Do you find yourself struggling to dig yourself out from your blizzard of mail? If so, have no fear. You CAN weather the storm. With a few simple new habits, you
can take back control.
Most people tend to try and solve the problem of what to do with their mail AFTER their kitchen table or desk is piled so high that the mountain of it is falling on the floor. Sound familiar?
You know the insurance paper that you have to sign is hiding in that pile, but you just can't find it, along with the invitation to a weekend that you haven't yet had a chance to RSVP.
Let's tame the paper monster before it even arrives in your mailbox.
1) Catalogs: Catalogs, especially during the holiday season, may be bombarding your
mailbox.
The best way to stop the flow is to take each catalog that you don't wish to receive, sit down at your computer, search for the company's web site, and opt out one by one.
See if the catalog has an "opt out" link you can go to. Otherwise, find the customer service link on that store's web site and type out a quick email requesting that they remove you from their mailing list.
It might take a few minutes of your time but, little by little, you'll begin getting less catalogs in the mail.
If there ARE some catalogs that you enjoy receiving but that tend to pile up for you, consider
this approach. Allow yourself one "inbox" for these and place the inbox where you normally read your catalogs.
Keep only the current issue of each. Once the new one comes in, toss the old
one immediately. When the catalogs have reached the "rim" of the inbox, it's time to weed out and recycle.
If you happen to sign up for a printed catalog, hopefully that company has a box
you can check off that confirms they won't sell or share your contact information...otherwise, you're likely to end up with tons of catalogs from other companies.
Of course, most companies
now have web sites, social media pages, etc. with their products...so if you'd like to begin going paperless, it's more than possible for you to begin going that route.
2) Magazines: Take a few moments to consider which magazines you are receiving and whether or not you are
actually reading them. Many people tend to renew their subscriptions each year and let the magazines pile up with the intention of reading them...someday.
If you receive four magazines a
month (for instance), but only read half of them, maybe it's time to choose which ones you really love and let the other subscriptions lapse.
If you don't get to magazines very often,
cancel the subscriptions and just buy the "individual" magazine at the store when the mood strikes.
You can also likely read all of your favorite magazines on your iPad or other tablet.
Most are available to "borrow" digitally from your local library...or you can use a paid magazine service, such as Apple News.
3) Junk Mail: With so much junk mail coming in on a day-to-day basis, it's easy to lose track of the mail that you really do need.
Some junk mail can be dealt with on an individual basis, such as postcards from realtors, dry cleaners, or other local companies. It can take a few minutes, but if you contact these companies individually,
you can request that they not send you any more mail.
The other option is simply dumping junk mail before you enter your home. Keep a recycling bin in an easily accessible spot where you can sort the mail and toss all of the junk mail right away.
4) Bills: These days, many people have switched over to paperless billing. But some of us like receiving that paper bill in the mail, even if we pay it online.
Once a bill comes into your household, open it and either pay it right then and there, or hold the bill in a file folder marked BILLS. Recycle the outer envelopes...they are simply adding to your paper clutter.
5) Personal letters: Receiving a personal letter or greeting card in the mail is often heartwarming. The problem lies when there's the desire to retain each and every piece of correspondence.
Consider keeping a few that are really special and meaningful if you so choose, but don't feel guilty if you read it, feel the love, and toss it. Not all letters or cards are going to be read again and again.
If you're trying to go paperless and want to keep the sentiment, you can always scan it and keep the digital version versus the original paper one.
6) Do it daily. The very most important
thing that you can do to manage your mail and keep it from taking over your life is to tend to it when it arrives. Unless you just returned from vacation, it's better to be caught up on yesterday's mail before today's mail arrives.
