Get a large shoe box or a card organizer box, and buy 24 to 50 all occasion cards.  Check out www.bobbibopstuff.com  for some great cards at reasonable prices.  (You’ll even find a card organizer book and a couple card boxes.)  Purchasing cards this way will probably cost you from 30¢ to 75¢ each.  You’ll save a trip to the card shop and at least $1.00 per card.  Put the savings in your tin. 

Organize the cards in your box or book.  There are many ways to organize the cards.  My favorite is by month rather than occasion.  That way, at the beginning of each month, I can see who has a birthday, anniversary, etc… and get cards sent out.  Then, I put the “unknowns” ( like get well, congratulations, sympathy) in the back of the book or box under their category