We have 3 easy steps to stop paper clutter before it comes to your mailbox and into your home, plus we debrief (and swoon) about our interview with Peter Walsh.
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In our last episode we interviewed “the one and only” Peter Walsh. It was such a surreal moment for us so we have to spend a minute or two checking in with each.
There so much to discuss, like not focusing on “the stuff” and creating a vision for the life you want, not to mention the tears about magazines. We seriously wrote down his ideas as he was speaking! If you haven’t listen to Episode 26 yet, we encourage you to go back and take a listen. It was so great to learn from Peter Walsh!
Monthly Challenge: Stopping Paper Clutter
It is a new month which means, time for a new challenge! For this challenge, we are all going to be following the weekly steps together.
Today we start off small. My hope is that you can check off a few of these steps right from the start! Time to conquer the paper clutter that comes into your home through the mail.
Step 1: Sign up for Paperless Statements
I have slowly set up most of my bills and financial statements to be received digitally. For the few that I do still receive in the mail, the physical letter has been my reminder to look over the statement. The digital email that the statement is available to view doesn’t feel like a trusted system because it is not unheard of for those email reminders to go to spam.
So I decided a good solution is to set a reminder on my phone each month to check the few statements I do like to look at and save as a pdf file if necessary. Has there been something holding you back from going all digital?
Extra Credit:
If you are ready to go a step further past declutter into automating parts of your life, you can set your bills on autopay. And set up auto savings while you are at it!
Step 2: Opt out of Credit Card Offers
Aren’t we all ready for this step! Go to optoutprescreen.com to opt out of credit card offers. You can opt out online and it will expire in 5 years or you can mail-in your request for a lifetime removal of your name and information.
Another website that I have not personally tried it DMAchoice.org, which promises to opt you out of credit offers, catalogs, magazine offers and other mail offers like donation request. There is $2 fee which is good for 10 years.
DMC Choice is also a good option for name removal of deceased individuals, Deceased Do Not Contact list, and for caregivers to register name removal, Do Not Contact list for Caregivers.
Step 3: Unsubscribe from Unwanted Catalogs
If you aren’t unsubscribing through DMA Choice listed above, you can use the non-profit, CatalogChoice.org, which I have used for years. I love that I don’t have to commit and can change my status for things I have previously unsubscribed, not that I have ever done that but it is nice to know it is an option!
You can also unsubscribe directly of course. Most catalogs have a link or phone number to call on the back cover to change your mailing preferences. I would recommend collecting your catalogs for a couple months and unsubscribe all at once. Unless you already have a pile of old catalogs lying around, then this is the one time that not decluttering really paid off!
I hope these simple steps get you motivated to join the Stop Paper Clutter challenge!
Let’s Connect
You can share your progress with us below in the comments or on social media. Use the hashtags #AtoBpodcast or #stoppaperclutter. What are you going to conquer today?
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Yikes, Bethany, please check your audio–you are fading in and out on this last episode. Autumn sounds clear. Love listening to you guys while I iron and clean the kitchen–podcasts are great motivators to do boring chores. Especially enjoyed the Peter Walsh episode!
Peter helped me figured out why I recently stopped collecting books and have been slowly purging my huge home library. I no longer need to been seen as “well read” I love books and love to read, but I only have 3 bookshelves, so whatever doesn’t fit on them has to go…just my very favorite classics (who wants a matching set of Thomas Hardy novels when I didn’t really enjoy the 2 novels of his I actually read? Out they went!) and current fiction that I dream of reading or re-reading. Been slowly making my way through boxes of shelf overflow in my basement..it feels so good to get rid of books that I will never read–less “stuff” and less to do!
Thank you Ann! We are still learning the audio aspects of podcasting! Thank you for listening along anyway. Update: We were able to fix some of the audio issues with this episode. Thank you so much for your feedback. It is so helpful to hear others opinions! For now, no more recording in my living room!
Oh, I love that you shared this! He has such great insight and kudos to you for looking past your collection to examine your true motivation.
“Less stuff and less to do!” How true!
Oh no, sorry, I got you mixed up–it’s Autumn’s audio that is fading. Bethany is clear.
I knew who you meant. 🙂 Thank you again for your feedback!