I consider myself to be a very sociable person. I have hundreds of contacts in my cell phone and e-mail address books, and work very hard to keep these relationships active. Whether my contacts are friends, relatives, or business associates, I try to call or e-mail them at least once a month just to check in and see how things are going. I also like to acknowledge special occasions by sending a card or flowers.

Of course, when you have as many contacts as I do, it gets rather expensive to keep up with all the birthdays and anniversaries, which is why I've started sending animated greeting cards instead of traditional ones. There are hundreds of websites out there that offer free animated greeting cards that can be personalized and sent via e-mail to anyone I want. They run the gamut from sentimental to funny, from sweet to obnoxious, and everything in between, so I have quite a lot of flexibility when making my choices. Plus, the greetings are frequently updated, giving me new options every few months or so.

If I want even more features and a wider selection of animated greeting cards, I can pay for a membership at one of the top sites. With a paid membership, I'd be able to send an unlimited amount of greetings per year, would be able to schedule e-mail delivery for a specified date, and would receive discounts on associated purchases such as flowers or gift baskets. Taking into account the cost of traditional cards and postage, I know that I'd get my money's worth from an e-greeting site, so I'm probably going to join up in the near future.

In case you're wondering, the recipient doesn't need to download or install any special programs on their computers to view these flash animated greeting cards. They simply get an e-mail notification of the card's availability, click through the link, and view the card on their screen. They'll also see the sender's name in the notification e-mail, so they'll know it's not junk.

There are animated greeting cards available for every holiday and important occasion that you can think of, including Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, Easter, graduation, anniversaries, Christmas, and more. You can even send something just to say, "I'm thinking of you," because it won't cost you a dime to do so. Think of all the goodwill points you can score from sending free greetings, and give it a try today!