Southern Charm~Calling Cards

Many people speak of the charm of Southern culture. Often upon hearing my accent (which is pretty noticeable in these parts), folks will tell me about their experiences with Southern hospitality. They also share with me their dreams of retiring one day to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia or Florida. As is true with so many places in this wonderful country, the South has some truly endearing qualities.

I am starting a new series with the intent of highlighting some of the nuances of Southern culture that lend themselves to the charm that seems to catch the attention of so many. I hope it will be fun for you. As I ponder the place where I was raised, courted and wed, I know it will be fun for me.

Calling Cards are beginning to make a comeback these days. In the old South, they were used as a means of introduction, to leave notice that you had stopped by for a visit (and missed the homeowner), as an invitation to visit, or as a means of future communication. You can read of the use of calling cards in books like Gone With the Wind and Charleston.

Nowadays calling cards are sometimes referred to as Mommy Cards, often used by moms to arrange play dates. I have personally carried some form of calling card around with me for about 10 years. Though I have not been in business for most of those years, it has always been nice to be able to hand someone my contact information via a neatly printed card rather than scrawling it on the back of a receipt or gum wrapper.

Every calling card that I have ever carried has come from Vistaprint. Why? Well, because they are free (except for shipping). And, if you can get it for free...why would you pay for it, for heaven's sake? Two hundred fifty cards will cost about $5 for shipping. They say delivery will take 3 weeks, but my orders generally come in two.

Now, a word about Vistaprint. They offer these wonderful freebies with the same ulterior motive of a grocery store offering you a loss leader. They hope you will buy something else while you are there. And, accordingly, when you go to check out they will offer you many pages of add-on items. If you want to order these things, go for it. But, it is not necessary at all. Just keep clicking through until it allows you to check out. Double check your order total to make sure that it is only for shipping, and you are golden. I have also had offers pop up after my transaction is complete. I ALWAYS ignore these, sometimes they are second-party offers. As long as you don't get sidetracked by the carrots that they dangle, you can get a great quality product for a steal. Go HERE to check out their selection of free cards.

Also, you can place your order through Ebates for 5% cash back. Some companies will give you cash back on shipping costs, and some will not. It never hurts to try!

**Ebates is a cash back program for online orders. In less than a year I have earned $190 cash back on purchases through them. Yes it really works! They deposit my savings in my paypal account every few months. If you sign up through the link above, I will receive a $5 bonus to my account. You will receive a $5 bonus whether you use my link or not. If you prefer not to connect through me, simply visit www.ebates.com. If you ever make purchases online, you should be using a reputable cash back site.