How to Write Retirement Gift Thank You Notes

When the retirement party is done, it's time to think about the practical side of things. What about all those thank you notes that you want to send out for the thoughtful gifts you received? How do you go about getting those notes writ10, organized, and in the mail in a timely fashion?

The first rule is, don't stress out about it! Retirement is a time of change, so adding to your own concerns by worrying about the thank you notes too much isn't a good idea. The key is to keep the process simple but to get the job done quickly, thoughtfully and efficiently.

Below, we've outlined a few simple steps to get you through the thank you notes and out the other side, ready to enjoy your retirement. The process shouldn't take you more than an afternoon, and should be done as soon as possible after the retirement gifts are received to ensure that everyone knows how much their thoughtful gifts were appreciated.

1. Get organized.
The main thing you should do to make this process easy on yourself is to keep track of who gave what gift. If possible, label the gifts, or tape the card to the gift, so that it'll be easy to remember who gave what; if you're missing someone's address, make the necessary phone calls to locate it before you start writing the notes, so that you can address and mail all of the notes at once. Leaving one or two lying around the house while you try to locate the person's address virtually guarantees that they won't get mailed; so get it all together as soon as possible!

2. Decide on your materials and method of attack.
For retirees who have difficulty writing long hand, consider thank you notes that can be printed on a computer. That way, you can type in all the necessary information as well as your personal note to the giver, and then simply sign the printed notes before mailing them out. If this is the way you want to go, look around online for downloadable programs that will let you create your own thank you notes and print them from your computer. A stationary store may have a program you can use, as well. If you prefer to go the old-fashioned paper route, then purchase a set of thank you cards and envelopes. The type you purchase doesn't really matter; the important thing is that there is room to write inside.

3. Make it personal.
This is the part of the process that will take the longest. You don't want to send a generic thank you to everyone; just like with other types of thank you notes, your retirement gift thank yous should mention the gift by name and describe how you plan to use it or why you appreciate it. You don't have to go overboard; something simple will do: "Thank you so much for the golf tees. I can always use them, and these are wonderful. I can't wait to get out on Saturday and put them to good use!" Mention the person by name, of course, and sign your own name by hand, whether you're printing the cards on the computer or writing them out.

4. Almost done!
Once the thank you note is writ10, put it in the envelope and address it to the recipient immediately to avoid mix-ups between envelopes and cards. If you've assembled all of the addresses beforehand, this should be an easy process. Now all that's left to do is mail the cards... and then sit back and enjoy the gifts, of course! Happy Retirement!