Tips to Reduce Junk Mail

Mar 24, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Jan 27

If you're plagued by junk mail, unwanted catalogs and/or donation solicitations, these steps can help!

First, I recommend signing up with these organizations to be removed from junk mail lists - I use all of them and love them.

www.DMAChoice.org - to get off mailing and email lists. It's $2 very well spent! The United States Postal Service recommends them. Use it every 2-5 years or as junk mail starts to build up again.

www.WasteFreeMail.com - use on desktops or they have a great app you can use with each piece of junk mail. After you've signed up, just take a photo of your address label and they'll work to get you off the mailing list. I've talked to this organization on the phone and helped them make it more user friendly - it can still be a little clunky, but it's worth figuring out! (Reach out to me if you get stuck: SpringCourtright@TidyWild.com)

www.CatalogChoice.org - after you sign up, it's easy to enter the catalog info each time one comes in, or make a place to store catalogs and do it periodically IF you can stick to this. It's easier if you just do it as they come in...but I know life happens!

Have a lot of donation solicitations? Here's a video - reach out to me if you want the letter I mention in it based on a format from the Better Business Bureau.

Steps for Clearing Junk Mail

If you have a lot of junk mail, catalogs and/or donation solicitations around the house, here are the steps I recommend taking - this is what I do if junk mail makes it into my house.

If possible, sign up for the organizations above first so you can eliminate junk mail at its source. But if you're ready RIGHT NOW to clear junk mail and unwanted catalogs, then let's go! Don't wait until some day when you have time...the time is now :)

1 - Collect ALL your junk mail, catalogs and donation requests

2 - Put it all together on a surface near recycling and trash bins

3 - Put on your honesty pants

4 - Go through it all at once (yes, just power through it all)

5 - Choose what you REALLY want to spend time reading/doing

6 - Toss unwanted items (use the junk mail reduction programs for each piece if you're signed up)

7 - Find a happy home for items you want where you'll actually read/do them.

As always, if this doesn't resonate with you, I challenge you to find One Thing you can do today to make this day brighter and better!

And I invite you to share your clearing-organizing-cleaning experiences with the wonderful TidyWild Facebook community - it's free and there are no obligations :)

Happy Organizing!

Spring