How to Stop a Major Source of Clutter Before It Starts.
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Free Tips on Reducing Unwanted or Intrusive Advertising.
by P.K. Odle, The Feng Shui Advantage
Junk mail is SWEEPING America and it may seem as inevitable as death and taxes, but with a little patience… there are effective ways to tackle the problem. I asked Evelyn Gray of Organizing for Success, to provide a few clear, simple and proven junk mail reduction techniques. You’d be surprised that… less than a 30-minutes investment of your time can clear away your junk mail for between 2 and 5 years, and in some cases… permanently.
Why Stop Junk Mail at the Source? The amount of paper junk mail sent each year in the USA is staggering… some 4 million tons, nearly half of which is never opened. Even if you recycle, there are still enormous environmental costs in terms of ink, energy to produce deliver and recycle the paper, recycling inefficiencies and loss of virgin forest to create the high quality glossy paper much junk mail uses. Here’s what you can do to reduce the cost to our environment. |
General Techniques to STOP Unwanted Junk Mail
Your name, address, and buying habits are a commodity that is regularly sold and traded on the open market. Every time you swipe your supermarket card to get discounts, the system tracks your spending habits. Are the savings worth it?
Here are some general techniques to reduce the junk mail coming to you:
- Too much junk mail to deal with individually: Start by sending a postcard or letter to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643, which will stop you from receiving junk mail from all member organizations that you haven’t specifically ordered products from… for up to 5 years.
- Whenever you donate money, order a product or service, or fill out a warranty card, write in large letters, "Opt-Out / do not sell, rent or trade my name or address." Most organizations will properly mark your name in the computer.
- Product warranty cards are often used to collect information on your habits and income, for the sole purpose of targeting direct mail. The actual warranty doesn’t require that you send in the form. So why volunteer your information?
- Most likely your credit card companies are selling your contact information to their business partners. Call them and ask them to stop. Tell them you want to “Opt Out” of any and all promotional use of your contact information.
- Avoid "Contests" where you fill in a little entry blank. The goal of all contests is to gather consumer information; at the very least you’ll get on a catalog mailing list within a few months.
Once your name is already on a mailing list for credit cards, home mortgages, and other credit related offers… follow these simple steps to have your name removed from mailing lists:
- Call toll free 1-888-567-8688 to have your name removed for 2 years or permanently, from mailing lists used for credit offers.
- When giving your name and address to any business or organization, include a note saying, "Opt-Out / do not rent, sell or trade my name and address."
- Return any unwanted first class mail… unopened by simply writing “refused return to sender" on it and put it in any mailbox. Unfortunately, this won’t work on 3rd class mail.
- Use a business' toll-free number, reply card or order envelope to make your request to be removed from their specific mailing list.
- When prepaid return envelopes are provided… use it to return the original advertisement, along with your request to be removed from their mailing list.
- Request organizations you’re involved with to limit their membership renewal or support requests to one mailing a year… or they’ll risk losing your support.
- Request that catalogs be sent to you only annually or semi-annually.
How long does it take for junk mail to stop?
It usually takes a couple of “mail cycles” before you stop receiving a catalog or piece of mail you’ve requested be stopped.
Veteran organizer, Evelyn Gray has prepared a ‘No More Junk Mail’ guide. It’s 26 pages filled with more specific tips and techniques that show you how to trim the bulk of your unwanted junk mail. You’ll see an immediate difference in your paper load by following her step-by-step process for eliminating postal and fax junk mail… both at home and at work.
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To order your ‘No More Junk Mail’ guide today (p.s. they also make a great gift)… go to “Published Works” at www.organizing-for-success.com or call Evelyn Gray, a Certified Action Coach and owner of Organizing for Success at 626-576-2059 to order by phone or to schedule a private consultation.
© 2005 P.K. Odle. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
P.K. Odle is a celebrated classical Yi Jing Feng Shui consultant and the Executive Director of the world-renowned American Feng Shui Institute®, where she has taught since 1998. She created The Feng Shui Advantage's "Lifetime Keys Personal Directions Self-Mastery Toolbox." To learn more about using the ancient Chinese science of Yi Jing Feng Shui to improve your Health, Relationships and Finances... through 16 weeks of FREE TIPS subscribe to her award-winning eNewsletter, The Feng Shui Advantage MONTHLY, at http://www.FengShuiAdvantage.com. The next issue could change your life!
NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” information at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to PK@FengShuiAdvantage.com