You always have the best intentions of being organised at Christmas, with Christmas presents wrapped and under the tree well in advance, the fridge full of festive food and all ready for the big day, and Christmas cards written and sent early in December, so when the Christmas holidays come around, you can sit down with a glass of something lovely, surrounded by your nearest and dearest, and enjoy the festivities. But life happens! You are busy juggling a million different things, and sometimes these jobs don’t happen as early as you planned, and it all ends up feeling like a mad rush. But one job that you can do now, which will help ease stress further down the line, is buy your Christmas cards. Some of you may still be in denial that we are now in the full throes of Autumn, let alone planning for Christmas. But buying your Christmas cards early is a really good idea (especially in 2024!), and here are 5 reasons why…
1. It avoids your Christmas cards getting caught up in the postal delays and strikes
There are postal delays every Christmas, I was still receiving Christmas cards in January last year! It’s inevitable when so many more cards, letters and parcels are moving through the postal system than normal. So getting organised and easing the pressure on our fabulous posties will always help things run more smoothly. But in 2022, there is the added complication of the postal strikes happening across the UK. You may have seen it on the news, but there are lots of strikes planned all throughout the lead-up to Christmas, which is going to cause some issues. I don’t think anyone knows quite the impact these strikes will have yet, but safe to say, the earlier you can buy your Christmas cards, and the earlier you can get them in the post, the better chance they have of arriving on your loved ones doorsteps in plenty of time! For the most up-to-date information about the postal strikes, and any delays, head to the Royal Mail website.
2. It helps to spread the cost of Christmas
Another reason I share every year, but is even more important this year, is that by buying your Christmas cards early, you can help spread the cost of Christmas. Christmas cards may not be your biggest expense of the festive season, but they are another expense to take into account. And given the current cost of living crisis, rising prices, and ever-increasing energy bills, budgeting out your festive purchases and breaking them up throughout the coming months is going to be crucial. By buying your Christmas cards now, that expense is sorted and taken care of, so when you come to write them you won’t have to worry about paying for them, as you did that long ago!
3. It ensures you can get the Christmas card designs you want
This is especially important when buying from small and independent businesses, though I’ve seen big retailers also run out of stock closer to Christmas! If you have seen some beautiful Christmas cards from a small or independent business that you would love to buy, and send to your loved ones this year, it’s a good idea to buy them early. By their nature, small businesses don’t tend to carry the same levels of stock as the bigger retailers. By buying early, you get to choose from their entire Christmas card range. There is nothing worse than finding Christmas cards you love, and realising they’re out of stock when you come to buy them. Settling for alternative designs, which aren’t quite what you had in mind, is always disappointing.
Check out my range of unique Christmas cards, where you can mix and match any 4 cards for £10, or any 8 cards for £16.
4. It reduces your pre-Christmas stress levels
With so many lovely festive activities happening, and friends and family gathering to catch up and spend time together, Christmas really does hold the potential to be the most wonderful time of the year. But often, it’s not. It can be stressful! Pressure and expectation of having the ‘perfect Christmas’ (there is no such thing, by the way), and a never-ending list of things to do before the big day can lead to stress and hysteria! So help yourself reduce those stress levels, by doing some jobs early. Ok, you can’t prepare your turkey in October and still expect it to be edible come Christmas Day, but you can buy your Christmas cards, and even write them. Your friends and family will appreciate a well-thought out message much more than a quick last minute scrawl across a card. And by doing this early, it can help with the fifth reason…
5. It helps you get in the festive spirit and feel some Christmas joy
Life has felt pretty hard over the last few years. There has been, and still is, a lot going on, affecting an awful lot of people. So a chance to cheer yourself up, and feel a bit festive, will be a welcome break from the stresses of daily life. Christmas cards are a great way to dip your toes into the festivities. Taking a look at some beautiful and unique Christmas card designs will remind you of all the wonderful things you love about this time of year and get you ready to fully embrace the festive season. Is that Michael Buble I can hear playing softly in the background…?
So there you have it, plenty of reasons why buying your Christmas cards early is a really good idea. It means you can avoid the postal delays and strikes, you can help spread the cost of Christmas, you can ensure you get the Christmas card designs you want, you can reduce your pre-Christmas stress levels, and you can get in the festive spirit along the way! Do you need any more convincing?
As previously mentioned, I have a wide range of unique Christmas cards, all drawn and designed by me in my home studio in Cheltenham. They’re available now, meaning you can buy nice and early, so when it comes to Christmas, you ARE that person sitting down with a glass of something lovely, enjoying the festivities, rather than running around at the last minute like a headless chicken…
Happy Christmas card shopping lovelies! Jess x
