How to Remember Birthdays, Anniversaries and Every Special Date

Sure, finding the perfect gift is a challenge. But getting it to the person on time can be an even bigger battle. Between birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, holidays and every other special occasion, there are a lot of occasions to remember. Here are a few simple tools to ensure that you will never miss an important date again.

1. Check out this free PDF worksheet from Real Simple Magazine. Just print it out, write down any birthdays you don’t want to forget and keep it close so you can refer to it regularly.

2. Sign up for an online reminder service. There are several of them. One to check out is Birthday Alarm, a free service boasting 50 million members who use the site to remember important days. When you sign up, you’ll get an option to send e-mails to your e-mail contact list asking them for their birth date. Birthday Alarm sends you a reminder e-mail a couple of weeks in advance and one week ahead of the big day. You can also go to the site for free e-cards. Another option is BigDates. This service is free for the first three months, after that there is a yearly charge. You can choose between two levels of service. For $5.95 you get e-mail and text reminders of important dates. Or for $15 each year, the service includes five paper greeting cards. BigDates will also send you gift and card suggestions based on the budget for your gift and the person’s interests.

3. Try a greeting card organizer like this one from Uncommon Goods. This binder has room for 240 cards, a place to record important dates and even an address section so you know exactly where to mail the card. You will never have to search for a belated birthday card again.

4. Buy a birthday book like this one from Amazon.com. It’s not a calendar or planner that becomes out of date after a year. This is a book you’ll keep. Write in birthdays and anniversaries. Plus it contains useful information like birthstones and anniversary gifts.

photo credit: www.AlisonStorm.com