Create a System for remembering Birthdays...

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Do you ever forget to buy cards for important birthdays or worse still, forget a friends birthday until it is too late? Then it is time to set up a system and never again forget a birthday. You can use an electronic reminder system but this does not solve the problem of the physical storage of birthday, anniversary and wedding cards that I like to keep on hand.

For this purpose I like to use a suspension filing system of 12 files marked from January to December to keep monthly bills and paper Correspondence.

Once a year I buy my cards (plus a few spare for unexpected emergencies - extra birthdays, weddings, sympathy etc). I then write my message on the cards and place them inside their addressed envelopes. Next I place them into a manila folder inside the corresponding file month they are due.

On the front of the manila file for each month, print out a calendar for that month using e.g. Microsoft Publisher calendar wizard. When you have 12 separate calendars printed out for each month of the year, attach the individual calendar sheets to the front of each month's manila folder with a paper clip then place into the corresponding month's suspension file.

The next step is to mark on the calendar the date the cards is due e.g. if Jane's birthday is the 14th August mark it on the August calendar.

On your calendars you can also write the dates when bills are due. As bills arrive simply place them in the folder and mark on the calendar sheet the date they need to be paid by. When you have paid them tick them off on the calendar. This is a very simple system that works very well.

Hint: When you receive bills open them immediately and discard the envelope and any unnecessary information. Then file into the folder in order of payment due date.

This is a "running system". At the end of the month the file should be clear i.e. bills have been placed in the paid file record keeping system labelled power, telephone etc kept in another file cabinet drawer.

When one month is finished simply place that file to the back of the system so the current month is always at the front.

This is just one way to do it. Whatever system you use it must be simple and work well for you.

Living Mindfully