I’m hoping to find some HELP in how to pace myself when Postcrossing! Preferably some fun rewarding ways not just “Maybe this isn’t for you” or “You should be more responsible”
I love sending mail and receiving mail! However I tend to buy postcards/supplies before I can send them out. Or vice versa pull addresses without stamps for them. Though I always send them out in time, it’s a bad habit!! I don’t want my habits to catch up with me!
How would you suggest pacing myself? (Without guilt tripping or judgment please)
Haha, you’re not the only one - it happens to a lot of postcrossers.
I have so many postcards that I’d have to live to be 200 years old to send them all.
But then I wouldn’t be allowed to buy any more.
We have an extra topic in the #communities:german-deutsch where we report on our addiction to buying and there are challenges with which we try to buy less or get rid of a lot of cards quickly so that we have a reason to buy cards again.
The only thing that helps me personally at all is to think about my wallet, and that works quite well at the moment.
But by the time I go on holiday, all my good intentions are forgotten.
As @Bille said, you are not alone. On the German forum we have, among other things, a challenge where we keep track of our postcards going in and out. Seeing the numbers helps a bit. I’m still in the plus, but I’m holding back.
Hello, it’s me, Silke, addicted to sending postcards …
I observed me sending around 100 postcards per months and this is a lot of joy but also a lot of money, around 300 CHF (30% of my rent). For me personally it is not the money I spend for postcards (but I have around 1000 postcards to send) but for the stamps. Way to much for my budget
The next month I will have an envelope with 31 stamps and that is all I can “spend”. Let’s see if it will work.
I also used to get addicted to sending and receiving postcards, but now I can more or less restrain myself from sending more than five official cards per month. And in return, it also reduced my purchases.
I don’t know if this is the right tip for anyone else, but I determine how many I want to send each month, and I buy things (usually the stamps) after I pull the addresses. I buy the stamps when I’m going to the post office to send the cards. So it’s like I focus my purchases just for a few recipients instead of buying for many ‘future’ recipients. I also distract myself from pulling too many addresses by writing/decorating the postcards one by one before pulling new address.
When it comes to buying postcards, I focus on what I have now and try to send everything out first, before I buy anything else. Every time I see an ad for new postcards, I think “I still have postcards for next month”, or “I don’t know who I’m going to send those to”, to stop myself from buying.
Of course, it’s not always worked, and those “tips” maybe not suitable for those who like to send fast, but it helped for me who need to slow down. I hope you can find what works best for you.
I also had an addiction to sending a lot at first, but gradually the situation calmed down. Part of the reason for this is the increased prices and the feeling that I have already seen everything.
Hi Shiar,
Welcome to the wonderful (& addictive) world of post’x’ing .
Many vets & newbies sharing their words of wisdom, if you’re determined enough to change, try abiding by some set rules
Till then - ••Keep writing, keep sharing••
The addiction is real! I make it easy on myself by displaying what I have in a way that I’m not likely to forget. I also send a lot of prepaid postcards because they’re genuinely the cheapest way here in Aus - I know they can be boring but it’s how I keep costs down I do like to collect and send others though!
The addiction is real, like any hobby it can become consuming. I don’t have a lot of other hobbies that cost much money and I’m in decent financial shape now so I don’t really limit myself to a certain amount for this one, but previously when money was tighter for me, I had monthly budgets for my various hobbies. I had at that time about $100.00 I could spare for hobbies so I did it Such as:
$30.00 for books
$30.00 for music
$30.00 for Postcrossing
I kept it in envelopes in my desk.
And if I didn’t spend my music or book budget for the month, for example, I could put that money into my Postcrossing and send more cards. Or if I knew there were more than one music album or book coming out soon that I wanted, I would send less cards so I had enough for that. It worked pretty well. I didn’t always stick completely to it but it did help.
That was my ideal! - Now it increased to 10-15 cards per month. That’s about the cost of one visit to the cinema, so I figured out, it’s fine for me to spend it on PC. But it has to be officially sent, tags, swaps, RAS/non-RAS and running lotteries together.
I feel the addiction-problem of postcrossing, too. What really helps, is not sending at all, complete 0 like you would do with alcohol. (But who wants to mail 0 cards, receive 0 cards???)
That’s why I need to control again and again.
One more thing, I do from time to time: I try to imagine, how I feel looking back in a few years. How much sent cards will feel good then? I don’t think, it will be the more the better. It will not be 0, giving it up totally. It will be some amount in average, I can spent easily without having to give up other valuable activities like travelling, books, spending time with friends etc. - That brings me back to 5-15 sent cards per month, costs of one visit to cinema.
My personal “budget” is largely due to the limited amount of cards I can send (15 at the moment)
I allow myself to draw only one address on any one day (unless I accumulated them for a special day). If the cards are taking too long to arrive, there are times I cannot even send for one or two weeks.
But I know myself so I leave one slot free in case of “emergency” because writing and decorating cards is one of my ways of combating depression/anxiety.
I also decorate my cards and it can take me anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour just to do one card. This helps prevent the postcrossing frenzy too as you are taking more time on each card.
First year as a Postcrosser, send and write as much as you could. Second year cut them down to 50%. Subsequent year, try to go in a much slower pace.
The first year is always the most memorable as a Postcrosser. Meeting new friends and discovering so many cultures and beautiful places around the world. The friendship will leave an everlasting memories.
While working I limit myself to 3 cards on Saturday and 3 on Sunday.
In my holiday it will be 3 a day.
On meetings I try to limit to 30 except for Bielefeld…60 +
.
I do like to collect and send others though!