I get so much junk mail.  I guess it’s because I’m intermittently generous and give to good causes or political causes.  So how do they reward my generosity?  They tell all of their friends, allies, and similar groups.  Soon, I am getting more mail, not just from the groups I have given money to in the past, but a plethora of groups I have never heard of.    

Now that I’m retired, I don’t like it when my day is scheduled with lots of appointments.  I want to be free to pick my activities, to putter around the house starting, or not finishing, several projects at once.  I want to base my day on the weather, doing outside projects when it’s cool, or warm, depending on the season.  I want to do inside stuff when it’s too hot or too cold outside.  I don’t want to watch the clock any more than is necessary. 

I’m like that with my donations, too.  Now more than ever, I want to give what I want, to who I want, when I want, without being pestered for more, more, more donations.  Especially if the group is an unknown entity.  Get me off the mailing lists!

I have found that it’s actually a lot of work to get off mailing lists.  Here is how I have been trying to do it so far. 

1. I gather up the junk mail.
2. I sort and set aside mail from my favorite groups, those that I know I will give to again when I’m ready.  I may toss their junk mail for now, recognizing it will come again, like night follows day.
3. For the other junk mail groups, if there is a donation card, with a “no-postage necessary envelope”, I will write a note on the card next to my address: “Please remove me from your mailing list.  Thanks!”  Then I mail the card off, without a stamp, and without a donation.  Sure, this group will be paying my postage, but better them than me. If they are sending me unsolicited mail, they can pay unsolicited postage.
4. Some groups expect me to provide the stamp for the donation envelope.  Have you looked at the cost of a stamp lately? (Okay, I haven’t either, so I looked it up: 63 cents!)  Multiply that times the volume of junk mail I would like to be rid of… it adds up!  I won’t waste a stamp on unwanted junk mail.  I will, however, make a stack of this kind of junk mail in my office.  Now and again, I’ll go through that stack, find their website, and search the website for “remove from mailing list”.  Or, if that doesn’t work, I will use the “contact us” option and request removal from the mailing list, providing my name and address exactly as it appears on the junk mail.   I often get a response back saying they will remove me from the list.  Hooray!
5. So far, there was only one group that neither method worked for.   It was a draft horse rescue. They didn’t seem to have a website, at least not that I could find.  I just tossed their junk mail. If I receive it again, I will dig deeper.  It makes you wonder if they are a legit entity anyhow, since they have no email address and no website.

I’ve been doing this for a couple months, and I’m still getting a lot of junk mail.   The groups that do respond often note that it takes weeks or months for my removal request to work its way through their systems.  Crossing my fingers that it works, even if it’s slow.   

I’m also working on eliminating unnecessary emails from my life.   Last winter, I had an inbox full of thousands of emails.  I was losing important things, like emails from my local book printer.  Again, it was often groups that I’d given money to, or bought something from, or simply had signed up for their emails over time.  But they ask again and again and again.  Some send email information daily, weekly, monthly…   I needed a break.  Therefore, I have been hitting the “unsubscribe” button on a lot of emails.  The button is often next to their incoming email address, or sometimes at the end of the email in very small print.  My inbox still fills up, because there are many issues I continue to track, or may decide to put money toward in the future, but it’s so much more manageable now.  The unsubscribe button is my new best friend!

Sometimes I worry I am guilty of this information overload myself: sharing blogs, or sharing posts, or sharing emails about my writing and my life.  I guess I don’t have an unsubscribe button.  But you all can do it through Facebook, just unfollow me.  And if I send you emails about my blog (all six of you!) you can request removal from my personal list.  Of course, if you follow my blog directly through WordPress.com, I believe you have all the control. So, now that I think about it, you can “unsubscribe me” after all.  Hopefully your email inboxes aren’t as overfilled and overwhelming as mine was, and your junk mail is more controlled than mine is. Anyhow, I hope you still enjoy my blogs. If not, you know what to do!

ADDENDUM:  Coincidentally, as I was writing this blog, I started reading a book by Eve O. Schaub, The Year of No Garbage.   This was one of my Mothers’ Day presents and is a really interesting book.   One of the early chapters included a section about junk mail.   Per the book, here are some additional ways to rid your mailbox of those pesky envelopes and catalogs:

• To opt out of unsolicited credit card applications, go here:  optoutprescreen.com.
• To opt out of direct mail marketing such as catalogs, magazines, and donation requests, go to two free links: DMAchoice.org, or Catalogchoice.org.  A third option is to sign up for a phone app (PaperKarma.com) that is initially free, then costs. 

I’ll be checking out all of these options as I continue the battle to streamline the junk I have to deal with.  My time is valuable, and I want to spend it on important and enjoyable things, like writing and eating chocolate, not cleaning out and going through never ending junk in my mailbox and inbox.  Plus, it’s such a waste of paper!  And electrons!  Once this problem is solved, I’ll start to address the clutter around my house.  Ha ha, just kidding! Warm weather has arrived, and there are gardens to weed and trails to ride.

Maybe your favorite support system is your dog, or your girlfriend, or your favorite buddy at work.  Everyone needs a support group, those folks that say, “Atta girl!” when you most need it.  Those folks that give their time.  Those folks that show up.  Whether we call them support systems, support staff, or support friends, our lives flow better when they are around. If we are lucky, we also have support family.

In my writing world, I feel like my support system people have been working overtime lately.  I had my first book signing event in April, at my favorite tack store (Spokane Tack Trunk), and it was a grand success.  The Tack Trunk staff were kind and friendly. I sold books, I signed books, and I shopped in the store during the slow moments, spending all my earnings.  My friend Morgan sold and signed her books, too.  But more than the selling and the signing, I was amazed that people showed up.  My friends showed up.  Morgan’s friends showed up.  People from my writers’ group showed up (even though they already had copies of my book), and they brought friends.  Some of my horsey mentors showed up with their friends.  My local son and his girlfriend showed up just to say hi.  For a fun surprise, my San Diego son showed up to give me support along with a bouquet of flowers!  I felt like a dancer after a Broadway show, receiving flowers and bowing to the crowd!  Even a few strangers showed up for the book signing.  I know I’m making it sound like hundreds of people showed up, where it was maybe more like 25 or so, but I sold 12 books!  I would have been pleased with three!  Needless to say, I’m not rich yet, but it was a good day.

Thanks to all my friends, family, and supporters.  I feel loved, appreciated, and happy.  I am enjoying this writing adventure. I have my large support group to thank for pushing, prodding, cheering me on, and simply showing up as I continue my journey as a writer.    

Thanks!

[Photo credits Pexels.com, and Mac Frederick]