How To Stop Junk Mail From Cluttering Your Mailbox

When I was a kid I loved going to the mailbox to find a card or a letter from a dear family member orfriend. As I got older I still enjoyed receiving the cards and letters, but I noticed other things...bills,notices, and junk mail!

I quickly grew tired of the junk mail that seemed to take more and more space in my mailbox. I havefound ways to effectively stop junk mail.

Junk mail takes many forms from credit offers to catalogs to coupons. All of this junk coming to yourhome can have a huge impact on your life. First, your name is on credit offers that could end up inthe wrong hands causing you to have to deal with identity theft. Second, all that paper comes from alot of trees. Stopping this mail will have a positive impact on the environment and our landfills. Andthird, sorting through your mail to find whathttp://quickchief5941.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/marketing-audit-of-nikes-strategies/ you need willbe a lot easier if all this junk mail isn't there.

Things You Will Need

In order for you to eliminate as much junk mail as possible, the best way to start is to collect thejunk mail you are receiving for approximately a month. This way you'll have everything in one placeand can better grasp what needs to be done.

Step 1

Opt Out Of Credit Card Offers

You probably receive on a regular basis credit card offers, mortgage refinance offers, and insuranceoffers. These can be very tempting to follow through on and that's exactly what the credit companieswant you to do. In one simple step you can "opt out" of these credit offers. By visiting theOptOutPrescreen website you can have your name removed from receiving credit offers. Once at thewebsite you'll have the option to: 1) opt out for 5 years, 2) opt out permanently, or 3) opt in. You mayalso call 1-888-567-8688.Step 2

Contact The Direct Marketing Association

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is an organization of companies that promote theirbusinesses through direct mail. Direct mail means you're going to receive junk mail. You can workwith the DMA to provide your preferences as to the types of junk mail you want and don't want toreceive.

You will need to set up an account at www.DMAchoice.org first. Once your account is set up you canset your preferences for receiving: 1) credit offers, 2) catalogs, 3) magazine offers, and 4) other mailoffers.

These first two steps will help in reducing the majority of your junk mail.

Step 3

Coupon Mailers

If you're tired of receiving the envelopes full of coupons for things you'll never use or need, you canrequest they stop being mailed.ValPak

ValPak coupons show up in the blue envelope. You can request being removed by going to thiswebsite: http://www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm. Have yourenvelope handy since you'll need to enter the information exactly as it appears on the label.Red Plum

Red Plum is delivered as coupon inserts similar to what you receive in the Sunday paper. Included inthe insert is an address card usually with pictures of missing children.

You can remove yourself from their mailing list by filling out the form athttp://www.valassis.com/1024/Contact/MailingListRemoval.aspx.Money Mailer

Money Mailer is the red, white and blue envelop full of coupons. You can be removed from theirmailing list by sending an email to jlimon@moneymailer.com. Include your name and address as itappears on your envelope.Step 4

Catalogs

Sometimes when you order from one catalog they share your name and address with anothercompany. Not long after your mailbox is full of catalogs from companies you may have never evenheard of!

The quickest way to remove yourself from the catalog mailing list is to call them directly. Lookthrough the catalog and find a website or phone number. Depending on the number of catalogs youreceive this could take some time.

You can also update your catalog choices if you've set up an account with the DMA in step 2.However, if you've already http://www.google.com/analytics/partners/search/apps?category=108purchased from a company you will need to contact them directly.

One other option for getting off catalog mailing lists is to create an account with CatalogChoice.

Stopping junk mail can take some time. If you work at it a little at a time you WILL see greatrewards of less junk mail over the following months. Taking a stand and opting out of junk mail alsohas a great impact in other ways. By having fewer mailings coming to your home you are reducingthe risk of identity theft since credit offers will not be created for you. You will also have a hugeimpact on the environment since all of that paper will not be created and shipped to you. And lastlyit will save you a lot of time from not having to sort through the mail to determine what should stayand what should go.

Tips & Warnings

Because of printing a mailing schedules, stopping some junk mail may take 6-8 weeks. You mayreceive additional mailings during this time, but just be patient, your hard work will pay off!

Unfortunately not all junk mail can be stopped. You still may receive junk mail addressed to "currentresident" or one of its many cousins. The US Postal Service works with small businesses andencourages this type of mailing.