Sadly looking over my Christmas card list

[MsAmerica]

and seeing how many people have died out of my life in recent years.

:(

My list has dwindled to next to nothing as all of my family are now gone as are elderly friends who would have appreciated a card. We hand deliver just a handful but that is more down to people just not being into cards. I find that most under 50 or even 60 are just not into cards. One stamp will be used for cards this year.

Oh, yes - I didn't even mention the non-reciprocity. As a general rule, I've always found that no more than 15%, maximum, will send a card in return.

Same. I'm 66 and most of my cousins plus my in-laws are older than I am.

Same here lost 4 people this yesr the list is dwindling and not growing and i miss them all.

Yes, I am early 60s and our list has been decimated in the past few years - aunts, uncles, and now shockingly some of our contemporaries - friends, ex work colleagues etc.

It is so expensive to post letters now though that I completely understand why some people who still can, choose not to send cards anymore.

It’s so sad. Obviously death intervenes, but I think massive postage hikes have made a difference

I used to send 60-70 a year. Now it’s no more than 20 and most are hand delivered. I think we got about 15 last year. It’s a shame as it’s been the main way to keep in touch with some people

I (sadly or not) have kept a spreadsheet for the last 12 years plus recording what I bought who for Christmas over the years.

On the plus side it is cute to look back and see the different things my children were into in different Christmases as they grew up.

But it is also sad to see the people who have dropped off my lists due to death or divorce.

Same. Under 50, but loved getting letters and catching up with friends and family once a year. Many of my friends now say they are donating the cost to charity, as the cost of postage is so huge and yet so unreliable.

Same here. I’m in my 50s and so many of my friends have lost their parents this year too. I always keep a list in my reminders for Christmas Day so I can send messages to people saying ‘thinking of you on your first Christmas without XX’ - usually there’s just a few names each year, but this year there’s loads 😞

Definitely the return rate has dwindled, and with the cost of postage (£1.80 domestic and £3.60 overseas!) I don’t blame them! I’ve definitely cut back from about 60 to 40 or so. And I think we get about 20, with a few ecards.
None have died. But my DD volunteers at her local (to her uni) cathedral and about six of the other, mostly very elderly, volunteers died over the summer!

My list is down too next to nothing. I live away from my home and family so a Christmas card once a year is my only contact. Most people are no longer sending them and I have lost a lot of people in the last few years. It’s all very sad.

I'm 60 next year and looking through my address book I can feel myself shuffling up the foodchain. So many relatives now deceased including sadly, some my age. A lot of my younger relatives including my grown children don't bother with cards and I think it's quite disappointing. I used to love stringing up all the Christmas cards around the living room especially when I was at school as there would be loads. Remember the school Christmas postboxes?

A few years ago I bought some lovely Christmas postcards - which cost less to mail.

:)

No longer send any cards except abroad ones . Too expensive to post to nearby locations. Not many reciprocate anyway . I do send to those that I know will appreciate it . But I am not one for cards an . Seems stupid to give a card like Son or Aunt to someone you see all the time . A bit cheaper than individual cards but just get chucked in recycling.

Postage costs are irrelevant for me as virtually everyone who I would have posted a card to has died. But I agree that the cost of postage is at least off putting if not prohibitive for a lot of people.

I also have a number of friends (mainly local) who don’t send cards and donate to charity and they don’t want people sending them cards. I think it tends to be those over ?50/60 who send cards nowadays.

Ah that’s good. Here in the UK it’s exactly the same price. I did see an online suggestion that Royal Mail charge less for postcards but nothing came of it which is a shame, if it was £1 I would have sent so many postcards to people!