Do you save greeting cards you've received?

It depends on the card, the message, and the sender. I save handmade cards, those with personal messages that I find especially meaningful, and cards from grandmas or people important to me. I keep them in a large Tupperware bin. I toss anything else once the holiday or special occasion has passed.

I save all the ones from my husband. I also have the cards from my wedding. Otherwise...tbh, I don't really get any cards, but I doubt I'd feel compelled to keep them.

Card saver. Not only for the memories, but from something my Mother taught me. She is a child of the Great Depression, the first one not the Bush one. Because so much was scarce they recycled cards by cutting out the decorations and using them on packages and on homemade cards. I still do a bit of that.

I cut the cards up to make gift tags for next years gifts. Repurpose, reuse, recycle.

I saved the cards I got when I got married, and the cards I got when my first son was born (didn't get cards for the second son ). Other than that... I'll either repurpose the front if it's something that will work, or they go into the recycling after the event is over. Not that I get that many cards anymore. So far I have receive ONE Christmas card this year. (mind you, I only sent out about 7, so...)

I have a few that Mr. Hunny gave me that I'm sentimental about, but I usually toss the other birthday and holiday cards we receive about a week after the occasion is over.

*I just can't stand clutter*

I tend to toss most of them now, though I used to save more. I've been trying to de-clutter my house, so I've been going through some drawers and cabinets to clear up storage space. I have been finding boxes of old cards. I held on to a few--ones that held especially fond memories, such as cards that had personal notes from people who have since passed away. But I won't look at most of them ever again, and I get birthday and holiday cards from the same people year after year, mostly just signed or form Christmas newsletters about accomplishment and activities that make me feel exhausted just to read about them.

My grandmother would save her Christmas cards until the next year and use them to light her yule log. I'm not sure why.

I usually throw them out. There's rarely anything deep or meaningful written in them - just a signature. I appreciate that somebody thought of me and I do feel a little guilty tossing them. I've seen lots of really neat things people do with them to add to their decorating, but the problem is I don't get enough to do anything with them! So the few (4?) I do get can either sit in a meaningless pile on the counter, or I can just toss them and appreciate the gesture. I think if I received more I would be more likely to keep and do things with them.

Occasionally I do keep some, if they touch me. I once got a Valentine's card from my dad. He was a big biker, a tough guy. He was very intimidating. I was about 16 and walked into my bedroom to find a tiny stuffed animal and a card that said "You're silly". He signed it "Love, Dad" and I kept it because I thought it was adorable that a guy like him took a moment to pick out something small for me. He died two years later, I still have the card and it's one of my most treasured possessions. I kept the stuffed animal as well, but about 4 years later it was destroyed by mother's dog.

CindyGirl said:

My grandmother would save her Christmas cards until the next year and use them to light her yule log. I'm not sure why.

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I actually think this is a pretty neat idea!

I save my cards because everybody writes such nice/funny things in them. I also don't get many cards, so I might as well.

This made me sound much older than I am.

Nope. They all go.

I used to keep a shoe box full of the most meaningful cards I'd ever gotten, that I wanted to save. Most were hand-made, although a few were just really nice words from someone who didn't say them often. I tend to throw out most cards, though

I send out about twenty each year, family and friends, which is down from my political years when I sent out hundreds.

I like to send physical cards through the mail for holidays, birthdays and special occasions. I also mail notes and letters every few months to family and close friends. Although my handwriting is illegible the recipients like to receive these. Fountain pens are used too.

I've saved every card my husband ever gave me, but other than that, no. When I was younger my mom pulled out an album of Christening cards I'd received as a baby and 3/4 of the senders were complete strangers to me, at that point I realized there's no purpose in saving that stuff. It just takes up room.

Yes. I put them back in their envelope, and put them in a drawer. I started saving them when I was in high school. Originally, I would go back and re-read them all on rough days. Now, I won't go near the drawer--three people died in a little over a year, in my family. I openly admit to being scared of how I'll react to seeing their handwriting, and I will feel like telling them (in my family it is perfectly normal to talk to dead loved ones) how poorly everyone is doing--long-term estrangement and/or relationships gone sour.

Yes. The idea of throwing it away right after receiving it tugs at my conscience. I need to let the card collect dust in a drawer for at least three more years until even thinking about throwing it away. It's a weird form of procrastination for me. I just know I have a birthday card from five years ago in my personal slush pile somewhere.

nah, i've never been sentimental like that

Grayson Moon said:

Yes. The idea of throwing it away right after receiving it tugs at my conscience. I need to let the card collect dust in a drawer for at least three more years until even thinking about throwing it away. It's a weird form of procrastination for me. I just know I have a birthday card from five years ago in my personal slush pile somewhere.

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Exactly the same here. I have a filing cabinet drawer for them. I justify it in weird ways too, like 'I totally need all these Christmas cards so I'll know who to send them to next year'.