For the last few years I have made a $100 donation to the National Arbor Day Foundation to help restore the rain forest in Central America, instead of sending out Christmas cards to my selected 100 people. This usually costs me $1 per person plus postage if any, and more than half of these go to people at my work. I made up postcards that read:
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"Merry Christmas!
In your honor, 250 square feet of rain forest will be restored in Central America by the National Arbor Day Foundation."
I've discovered that people are more delighted with this simple gift than they are with a plain card, candy or trinket. I then started making a monthly donation to NADF to replant trees in fire-ravaged forests and sending out a postcard to my birthday recipients that reads:
"Happy Birthday! In honor of your birthday, a tree will be planted in a fire-ravaged forest by the National Arbor Day Foundation."
This too has been a popular gift. Each one (birthday and Christmas) only costs me a dollar per person, plus postage and printing on recycled card stock from my computer, and I've made a donation to a eco-friendly charitable organization!
Use clip art that you can snag on the Internet and save to a 3-1/2" floppy file, for later use. Look at some old greeting cards for verses and email your personal greeting card messages to friends.