The Cost of a Greeting Card
It's amazing how even though we're living in a world with technology, where we can send e-cards, wish your friend Happy Birthday on Facebook or even Happy New Year to everyone on Twitter, there's still that sense of joy and excitement in receiving a greeting card. There's just something about a physical greeting card that makes the moment or occasion a lot more special despite how rare it can be.
But maybe there's a reason why it can be pretty rare. Not only does it take a lot of effort to go to a store, find the right card, then post it out, the actual cost of a greeting card can be pretty pricey! Take a look at how much greeting cards costs in the market today.
Costly Greeting Cards
Generally, greeting cards individually can be affordable as they range between RM2.90 - RM6.90. But be careful when selecting a card, especially since a number of them do not have a price tag on it, as there are cards that not only cost close to RM10, but up to RM20 and even RM40 as well!
Many may find the high prices surprising especially if the card seems simple enough to not warrant such a price. But a lot of the high costs are due to import and the materials and printing used to make the card. There is one particular brand of card that is imported and is rather expensive here in Malaysia, with one card with a 4 3/4" x 7 1/4" size costing RM19.90. Due to its very meaningful messages and simple designs, these cards are attractive enough that people are willing to spend. After all, this is a special occasion and something that meaningful and attractive is worth getting.
But buying these expensive cards become a problem only if you find yourself needing to buy more of them during festivities. Imagine trying to buy Hari Raya greeting cards for 25 relatives at even RM6 a pop! Let’s not even think about what it may be like if it was RM20!
Buying a RM20 card for the many weddings you may attend this year, for your spouse's birthday, your best friend getting admitted into a hospital and more will definitely add up and you would be spending more than RM100 or more on cards alone. While these cards are attractive, they aren't exactly friendly to your budget.
Cheaper option: Packs of Cards
So what do you do if you need to send out greeting cards to families, friends and colleagues? The festive seasons are known for selling cards in packs that can help save you both money and time, especially if you have many friends you wish to send cards to. For example, you could get a pack of 6 cards for Chinese New Year for a price of RM10. Some may even offer more cards for RM10, though it really depends on the quality of the cards.
In a way, buying cards in packs can cut costs though the ones that offer more cards for RM10 or even RM15 are usually poorer in quality in comparison with the cards that you can buy individually (and everyone knows they come from a pack!). But hey, even the frugal need to greet no? And with more and more people simply sending a text – even a less than stellar card is better than none!
Handmade and personal
There are services in Malaysia that gives you the power to decorate the card as you wish, and this can help you control the price of the card as well. But these can also be expensive depending on the type of material you choose and the amount of details that need to be set for the card. Readily made handmade cards cost RM9.90, especially those with very beautiful and intricate details so if you wish to add more details, it will definitely cost more not just due to the materials, but the printing where necessary as well.
As more people opt to send their greetings through technology, it's interesting to see that greeting cards have been increasing in price. Maybe because it evokes a more stronger and special feeling compared to online greetings? We can only guess why greeting cards are so expensive today. Which goes to show that even getting a card needs to be planned for your budget these days.
*picture from www.snowandgraham.com
This was brought you by MICHELLE BROHIER from RinggitPlus.com. RinggitPlus compares credit cards, personal loans and home loans to help Malaysians get more for their money.
