Quick and sometimes obvious time savers..

pelirocco

I save more time.............I dont send any cards

LameWolf

Pollycat wrote: »

I keep a list too but mine is a Word document.
That means you don't have to keep a load of old cards.

I do something similar; I use an OpenOffice spreadsheet, and it has lists from several years back - the list seems to grow shorter by the year, as people die off.

Pelirocco if it was left to me, I wouldn't bother, but Mr LW likes to send cards. We don't do gifts though; gave that up years ago when Mr LW was out of work and we were skint and we've carefully never restarted the practise.

Not to do with Yule or Xmas, but with birthday cards, I have a loose leaf file with those clear folders in, one for each person we send a birthday card to, with a sticker on with the persons name and birthday in pen, and their address in pencil (easy to change if they move house) and when I have a card ready (I make my own these days) I pop it in the appropriate folder, ready to use.

Eenymeeny

Thanks for the ideas and tips, to be honest I wasn't thinking particularly of Christmas although they are most welcome and very relevant at the moment. It was just that I was starting my Christmas card writing.
I'm sure that any time saving tips will be useful to refer to throughout the season and hopefully into the new year.
One of the shopping list things that I do is carry a list of all items that I buy in Morrison's on an airmail envelope so that it's easily spotted in my bag. I usually shop in Lidl's but there are certain things from Morrison's that I prefer or can't get from Lidl's.
Having the list handy in my bag means that I have a quick checklist when I do visit and any coupons etc can be kept in the envelope ready for use.
PS Moneysaving because I have a batch of airmail envelopes that I don't suppose I'll use up in a month of Sundays since emails and Skype became the norm...:)

esmy

pelirocco wrote: »

I save more time.............I dont send any cards

Neither do I, other than very close family. I decided last year to make a charity donation instead - and it doesn't appear that anyone noticed the absence of a card.

jackyann

I think the sending of cards sometimes depends on the life you have led. I have so many old friends who have moved- and so have I -and this is a way of remembering them, and as trailingspouse says - the story of my life.
I have friends who seem to see most of their friends and relatives frequently, and I can see why they don't send cards.

Primrose

I am increasingly sending a cheerful email letter instead of Christmas cards to all my contacts who have an email address, especially for those living overseas.

I have a computer diary that enables me to enter dates that recur every year like birthdays, renewals for insurance policies/car tax so I never have to bother remembering. (Readdle) or you can use Google Calendars .

For all insurance, policies (car, contents, house etc) or fixed term savings accounts, I enter an automatic reminder a fortnight beforehand to give time to research for alternative/cheaper options.

I bulk buy lots of birthday cards in advance and keep them in a folder with books of stamps so that I!m never caught short but if I do forget, I have some nice cheerful balloon or champagne pictures I can insert in an email to redeem myself and rescue the day!

I keep spare £1 coins in an empty Benecol pot in my car’s glove compartment so I,m never stuck for change in car parks.

Menu planning saves time, especially batch cooking of minced beef which can be adapted for spag Bol, chile con carne or cottage pie!

I keep a To Do List on the Dining room table. It helps keep me focused even if the chores do t always get done as fast as ai would like.

Items which need to be taken upstairs are put on the bottom step to be taken up next time somebody goes up rather than making a special journey.

wort

I have a magnetic board cheap from tesco that I jot down things I need whilst shopping. Then just take a photo when going out. The board can then be wiped.
My biggest time saver is having my house kondoed. Now everything has a place I don't waste time searching for anything.
A lidded box in the wardrobe contains gifts bought for work colleagues birthdays, bought when I see them on sale and ready when needed.

wondercollie

Caterina wrote: »

Don't wrap presents with paper and sellotape, instead loosely wrap them in scarves and even pillowcases. There is still surprise, but you save money, time and resources.

I use teatowels! They make great bottle bags when you leave them folded in thirds and use ribbon to tie the neck together.

Get a seasonal towel and it really works and I've never met anyone who doesn't need a new teatowel.

wondercollie

esmy wrote: »

Neither do I, other than very close family. I decided last year to make a charity donation instead - and it doesn't appear that anyone noticed the absence of a card.

I do notice the stopping of cards, but would never dream of calling someone and asking why the cards stopped. I just send them to let people know I remember them.

Yes, my list has declined over the years but that's life.

VfM4meplse

wondercollie wrote: »

I do notice the stopping of cards, but would never dream of calling someone and asking why the cards stopped. I just send them to let people know I remember them.

Same here. I think people have generally acknowledged the environmental impact of sending cards to people they see all the time.