Keeping Organized: Daily Mail

One problem I’ve seen many times when working with clients who desperately want to dig out of their disorganization is dealing with never ending piles of mail that come in every day. Many clients just don’t know what’s important and what isn’t. Here is a quick list of things you may receive in your mail, and my suggestions of what you can do to solve the problem.

Magazines

Magazines can be professional tools or relaxing distractions. These are periodicals, which mean another is coming, and soon. Unless you are employed by the magazine to create a historical record of each issue, magazines are meant to be read and recycled. Don’t feel guilty about not getting to an issue. All of our lives are busy and we can’t be expected to read, see, or know everything. You’ll feel relieved when you have a manageable number of magazines available and you will be more likely to keep up with each issue.

If you find you are receiving more magazines than you can keep up with each month, cancel some of your subscriptions. You can always treat yourself to something special at the grocery checkout or reorder a subscription if you find you have more time.

Coupon Flyers

I personally like coupon flyers. In fact, we have advertised our services in a coupon mailer. If you are inclined to use these types of coupons, please go through the envelope or magazine within one week. I usually keep mine near where I watch TV and go through them at the beginning of the weekend. I also have either a basket or other attractive receptacle near by to recycle the paper once I’ve gone through them. These are time sensitive; so if you have older piles of these magazines and offers, don’t even go through them. Toss the old ones, chances are the ones you toss are expired and you will receive current offers in a new mailing.

Proxy Statements and Proxy Voting

If you own stocks or mutual funds you will likely receive proxy statements and voting materials periodically. These documents are required to be provided to all shareholders by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and provide detailed information about the company, its management, corporate culture and corporate goals. This is timely information and serious investors find this data invaluable. Personally, I’ve never been able to read one; I’ve tried, but it’s not my thing. I suggest the recycling bin and shredder. Usually only one page needs to be shredded the page with your name and address on it.

Better yet, opt for electronic delivery if you have a home computer. You will have access to all the important financial information you are entitled to as a shareholder, but none of the paper.

This is true for voting also. You should always open these packages to see if you are required to vote your shares. Many times the board of directors suggests how to vote, you may either follow their suggestion or not, but you should vote. Voting often can be done online and saves you a trip to the mailbox.

Credit Card Offers

Credit card offers are great! I love them when I decide that I want to shop for better rates, more credit or better rewards. On the other side, I normally use only one credit card for all my purchases and one “Emergency” card for, well, emergencies. My primary card accumulates reward points that I can cash in for rewards that interest me, such as airline tickets. So, when I am happy with my credit situation, I tear up the offers without even opening the envelope.
If you would like to opt out of these offers, keep reading for instructions on how to eliminate this and other junk mail.

Eliminate all Junk Mail

If you really want to eliminate junk mail from arriving in your mailbox, there are few things you can do according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

Register for DMA's Mail Preference Service (MPS). MPS will substantially decrease the amount of national advertising mail you receive. Please note that signing up with MPS may prevent you from receiving mail you want, such as new catalogues, coupons, announcements about new businesses in your community, and notices of special offers.

You can register online at https://www.the-dma.org/consumers/index.html. Click on “Remove my name from those lists” button located on the left side of the screen. There is a $1.00 fee that verifies your registration and helps to protect the system from fraud

Opt-out of an individual company's mailing list. If you do not want to receive mailings from a particular company, the quickest and most effective solution is to contact the company directly and ask to be removed from their mailing list. Because many companies plan mailings far in advance, please allow 30-90 days for mailings from that company to be phased out.

Opt-out of pre-screened credit offers. If you would like to reduce the number of pre-screened credit and insurance offers you are receiving, visit www.optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5OptOut (1-888-567-8688) to opt-out of these offers. This is a free service to consumers offered by the major credit bureaus.

Ask the Expert: Donna Roberts, co-founder of Organized Home Interiors is an Organization Specialist who helps people reclaim their home or office from clutter. Donna provides simple suggestions on how to maintain your space as well as solutions for decluttering homes and also provides staging services for home sellers. If you have a question for Donna, please email her at donna@organizedhomeinteriors.com.your question could be answered in our next newsletter.