Welcome!
This is Day 4 of the 21 Days to a Stress Free & Debt Free Christmas. I’m so excited that you are joining me for what I hope will be a really helpful series designed to walk with you step by step through the Christmas season in a way that ensures you keep your sanity and that you don’t overspend.
Today it’s time to tackle Christmas cards. While it’s possible to spend an arm and leg on them, we’ll be looking at how to send an affordable Christmas card.
Opinions on Christmas cards are all over the map. Some people love receiving them while others view them as just another way for people to brag about their perfect little lives. I don’t care what the naysayers think, but I love sending and receiving them!
Even if I’m not able to keep in good touch throughout the year, I still love opening those sweet photo cards or reading those handwritten messages from the people I’ve met over the years. I’ve heard some people using their Christmas cards as prayer reminders, which I think is an awesome idea!
Whether to send one at all
When thinking about Christmas cards, you must first go back to your Christmas budget. Your budget is your link to reality. You may want to send a card this year, but let your budget help you make that decision. If your budget is extremely tight, then maybe you need to fore go sending cards altogether. Or maybe you need to consider drastically reducing the number of people on your card distribution list in order to reduce costs.
There are also some great ways to send Christmas cards electronically, free of charge. You could send something out to the friends in your email contact list or post something up on social media. PicMonkey* is a great online editing tool {free of charge} that you could use, but we’ll talk more about that in a minute.
Finding the right photo
If you enjoy sending photo cards, then taking the perfect photo can oftentimes be the most stressful part. Here are some options for finding the right photo.
1. Portrait studios
Around holidays, there are usually some deals at studios like Portrait Innovations, Picture People, or JC Penney. Just be sure you watch the fine print so you know exactly what you are getting in your packages. Don’t forget that the digital rights to the photo may be a totally separate charge. If you have the money in your budget, it is nice to have the photo taken professionally, but there are ways around it.
2. Hire a photography student
If you are still looking for professional quality, another option is to hire or ask a photography student. They may be able to offer you a reduced rate or even take them for free to fulfill requirements. They will likely have the equipment and ability to edit the photo for you. Make sure you are comfortable with the arrangement and that expectations on both sides are documented.
3. Take it yourself
To me, the best way to get a nice picture for little or no money is to take it yourself on a tripod or have someone else take one for you. This is usually what we end up doing. From my own experience, using a good camera is the most important part in getting a quality photo. If you don’t own a nice camera, try asking a friend to let you borrow theirs just for the photo or maybe they will even be willing to snap it for you quickly.
4. Use what you already have
Don’t feel like you have to take a new photo specifically for your Christmas card. You may have taken a really great shot while on your beach vacation. Feel free to use whatever cute photos you may have already taken throughout the year.
Sending a photo doesn’t have to be pricey
Once you have the photo for your card, it’s time to figure out the best way to sent it out.
1. Use a coupon code for a photo printing website
There are tons of photo companies, office stores, or big box retailers who would love to have your business. At this time of year, many of these companies will offer great deals on holiday cards, so make sure you are following some coupon or deal blogs who post about them (MoneySavingMom, Southern Savers, PassionforSavings, etc.). When you are researching prices, be sure to check on the quantities because they often advertise the cheap price on the really large quantities. We have used Shutterfly*, Staples, Walmart, Target*, and Snapfish in the past.
You may also want to check to see if there are any Groupon* deals for photo cards. I have seen them and used them in the past as well.
2. Make your own
This might sound a little daunting, but I’m seriously considering it for this year (Update: I did this for our 2015 card and it worked great!). Below are some great tutorials, using PicMonkey*. PicMonkey* is a free photo editing tool (unless you choose to upgrade for extra features) and it’s really simple to use. I use it all the time for blog posts! Once you’ve saved the edited “card” that you’ve created, you can print them out at a much more affordable price.
Make Your Own Christmas Photo Cards Free Online by Growing Slower
How to Create Your Own Christmas Card in PicMonkey by Perfection Pending
3. Buy {or make} a card and put your photo print in it
If you aren’t able to find a good deal on a photo website and you are not up for the challenge of making one yourself, you can still send your photo with a normal card. You can find some cute and very affordable Christmas cards at the Dollar Tree and you could stick a photo print with it. You’ll still have to pay to print the photo, but you’ll save a lot.
How are things going so far?
Let me know in the comments!
P.S. For more frugal family inspiration delivered to your inbox, subscribe to my email list here.
{Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read disclosure here.}
I meant to get a head start on this last month… never took any family photos! I went ahead and just pieced a bunch of photos together for a card. It'll have to do! Thanks for the reminder. I wasn't sure it I would even get to cards this year. They are ordered. Just need to make time to mail them out 😉
I know what you mean! I always tend to have to rush the Christmas cards and just get them done….imperfect and all! 🙂