a gift that keeps on giving...

...every time they open their inbox!

In my last post, I negatively ranted a bit about people waiting until the last minute to do their shopping. Since my wife is always telling me that I can be such a pessimist, here's my "glass half-full" suggestion for a possible solution.

Instead of waiting until the last minute, and then driving out to the stores at the stroke of midnight to pick up your gifts and greeting cards (further propagating the need for retail workers to stay late and on holidays), why not send an e-card? Whether it's a birthday or a holiday card, everybody likes to find something "jolly" in their inbox that isn't spam. You can always follow up later with a belated gift, and use the old "forgot your gift" excuse for the time being.

American Greetings even offers printable cards for those of you who feel that "e-cards" aren't personal enough. You pick the style you want, personalize it, and print it yourself. This is a *perfect* idea for those of you who like to drag your "better half" to the store, and make them wait on you for hours on end until you have read every last card to find the "perfect" one. This way - you pick the card, and you customize it to make it perfect yourself. No hassle, and no grumpy spouse. They've got invitations, and the e-cards range in styles from the witty and outrageous to the minimal and sublime, with all of the sob-story, touch-your-heart, missing-you themes that you would find at the local giftshop. Some of them are even *FREE*, something I challenge you to find at any mall.

Anyone with half a brain can figure out how to use their website, and unlike printed cards, these e-cards will often be kept in the receiver's inbox, so that they can view it again when they feel like a quick "pick me up". (This is a BIG difference from regular printed cards, which you blow $4 or $5 on and usually end up in the trash). Plus, here's a bonus for the procrastinators and organizationally challenged - they offer a free downloadable desktop calendar to help you remember birthdays and special events.

And if you don't like that, they've got customized talking e-cards, so you can apologize in your own words if you forgot their birthday and you are sending it late. Now you have no excuse! If you find yourself waiting until the last minute to get that shopping done, send an e-card instead. Then go save yourself a bundle on those post-holiday sales and follow up with a better gift than you could have afforded 24 hours earlier. It's a no brainer.