I want to be green but hate Chrissy e-cards. What to do?

Dear Aunty B,

I have a problem. During the last two weeks, I have received one printed Christmas card and five e-cards. While I opened the printed card and sat it on my filing cabinet, I did not bother opening the e-cards.

Also with two of the e-cards came a rather aggressive message from the sender, which seemed to indicate that the sender had been told to send them and would rather have sent a printed version.

So my problem is this: rather than being filled with good cheer when I receive a Christmas e-card, I now feel annoyed.

I am a recycler who would rather not see trees cut down for the sake of a card, but I don’t want to send an e-card either. What do I do this Christmas? I would like to send something meaningful but want to be true to my green self.

Greenie,
NSW

Dear Greenie,

I am a little surprised. Where did you get the idea that you should open your e-card? You see who it is from and you know what it is going to say: ‘Happy Christmas and thank you for your support’.

There are no added benefits to an e-card as there are with the printed versions. You can’t, for example, thread them through the venetian blinds at work in order to show your colleges how much more popular you are.

Nor can you cut them in half and write a message on the back of the pretty picture as my aunt always used to do. (She also reuses tea bags.)

So what you do is this: make a quick list of who you want to contact.

Divide that into three:
1. Who I really care about.
2. Who I don’t really care about but should.
3. Work contact.

To those you really care about send them a straight email. Make it personal, poignant and heartfelt. Ever had one of those? They mean so much more than an e-card. Do the same for your work contacts. As for those who you don’t really care about but should – don’t bother.

Good luck!
Your Aunty B

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