Organizing Pen Pal Information

How about buying a box of file folders. You can get a plastic box at Walmart and the file folders are cheap as well. You can then make a folder for each pen pal and put each pen pals letter in a different file folder. I keep info about my pen pals on index cards and keep the box on my desk and I put all the pertinent information of each pal on a different colored index card and file them by their first name. On the back of the cards I write when their letters were received and when I write to them i.e. "R" and "W". You can buy inexpensive calendars for their birthdays or make your own. Hope this suggestion helps!

Thanks, Cathy from Townsville, QLD, an expanding portafile sounds like a good idea. Is that QLD, as in Queensland (Australia)? I have a pen friend in NSW.

How about one of those expanding portafiles? They're only a few dollars, and you can write your friend's name on the tab. Otherwise, there are horizontal stationery trays you can buy, but they're much more expensive (a series of plastic thin drawers).

How about regular file folders, or the "trapper" type if you have small things like pictures you are including. You can put all the pertinent information on the front of the folder.

The info cards I mentioned in my post are the 3x5 index cards that KLS8800 suggests. I guess my dilemma is how to keep the letters organized as some are in over sized envelopes (bigger than the standard #10 business size envelope that we use in the U.S.).

I agree with the envelope box, but I use a 3x5 box and 3x5 cards. On the front, I put the friend's name, address, phone number, Email. Since I have some that are business acquaintances, I use colour codes. Blue for church, red for business, yellow for family, green for friends, so I can tell at a glance what that card is for.

On the back, I will put other info. Such as birthdays, kids' names and ages, spouse, etc. I use 3x5 cards because people move, marry, divorce, etc and the little address book can fill quickly with just one name. Just be sure that when you fill out your card, you put a little date code somewhere out of the way, but where you can see it, so you can update your info periodically.

Just some ideas. If you are doing pen pals, use colours for different parts of the world, or for a common interest you may have, or how often you two correspond. Good luck.

An envelope-sized box, with alphabet dividers?