Friday, October 3, 2008

Friday Confession


My friend Kate over at The Big Piece of Cake likes to share “Friday Confessions” and entertain her readers with the quirky things she does. I, of course, thought I had nothing to share. Ha! Here goes one:

I just opened a birthday card and looked at the back to see how much the sender spent on me. What's up with that? I don't know if this is a habit, or whether it was the first time. After I did it, I actually found myself wondering if I could gauge how much our relationship was worth based on what they spent. It was the cutest card, adorable actually, and just my style. Retail price? $1.99. I felt a little, well, bummed.

Now I’m a bit freaked because, as you may know by now, I am notoriously… thrifty. I love to buy 10-packs of cards at Michael’s for $1.00. Does that mean my friends think they are worth a mere 10 cents to me? Eeek.

Costco has those big boxes of assorted cards with all sorts of embellishments and glitter on them. When I buy those, I think I’m being extra cool and generous because they look so fancy. The problem is, the card selection rarely changes. Soooo, if you are a regular Costco shopper (I still prefer to call it Price Club), you totally know if someone is sending you one. And at 30 + cards for a mere $15.00, you could get a bit of a complex.

Having such a storehouse of cards also makes me run the risk of sending the same card several years in a row. My friend Jenn? She seems like a sparkly, cute 3-D purse kind of a girl. Is that because of her personality, or because I keep sending her the same card?

My mother in law never forgets a holiday. She has a tight relationship with her local Hallmark store. I could get all puffed up seeing her spend a whopping $5.00, okay $4.99, on me. However, if I start to over think it, I get a little deflated. After all, she’s in the club. Does she really like me 50 times more than I like my girlfriends, or does she just love racking up those gold crown points?

I do hope this post won’t scare anyone off from sending me a card in the future. Seriously, mail is precious. If you do dare, I promise I won’t turn it over!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

In my book....if someone took the time to actually go out and get a card, or even if they had a huge box already at home and took the time to write a quick note, address the envelope and put a stamp on it and physically get it in the mail....says more to me than anything. I have the hardest time even doing that. I suck at mailing cards, and yet LOVE receiving them. I could care less how much they cost, it really is the thought that counts. :)

Shana said...

That's a great confession! Shame on you, turning the card over. I would NEVER do something like that. (Only because I hadn't thought of it until now!)

I do like to judge the neighbors at Halloween time, though, based on whether they are handing out name brand or store brand candy.

: )

Kristen said...

I'm a Costco box-o-cards buyer myself and I experience the same panic every time I pull one out: "Is this perfect for her because I sent it to her last year?!?" Love your blog. ;)

Kate Coveny Hood said...

AT least you send cards! I'm the worst about forgetting birthdays. And holiday cards? Maybe once every five years.

It was great to finally meet you in person! Let's do that again soon!

Angie @ KEEP BELIEVING said...

My mom turns the card over right away and says things like, " Angie, you spent too much on that card." or "Cute card. Isn't it ridiculous how much they cost?"

I always dread if the person actually takes back my gift and gets the in store credit from the gift receipt becauase they will know how much I DIDN'T spend on them.

KEEP BELIEVING

Tom Thumb said...

Yikes! I bought you a card before I read this blog. You don't have to turn the card over though. Rest assured that there is no card valuable enough to match your worth.

Rebecca said...

I totally agree with "a buns life," I'm so impressed with people that actually go to the effort of sending cards and love receiving them BUT I have the hardest time doing it myself!