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I usually have my Xmas cards written mid-November but I have just not gotten around to it.

Well thought I would sit down and start the mammoth task of writing them out, so far I have done 11 and I think that is it lol!! I thought I would have more to do but I only send to immediate family and closest friends.

The rest get a Facebook message or email to save on stamps (As I do not have time to see all my 2nd and 3rd tier mates). After that guess we all write loads for work but as I work alone I have only written one to the Building Manager and one to the regular engineer who comes here.

I am being truly frugal as I buy Xmas Cards in Jan cheap and use em haha. Also I have a stockpile of cards, some of them must be 5 years old

Can anybody suggest some low-budget gift items? I need to buy gifts for my kids and some close friends.

Others will receive emails and Facebook message for sure; I cannot afford the stamps as well!

Unfortunately, I'm a bah humbug in respect of cards and don't write any and if I receive any I don't put them up!

A student today has brought me in a bottle (small...maybe one glass) of wine with cellophane and a bit of twirly ribbon, looks lovely and very welcome even though I don't drink.

Aww very nice lesley. I get zero pressies from my client lol.

Ann it is hard I agree what I tend to do is just go round the shops and look for small gifts in size for people that are cheap. Stuff like scented candles, a small bath spa kit. Really depends on the person though.

After Xmas I will pick up stuff cheap like that for next as most stuff keeps and why people waste money for sake of putting something in a cupbaord for a year boggles my mind lol.

I am useless at sending Christmas cards! I hate the expense and the silliness of it, but my Mum insists on sending cards to family on my behalf [:I]

I never send cards to work colleagues, I just wish them a Merry Christmas [:)]

How old are your children ann_simmons?

shame on you julie and me ,i am exactly the same.what a lovely mam you have, like i have.i,m going to make a better effort this year watch this space.

[:D] Mrbluesky, my mum will never change! She's a gem!!!

Sending cards is what she does [:)] I always give her money to cover the costs, but I don't see the point in sending Christmas cards.

I make my own cards for the most part, and intend on only sending to close family and those that send to us this year. My husbands family seem to have fallen out with us for soem reason yet for the last three years I have still sent to them. So will see.

I was only thinking earlier that I should be getting some of these done, I really need to get my act together.

I've done some cards, and posted those to my American friends. I love having cards up - the tree is already done as are the interior lights, and the only reason the outside ones aren't done is because it's been so cold.

I buy cheap ones in bulk, and just pay a little bit more for close family. Whilst I'm not bothered too much about Christmas, whilst I still have to live in this country, then we'll go through the motions.

My tree is going up today too, daughter wants to do it as that was the original plan for this year but I'm itching to do it! Ol Scrooge who I live with won't let me have outside lights!

If it were left to hubby we'd have nothing up at all, but I do love to see a few lights outside, nothing OTT though.

We don't do outside lights only as I can't find any I like and if I leave it to Dave it'll look like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!

Reading Lukes original post, not all of my friends are on Facebook, or have a computer so I prefer to send cards.

Skip - I passed a house like that yesterday. It was a tad OTT!

Same here Jan, I do like to send Christmas cards, and I like getting them as well! We have rows of string across one wall and hang them on that.

Ours are stuck to the french windows and the ones from family are on the windowledges and mantlepiece.