Greeting cards are one of my favorite pieces of mail to receive, and I come from a family that sends greeting cards for just about everything.

Is it Valentine’s Day? You’re getting a card. Easter? Card. Anniversary? Card. Feeling sick? Card. It’s your birthday? Lots of cards.

I love to be on the receiving end of this, but have historically fallen short of the card-sending standard much of my family has set. 

It’s not that I forget birthdays or anniversaries. It’s that by the time your birthday/anniversary is on the horizon, I still have to select the perfect card, decide if I’m going to be the cool aunt who throws in a couple bucks, locate the stamps (and possibly go buy more).

By the time I’ve done all of this, your special day has come and gone and I feel more uncomfortable sending a card two weeks late than not sending one at all.

BUT. After taking a good long look at the problem, I decided to start a card stash. That way, I wouldn’t have to do a special trip to the store just for a card (which is slightly more difficult these days with an infant in tow), or stand in the card aisle trying to remember all of the cards I needed to get (this has also become more difficult). 

So, I drove myself to Trader Joe’s and started my stash.

If you have never checked out Trader Joe’s card selection, I highly recommend it. They are 99 cents each – and not like the cheap 99 cent cards at most card-selling stores – They are really high quality and a good size. I’ve noticed TJ’s also changes their inventory frequently, so every time I’m there I make sure to check out the new selections!

Next up was a storage system. Knowing myself, if the cards aren’t easy to find, I’m going to forget to use them and go back to my totally inefficient card buying habits.

I found this card storage box at Michaels. (Amazon has a similar one). I love that it has dividers, and that the box is clear, so I can easily see what categories need replenished.

Next, I needed to label the dividers. I created a document with common card categories (which you can download here), and printed it out on sticker paper. 

My box has 6 dividers, so I chose the 6 categories I use most in my current life stage (Birthday, Wedding + Anniversary, Sympathy + Get Well, Holiday, Baby, and Thank You). The remaining labels are kept in an envelope in the box, so I can change them out if I want to in the future.

Stamps are also kept in this envelope, so I have everything I need all in one spot. I might start keeping some 1 dollar bills in there too, because, you know, I want to be the cool aunt.

I really enjoy a good storage solution, and am especially excited about this one! If you already have a stash, or are going to start one and need to get it organized, you can download the printable category labels here!

Don’t live near a Trader Joe’s (I get it, I didn’t used to!) here are my other favorite places to shop for greeting cards:

• World Market: A surprisingly good selection, and lots of funny/slightly odd ones!
• Target: Definitely more expensive, unless you’re in the 99 cent section. They have several aisles dedicated to greeting cards, so you can find a card for just about anything there. This is my go-to place for very specific cards (graduation, Halloween, etc.).
• Hobby Lobby: Did you know they had cards here? I only recently discovered this, and it is great! A really good place if you’re looking for religious cards.

Are you a greeting card enthusiast? Tell me your favorite places to buy your cards!