Real simple tips to get a grip on the daily mail in your life!
Even with daily mail, you can say good-bye to the piles, missing bills, and junk disguised as mail. You can become your own mail organizer with these easy tips!
Here are real simple ideas you can put into action and make a difference in your life immediately.
Designate a home for your daily mail.
Where do you enter you home or office with the mail? Place letter trays or wall folders near this entrance and assign an inbox for each person in the family or office. This is a picture of my personal mail organizer for my hubby and me. The top tray is mine, the second is DeWayne's, and the bottom is reserved for bills to be paid. We have used it on the wall or standing alone, depending on our office needs. We also have a recycling bin and shredder next to our in-boxes for easy and immediate sorting. We know the mail on our trays require our attention. It is not full of junk.
Get a decent shredder.
One of the ways to prevent identity theft is to shred credit card and loan applications and documents with Social Security Numbers on it. I recommend finding a shredder that can handle at least 8 to 12 pages at a time. You won't regret it.
Gather Mail Center Supplies.
Once you have your in-boxes for your mail, you need a place where you actually process it. It can be your kitchen counter, desk, dining table, etc. It works the best if the mail center is near the in-boxes, or at least in the same room.
Find a drawer or some other container for all the supplies you need to make this easy. Here are some suggestions.
- envelopes
- stamps
- return labels
- scissors
- calculator
- check book
- check register
- pen & pencil
- action file (keep reading to know what this is)
Regain control over your Bills.
Stay on top of your bills to prevent late fees and feelings of avoidance. Assign an in-box specifically for your bills. As soon as you sort your mail place the bills in their home. This will prevent bills from becoming missing in action and provide a visual reminder to pay them. For more solutions for bills, read Organize Your Bills.
Open mail every day.
You receive daily mail, so it just makes sense to open it and process it each day. Empower each person in your family to look in their in-box and make a decision about each piece. A simple way to reduce mail clutter in half is to recycle opened envelopes.
REAL LIFE STORY: I knew someone who would go through their mail once a month! They procrastinated and ignored their mail until they couldn’t stand it anymore because it was such a big job. In fact, it took them almost all day on Saturday. Of course it was a big job when they left it that long. No wonder they hated going through the mail.
Trust me…if you do it everyday it will NEVER feel like a huge job. It will become one of those automatic things you do in your day to keep you organized! AND you get to have fun on the weekends, instead of playing catch up.
Create an Action File.
Next you can group daily mail into categories based on the action required, such as: To Call, To Write, To Pay, To File, To Read. Follow through until each piece is handled appropriately. To learn more about creating an action file for these types of paper, read about Action Files.
Create a Travel Folder.
Collect the items you want to read and letters you want to respond to and keep them in a special folder. Take this folder with you to appointments, meetings, and school activities to catch up on your reading and letter writing while you wait.
Reduce the amount of daily mail in your life.
START USING ONLINE DOCUMENTS: Not only will online documents save trees, it will also be another way to prevent identity theft from happening in your life. Your mailbox is a target for newly issued credit cards, bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, investment reports, insurance statements, benefits documents, or tax information.
STOP JUNK MAIL: The less mail you receive the fewer decisions you will have to make AND the less paper is wasted. Cancel magazine and newspaper subscriptions you are not reading. Use the Internet to access specific catalogs and contact customer service to remove your name and address from their mailing list.
Remove your name and addresses from the junk mail list by writing to the address below or visit Direct Marketing Association Consumer Assitance.
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 15012-0643
For more ideas on how to get rid of junk mail, read Stop Junk Mail.
FREE DOWNLOAD—This postcard has been created for you to use and pass long to your friends. Just add all the variations of your name and stamp. It will be sent to the address above. Download postcard
Transformation Time
So, it’s that time to decide what you are going to do with this information.
What really clicked for you while you read this? Start there!
Now, what is your immediate next step to help with your daily mail ?
If you have success stories you would like to share, or other suggestions that can benefit others, please share! Share your success story here!
