How to cut digital and print mail clutter

I don’t even have to ask why you might want to cut mail clutter. Like me, I’m sure your digital and print mailboxes fill up on a daily basis.

Some of the mail clutter is spam and some if simply unwanted, older subscriptions and contacts.

Wouldn’t it be great to have less paper to sift through and only see the emails that you’re really interested in?

Take these steps today to reduce mail clutter, stop unwanted mail and emails, and clean out your mailbox and inbox.

The problem with digital clutter creep-spam email

Belongings aren’t the only things that pile up despite our best efforts.

Some clutter comes from sources that impose themselves on us, whether it’s overflowing email boxes or regular mailboxes. Facing that virtual or real mountain every day can get you in a negative mindset for the day ahead.

But there are some simple ways to cut that clutter and the stress of stuffed mailboxes. Clearing that mail clutter will set you on the path toward a pared-down, simplified life.

Clean your email inbox

If your email inbox is so full that you only look at the newest arrivals, you have a few choices.

1. Bulk trashing

   It’s up to you whether you can at least glance at each piece of mail to decide if you can do a bulk trashing. If you can do that, that’s the best bet. If you can’t do that, then move onto #2. To bulk trash in Gmail, simply click “ALL” above the list of mail by clicking on the box icon. Unclick anything you want to save, then click the trash can.

2. Create a new email address

   You can do this and still keep your old email address. That way, you won’t have to inform everyone who has your old email address that your address has changed. Simply forward mail from your old address to your new address and mail to your old address will arrive instantly.

3. Set a habit of cleaning your inbox

   Keep it clean. Be a ruthless trasher.

4. UNSUBSCRIBE

   Like me, you probably wonder when you ever told pleasetrashupmyinbox.com that you wanted 50 emails a day. You can unsubscribe from each automatic subscription you get by doing it yourself or checking out the services of unroll.me.

Cutting physical mail clutter

1. Pay bills online

   By setting up automatic payments that most banks offer, you can cut the bills that come to your USPS mailbox. And setting up automatic payments means that you have your bill due dates under control and can turn off automatic email notifications. A two-fer!

2. Get too many credit card offers? Too many catalogs?

   Stop different kinds of paper mail and junk mail by checking these options Do one or all and watch your time spent shuffling paper decrease dramatically.

3. The Small Business Knowledge Center pays you for your junk mail

   ! It might be a little more effort to collect your junk mail, but the SBK Center will give you a prepaid Visa card in exchange for your junk mail. They are a market research company that uses your junk mail information in their research and say they delete your private information and shred your documents when they are done.

Why cut mail clutter?

I don’t know about you, but clutter is a major stressor for me. And having things waiting for me to do (like cleaning my inbox) or piling up (which is even worse) weighs on me.

Paper mail wastes valuable resources and companies’ time and marketing budgets. Eliminating unwanted emails and paper mail by unsubscribing helps companies know their true potential customers, and cuts their wasted efforts—and yours!

Most of all, getting rid of mail clutter makes for an easier, simpler life. Instead of spending that time and effort on tasks you dredge, spend it on things you enjoy—like looking for turtles in the pond with your grandkids.