Every Monday Matters-Monday 06

This week's task was fun. Get rid of junk mail? Yeah, I'm down with that. I hate sorting my mail over the trashcan. ("crap. crap. bill. crap." The usual refrain.) Did you know the average person will spend 8 months of their lives sorting junk mail and they receive 1.5 personal letters each week compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail? And, not surprisingly, junk mail deliveries surpass the number of US Postal Service First Class mail. No wonder postal workers are pissed.

But it's pretty easy to turn off the flow.

First, go to the Direct Marketing Association website. There you can remove your name from their member mailing list, their prospect list and the prescreened offer list. (You can do it by snail mail too but that kinda seems like missing the point with this one.) They will ask for both your Social Security number (which is encrypted) and a credit card (just to be sure you're you). Then sit back and wait cause direct mailings are planned months in advance.

Second, it's also recommended that you write "Please do not rent or sell my name" next to your name when entering contests, make a donation, join a buyers club, order a product by mail, subscribe to a magazine or return a warranty card.

And third, if there is a particular company who is sending unwanted mail, call their customer service number and say "cut it out!"

I would also offer as a suggestion that you actually write a personal letter in a really intriging envelope and give someone else (and their mail carrier) a good mail day.