Kat’s Money Corner: How to get the best deal on your holiday cards

I tend to procrastinate on sending out my holiday cards, but this year I’m determined to get ahead of the game, so I’m starting … now. There are a number of online tools, as well as local stores, you can use to help create and print your cards. However, you may be asking yourself, which is the most cost-effective? Is it better for your wallet to set aside the time to create them yourselves? Here are my recommendations to save money and time during this busy holiday season.

Season’s Greetings

Fall is my absolute favorite season, so it’s typically when we take our family pictures. These photographs are, of course, a wonderful resource for holiday cards. Instead of going to a studio and haggling for a good deal on the photo shoot and paying big bucks for the prints, I make it a point to work with professionals who will sell me the rights to our pictures. Then, we can print them ourselves.

Online and On-time

Services like Shutterfly, TinyPrints and Snapfish are probably the most recognizable, but my online printer of choice is Mpix. I can vouch for great quality and ease of use. All you need are your favorite images and a computer. This service, and almost any other you can find online, has great seasonal templates that you can use to make your holiday cards. Just drag and drop your favorite image and personalize the message. If you run short on time and are down the wire, check websites like Hallmark’s Ink & Main for sales and last-minute ordering options.

To save money, I recommend a postcard-sized template because they’re significantly cheaper than 5x7s or folded cards, and there isn’t much difference in size. You’ll save on postage, too! On that note, don’t pay extra for the addressing service that many websites offer. If handwriting addresses overwhelms you, put together a list of addresses in Excel and print the labels off with your home printer.

Christmas Craftiness

If you have the time and resources (i.e., access to a craft store and a few of Santa’s elves to assist you), creating your own holiday cards can be both frugal and festive. Choose a design, gather up the supplies and dedicate some time to crafting your cards. If you can get the kids involved, you’ll likely end up with both a memorable evening and a priceless collection of their creativity – not to mention Grandma’s favorite card on the mantel.

Kat's Money Corner is posted on Dollars & Sense every Tuesday. Kat Hnatyshyn, when not blogging or caring for her little ones, is a manager with CommunityAmerica Credit Union. For more financial chatter, click http://twitter.com/savinmavens or visit http://communityamerica.com.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Kat’s Money Corner: How to get the best deal on your holiday cards."