Most of us have tolerated annoying junk mail for far too long, so our coping strategies include ignoring it, tossing it into the trash, or sending it to the spam folder. It doesn’t have to be this way. There’s no better time to stop tolerating and ignoring these incessant solicitations and purge them. Take these steps to ensure they stop bothering you. Why put up with the headache? Where do you start? For inspiration, turn on your favorite power ballad and by the end of the song, your inbox will be much lighter.
Sign Up to Opt-Out
A few websites are available to help you opt-out of your junk mail. Simply enter your postal mailing address or email address, and register them onto the do-not-mail registries, similar to a do-not-call list. These websites include:
For a small investment of $2 for ten years, the Direct Market Association promises to reduce unwanted mail, emails, and calls. You set your mail preferences through this service, authorizing some organizations to send you correspondence while prohibiting others.
A website run by the consumer credit report industry takes your name off lists that provide unwanted credit and insurance offers. Registration requires your social security number to identify and record a “do not solicit” request on your credit file. Taking this step does not affect your credit score. Opting out is an excellent way to add another layer of protection against identity theft for free.
This website is similar to the Direct Marketing Association and honors DMA’s opt-out options for those who use their services. They remove emails from marketing campaigns and companies such as Market Magnifier and DirectLink. They also honor opt-out selections such as those made by OptOutPrescreen on your credit report.
Dedicate One Email Address to Subscriptions and Online Orders
Another tip to cut down on unwanted emails in your inbox is to dedicate an email, separate from active your personal email, for all your online shopping and social media activity. That way, you can sort your emails more quickly in an inbox you use for this purpose and not have to worry about personal emails becoming buried in the junk.
Partners’ Marketing
Another way to stop junk mail is to halt partner marketing offers. These offers come from other businesses called “partner affiliates” of the companies you already do business with. For example, Merrill Lynch is a partner affiliate to Bank of America. If you do business with one or the other, you likely receive solicitation from the other. To opt-out of communications such as these, it’s best to search the company’s website for any opt-out instructions and follow them. Monitor statements for a company’s annual privacy policy for additional opportunities. Experian, one of the big three consumer reporting agencies, has instructions on their website for opting out of their direct marketing program, to give an example.
Unsubscribe from Junk Mail
Other websites and apps are good for junk mail in general. PaperKarma, for instance, is an app you can download to your phone or device that helps you go through various companies and opt-out of their mailing lists for junk in your mailbox. This app effectively eliminates charitable donation requests and magazine subscription offers that accumulate over time. Are you too busy or overwhelmed to process these requests? Consider “hiring” a tech-savvy teen or grandchild to help with this task.
We advise against sites such as unroll.me and Leave Me Alone for opting out of unwanted emails. While their technology promises only to read unsolicited emails, knowing that these services look at your inbox means they have access to sensitive information. Do you want another technology service provider to have more personal data to feed into their algorithms? Proceed here with caution.
Other Things You Can Do
If you look around, you’ll likely be able to find other ways to cut back the junk that makes sense for your lifestyle. Some other things you can do to reduce clutter are:
Sign up for e-statements from your bank and credit card companies.
Recycle or shred old documents.
Use your device (phone, computer, or tablet) for note-taking.
Elect digital newspaper, newsletter, and magazine subscriptions.
At Organized Instincts, our seasoned team of daily money managers can help you streamline your financial tasks and routines. Schedule a free consultation today and give yourself the freedom to joyfully and abundantly live life.