This may be the first year that I post my Christmas cards early

Planned strikes by Royal Mail workers mean many people are posting their cards earlier this year

I AM facing the annual dilemma of whether or not to send any Christmas cards this year. While it would be both easy and benevolent, I have never really felt comfortable with posting on social media that I am donating to charity instead of sending cards. Christmas is invariably the one time I get to catch up with old friends and even older relatives and share news of what's happened in the year gone by.

So I normally compromise. I make a charity donation and only send cards to those people I am unlikely to see in the flesh over Christmas.

Sadly, my list has dwindled to around a dozen cards but at nearly £1 for each first class stamp it's going to cost me a fair bit to spread the Christmas love this year.

"Why not send them second class?" I hear you chime in unison.

Well, even that isn't exactly cheap and, sadly, despite years of trying I am the queen of the deadline and never get the Christmas cards written before the last posting dates.