Stop Junk Mail in 5 Easy Steps {and Tame the Paper Clutter!}
Easy ways to stop junk mail from filling your mailbox (AND reduce your paper clutter!)
Did you know you can control how much junk mail is delivered to your mailbox? These helpful tips that have drastically cut down on the amount of paper and junk mail we bring into the house.
Is it me, or does the junk mail seem to be increasing lately? It’s frustrating when our entire stack of mail goes right into the shredding pile or recycling bin.
Some of these solutions time out eventually, so I like to readdress them every few years. It is SO worth it!
And if you have moved recently, your new address may be on lists that you can opt out of.
You probably don’t want to get the previous resident’s junk mail, right? 🙂
Paper clutter has always been the thorn in my side, the pain in my neck, the fly in my ointment…and of course the majority of it comes from the mail:
This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.
But over time I’ve conquered the paper clutter — by stopping it from coming into the house in the first place.
Step 1: Go electronic for bills.
The first step is to reduce the amount of paper that comes in the mail. If you can go electronic, do it! We’ve gone paperless with many companies, but still have a few to go.
I’m slowly going through the utilities, investment companies, bank statements and everything else we get on a monthly basis.
I used to hesitate to get rid of the paper statements, but I’m slowly getting with the times.
When I realized the only time we look at them is when we 1. open them and, 2. file them away to never be seen again…I decided it was time.
I can count on my hand the number of times I’ve had to look back at a utility bill in the past ten years.
Bank statements are a biggie — I think it’s far more secure to store them virtually than on paper. (I know there are exceptions, but in general.)
Also, it takes mere seconds to log on to see a specific statement. I used to keep them all in the file drawer and that took a lot more time to dig through.
Most companies will gladly switch you over and electronic files result in LESS MAIL. That is our goal folks!
Step 2: Unsubscribe from catalogs and junk mail.
You may not have heard of these sites, but they are extremely helpful to reduce the amount of mail you get. I’ll go into detail about each option below…
1. Catalog Choice: Opt out of catalogs that come in the mail.
If this is the case for you, try Catalog Choice. This is a free service — I’ve used it for years and it works!
You’ll have to create an account and then search through catalogs to unsubscribe from:
Within a couple months they will stop coming to your door!
I made the mistake of signing up for Restoration Hardware catalog once…if you’ve ever received one, you know their catalogs are ridiculously thick. I felt like I killed a tree every time they send one out.
There are a few catalogs that require you to unsubscribe on their web site, but Catalog Choice provides a link directly to the page to do that.
This is a great option to lessen the load in your mailbox and in your house!
2. DMA Choice/Do Not Mail: Opt out of junk mail
This opt out service will last for ten years and now there is a $2 processing fee. That is new, but I would gladly pay that to reduce the paper spam! 🙂
You can edit your choices at any time, but I choose to opt out of ALL unsolicited mail.
3. National Do Not Mail list: Unsubscribe from mailings
You can unsubscribe from very specific junk mail at the National Do Not Mail site:
Choose exactly what you do and don’t want to get offers on, or just check the “I do not want to receive any special offers” button to stop them all.
Can you imagine not getting a million political mailers before every election? That dream may be realized. 🙂
If they consent, fill out the form for your spouse or anyone else in the household as well!
4. Opt Out Prescreen: Stop all credit and insurance offers
Opt Out Prescreen allows you to unsubscribe from prescreened credit and insurance offers easily and quickly:
Consumer credit reporting agencies like Transunion, Equifax and Experian are required by law to honor your opt-out requests.
You will need to provide your social security number, and there is an alternative option if you’d rather not send your personal information over the computer.
Call 1-888-567-8688 instead. It takes about five minutes, and you can opt out family members as well (if you have their SSN).
Remember you’ll need to do this for each adult in the home. Marketers focus primarily on women in the household, so even if just the female does it, it will help tremendously.
5. A few more options to eliminate flyers that previous options may have missed:
These five online options will dramatically reduce the amount of junk mail delivered to your home. Give it a few months to take affect.
Congrats, you just saved a tree! (Or two.)
And now my final tip for reducing the paper clutter in our home…
Step 3: Get rid of paper before you walk in the door.
My goal is to get rid of 90 percent of the mail before I even walk in the door. Most of the time it’s 100 percent. 😉
We keep large plastic bins by the garage door, one for paper recycling (mail without our name or account numbers) and one for shredding (everything else).
The Sortera stacking bins from Ikea are a great option:
I remove the lids so I can easily throw stuff inside.
What does make it inside goes directly into a mail/paper drawer in our mud room:
I’ve used different paper sorters and boxes over the years, but a dedicated drawer has been the best solution for us. We all know where to look for coupons, mail or school forms that need to be filled out.
I sort through the drawer once a month to pay bills, complete forms and file items away.
If you implement these strategies, I guarantee the amount of junk mail will lessen and the paper brought into your home will be reduced within two to three months!
Do you have any tips when it comes to unsolicited mail or paper clutter? I’d love to hear them!
