I have mixed feelings about the whole greetings card thing. On the one hand, I think giving cards is important. It shows that you have acknowledge the special occasion and have put a little thought into buying something to show how you feel. However, I do object to paying a ridiculous amount of money on what is essentially a piece of card with someone else's words on that is just going to end up in the recycling bag (because you all recycle, right?) and there are better, more personal, and longer lasting ways to show someone you care.
However, despite my personal feelings about it, I do find that I give a lot of cards. If it's someone I really care about they get a nice card to go along with an awesome present. And living a long way away from most of my family and friends, I send a lot of cards when I have to miss a birthday, or just to show them I'm thinking of them. Annoyingly, it can cost a lot to do this, and again we're back to the spending a lot of money on filling recycling bags. (You'll have to forgive me if money is important to me - I've been a student for so long that "cheap" is still high on my list of priorities when buying anything.) Unfortunately, if you want something nice, it's going to cost you. While a lot of the time I don't begrudge my loved ones a few quid that I need for food, when it comes to distant relatives that my mother insists need a Christmas card, I've very often found myself rejecting an expensive card with a pretty picture in favour of the cheap and to the point version and hope the receiver is of the "thought that counts" opinion. The Card Centre solves this problem. The cards in this shop are cheap without being naff, and you can remember your Great Aunt Alice's birthday without feeling a little resentful at how much it's costing you to do so when she can barely remember your name. read more