<p>Most of the mail I get is advertising (i.e., junk mail) that I have to sort through and send to recycling. I’m trying to unsubscribe but it’s a virtually endless process. It’s probably 70% of my mail.</p>
<p>The remaining 30% is first class, and about 28% of this is mail that I get automatic notifications on that I cannot unsubscribe from. Typically they are insurance explanation of benefits and then endless mail from my investment house, which I am working on turning off.</p>
<p>That leaves about 2% of my mail - checks and other kinds of things that I actually want to receive. No more than about 1 or 2 per week.</p>
<p>Really I’m just ranting. I wish I could only get the important stuff in my mail.</p>
<p>I didn’t look at your name and immediately thought–are you an engineer? You could get a PO box maybe, then you can dump the junk mail at the PO when you pick it up.</p>
<p>Paper/clutter management used to be the absolute thorn in my side. As others have suggested, I signed up for ebills and statements with any company that allows it. We are able to get our EOB electronically FWIW. I’d check with your provider. I spent a while changing default settings for my credit card co, etc. that allows them to send me additional stuff through the mail (ING likes to do this). I spent the time to call and get off a companies catalog mailing list when they’d send one, or do it online when possible. Yes, this takes time. After I’d done all the damage control I thought I could reasonable do, when I pick up the mail I come in through the garage and stand next to the recycle bin and drop whatever junk I don’t want so it never enters the house. It takes me 15sec tops and no additional footwork. I then sort mail to it’s various and proper piles, another 30sec. Happy are the days when I walk in with zippo. :)</p>
<p>Once your child takes the PSAT or PLAN…forget it. If you want to cut down on mail there is a box to check, but let it be THEIR decision. I had one that liked getting all the postcards and shiny brochures. I got a nice, large, basket in their room to dump it all. A lot has changed since my 09 hs grad and my 14 hs grad where much more is through email anyway so by the time your youngsters are headed this way it will be almost entirely through social media and electronic means I would guess.</p>
<p>I forgot I do still get catalogs, a couple companies are particularly bad-especially this time of year- Garnet Hill sends one every week!, I have to get on them.</p>
<p>I also was getting a magazine that I know I didn’t order (Spin), although it is possible someone ordered it for me who thought I would like it.
Its hard to get off a mailing list sometimes, without giving out your email, because it can be impossible to find a phone # answered by a human, or even a snail mail address!
It does take a while to get your mailings whittled down and you have to be careful that you haven’t asked for * more mail* by not scrutinizing orders you make online, but you can eventually reduce it by quite a bit.</p>
<p>Until IRS stops sending notifications thru mail and that’s their proof for dad lines I would keep my mail box. Also notifications re neighbors construction, city and county business, vote by mail, all kinds of. Public domain issues. Parking tickets.</p>
<p>Actaully, rather than getting rid of the mailbox, you should ask for a second legally acceptable mailing address. Make a subtle change to your current address and use the new one for everything important a la current address + Suite 200</p>
<p>This way you can install this for the OLD one:</p>
<p>The City of Raleigh recently unveiled a new line of garbage cans for homeowners. The new can is similar to the green rolling carts that the city distributed a decade ago, however the new cans add a mailbox to the lid which directly opens into the garbage can. City Spokesman Harvin Lambert said,We did a study of the U.S. Mail, and found that 95% of what people receive in the mail goes straight to the landfill. So, we figured we could easily eliminate the middle man from the equation, and let the mail drop straight into the garbage. Most everyone has converted to electronic delivery of their important financial statements anyway, so from our estimates, residents will be overjoyed with the new design. He also states that Fellowes is working with the city on battery-powered shredder attachment that will help reduce identity theft.</p>
</p>![http://www.gogoraleigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mailcan_thumb.jpg[/url]](http://www.gogoraleigh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mailcan_thumb.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
