I have previously written about the importance of stopping clutter coming into your home. Decluttering is only one weapon in a multi-faceted approach to keeping your home clutter-free.
One one the biggest culprits is mail. We have eliminated most of our mail by having a ‘No Junk Mail’ sticker on our mailbox and opting to receive as much information as possible electronically.However, today we actually received 4 pieces of mail Here they are.
There are 2 local publications – The Range News (newspaper) and The Hinterland Times which is more of a magazine format. I always read them to keep up with local issues and then they will be recycled. The item on the top of the pile is the first piece of election advertising material that we have received. It was read and then went straight into the recycling. Finally, the large yellow envelope was the most interesting piece of all. It was a bundle of brochures and information from the company where we purchased our solar panels. We contacted them to see if they could provide some literature for the Sustainable House Open Day which is coming up at the beginning of next month.
This is what went into the recycle bin immediately – envelopes, election information and the catalogues which are inserted in the local paper.
These are the 2 local publications which I have set aside to read.
The solar information which I will file until it is required next month.
By dealing with the mail immediately there are no piles to be sorted out later on and no clutter that is not required.
I love pulling the catalogues and sections I don’t read out of the weekend newspaper and recycling them straight away.
We’ve got a no junk mail sticker too and have found that cuts down our mail a great deal. Especially around Christmas time, the catalogues are huge!
I love your point about how dealing with paperwork immediately prevents piles that need to be dealt with later on.
I don’t always follow my own advice on dealing with things immediately but it is certainly easier when I do.
Oh yes, mail is a constant bug bear – I was the only person in 115 with a no junk mail sticker at my previous apartment, and I STILL got stuff. Annoyed me so much! I must get a new sticker for my new place pronto…
I hope the junk delivery people are more responsive to your sticker in the new place.