The Assault of the Mailbox

Since we are assaulted daily with stuff coming in from the mailbox and other sources, you HAVE to have a space designated for those papers. Professional home organizers call it a "Landing Pad." I like that term because I can visualize bills and junk mail flying at my house and I must deal with them. I have a small cupboard by the front door. On top of it sits our phone, note pad, pens, and a bowl for all miscellaneous papers and stuff I don't need immediately but don't want to throw away. We bring bills to a "bill basket" asap, but all the other "stuff" goes into this deep 6 x 10 inch bowl. A basket would be good too. Every now and then I sort through the bowl and throw away the junk or file what's needed. For example, I have receipts that I'm not sure I'll need long-term, bookmarks, fliers that I may want to look at later, take-out menus, care group address lists, invitations that I don't want to lose.  I have another basket near my kitchen island that holds recipes cut out of magazines, department store coupons I think I might need, other papers that can accumulate in the kitchen.  I sort through this one about 2 times a year.  It doesn't take much effort to put stuff in these baskets, and it reduces the eye clutter if papers are corralled.  The kitchen counter can get covered quickly with all this paper and the sooner you deal with it the better!

On the subject of junk mail, years ago I filled out an online form from "Opt-Out" which was supposed to reduce my credit card offers coming in the mail.  I have to say that it worked, although occasionally I still get one.  I recycle all newspapers and ads and most of the junk mail we get.  It's smart to shred any papers with personal information, so you need a shredder.  Keep it in a convenient place and use it for any papers with names, account numbers, anything personal.  Unfortunately, we all have to be smart and not make it easy for someone to steal sensitive information.

There is a similar website for limiting unsolicited phone calls called "Donotcall.gov" where you can register all land lines and cell phones.  Again it reduces the volume of unwanted calls, but there are still some pollsters and other associations that are permitted to solicit.  The best thing to do is not answer the call if you don't know who it is.

Having a "Landing Pad" is also a great place to designate for keys, cell phones and chargers, and stuff you have to remember to bring with you the next time you leave the house.  This is a great time of year to look for organizers.  Small tables with drawers, shelves, hooks for keys and purses, all these can help you from being assaulted by your mailbox.

Please leave your tips and hints for dealing with mail and papers!