This year I don't think that will happen somehow! But I will still aend some this week. It is the season of Christmas. I must be in the minority, but I love Christmas cards!

Prioritise some, post tomorrow, rest Tuesday if needs be.

I think that the vast majority of Christmas cards are going to be late, or very late - I’m assuming mine will arrive sometime next year, and they were posted 10 days ago, as I said.

I’ll be happy to see cards whenever they arrive - and I won’t be bothered that they are late.

There is an ad on the Royal Mail website offering tracked 24 or 48 hour for the same price as normal first class post. Arrange collection from your home for free for in the morning.

I wouldn't trust the guaranteed date anyway, I've been getting post in batches 2 weeks late.

You could do what I, and various friends and family do periodically which is say "This year we've decided to donate the cost of postage and cards to X charity instead." Tbh I'd rather do that every year. That way you can tell anyone you talk to (or asks!) that's what you've don, and do actually do that.

You can still send them. Who cares if they arrive late? Cards don't self destruct at midnight on 24 December.

I posted mine today and just wrote on them “hope you had a nice Christmas”. Hopefully they’ll arrive by Easter.

Do not bother. Send New Year cards instead. Save the Xmas cards for next year Too much money to spend sending cards that will not arrive before christmas

We’ve hardly got an this year. I’d probably just send out any priority ones and forget the rest.