Tip: Decluttering Mail | Part II
Who is ready to complete the decluttering of their voluminous mail?! Me for one. If you have taken to my challenge described in Tip: Decluttering Mail | Part I, you too have been collecting junk mail for the last month. Holy guacamole, I had no idea how much the junk mail situation had gotten out of hand. Getting married *might* have put us on a few catalogue lists. Maybe. Getting a gift for another -- even just one dinky item - *might* have put us on a few more mailing lists as well.
Plus, I realized that I had not updated my address on cataloguechoice.com. Sure, the Maura Malloy who no longer resides in Brooklyn is no longer receiving junk mail in Brooklyn, but that is doing no good for the Maura Malloy living in Indy! I am your cautionary tale, friends. When you move, update your profile on Catalogue Choice.
In any case, with my tail between my legs, I offer you a month's worth of junk mail that I collected:
I mean, that's substantial. Yikes. So let's get to it and wrap things up.
1) Organzie your junk mail. I KNOW, I know. Only a professional organizer would encourage anyone to organize junk mail. But I'm looking out for you and for your precious time. When I did this, I found several catalogues from the same companies. That's right, I received more than one catalogue in 30 days' time. Sure it's the holidays. But that's just excessive. By organizing the junk, you will not call the same company twice.
A moment to discuss catalogues. Some people love them. The tactile quality of turning the page; seeing the staging of the items one covet's; finding out what's new in one's favorite shop.
And if that's your jam, have at it. But I'm going to make a strong case to ditch catalogues. Period. For good. Because here's the thing:
We have this amazing invention called the internet where, at any moment when one has access to the World Wide Web, one can go to a store's website and see all the same images... without killing a tree.
Browsing and coveting tends to lead to more purchasing. It's a cycle. So I, personally, do NOT want to see items I'll fall in love with, unless I am purposefully shopping, i.e. shopping for something particular. If I window shop (or turn pages of a catalogue), I'll want what I do not need. This often leads to buyer's remorse. This cycle does not align with my organized approach to the art of simple, stylish living.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE DEALS THAT I'LL MISS OUT ON, MAURA?! Valid question. Thanks for speaking up. If you must, sign up for emails (more on this soon). Email marketing masters deals & steals. OR, just put your thinking cap on: sales align with the holidays. So if you need something but refuse to pay full price, go shopping on July 4th Weekend or after New Year's.
Ok, so let's assume that you are at peace with getting off catalogue lists (or maybe every catalogue except your favorite store. Because that's rational, right?). Great. Welcome to the party.
2) Get out your calendar. Look at the coming week ahead (or, let's say the next two weeks since Thanksgiving is upon us!). Block out 60 minutes and hold yourself to this. 60 minutes free of any other activity or obligation.
3) When that block of time arrives, sit down with your phone and your pile of junk mail. Call the companies and ask to be taken off the mailing list. A phone number is easy to find in a catalogue -- it might even be listed at the bottom of every page. If it's a credit card deal, open the envelope and you'll usually find a phone number to call at the bottom of the first page. Once you get into the habit, you'll be spotting the phone numbers like my younger brother used to spot Where's Waldo.
4) Recycle the catalogues. Shred and recycle all other pieces.
Don't want to go through the calling process? Hire me. I can do it for you. Just email me at maura@aserenespace.com and we'll sort out the details. I got you.
Now, in Part I I had you set aside the pieces of mail that have meaning. The birth announcements and letters from old friends. What to do with these? Find a spot in your home to continue the collection. Perhaps you'll scan them to save electronically, like I did with my scrapbooks. Or perhaps you will always keep them. Be it in a shoe box or a drawer, a chest or a decorative storage box (should you have one on hand). You'll pull them out when you are an old lady or gent, and remember days gone by, the moments that defined a life well lived. I like that idea, don't you?
