MIXED MEDIA MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

Every January I start out sending Birthday and Anniversary cards each month… for about the first three months then I fall off the wagon. I think I just get busy. The other reason is I haven’t found THE ONE… the one way in which I can be more organized about them.

I tried a file box with just index cards telling me who I needed to send cards to each month.

Then I got the idea to put them in a binder with monthly tabs and a gallon zip-lock bag behind each month to put the cards in. I never got the cards pre-done. Also, binders are really difficult for my small hands and some days the arthritis just won’t let me grasp something bulky.

This year, I have a plan. I’m going back to the box system. 

I am a flipper by nature. If you’ve seen previous posts on how I organize my stamps, you’ll get this. I like to flip through things to see what I am looking for.  The first system worked fine except for not having cards ready.  

I have a solution:

I have two of these boxes full of cards for all kinds of occasions but mostly Birthday and Thank You. I’m going to pull from these first. I am going back to the box/ flip style but I'll be using a shoe box with dividers for each month. I'll include the recipient list and start putting the cards/ envelopes behind each divider. I'll keep you posted.

Next week, we’ll kick back in with new cards for Make It Mail It Monday where I’ll begin building my stash for Thinking of You and Sympathy cards – two categories I have almost no cards ready for.

For the month of January, I have 7 Birthdays. 3 guy and 4 ladies. A couple of those were last week, but the thought will still be there.

Courtesy of Pixabay

Another thing to consider is that postage is going up again. Effective January 22, 2023, First Class stamps will go from .60 to .63 cents.

Here’s what I do when I hear this. I calculate how many stamps I need to mail the monthly cards and bills then purchase the Forever Stamps to get me through the year. I know not everyone can afford to do this but if you budget the amount in, you can save a big chunk of change over the course of the year – enough to cover buying the following year’s stamps. This kind of keeps you ahead of the USPS for a short period of time.

Do you still send cards? Please let me know in the comments below.

Creative Blessings

~Kelly