Hi liz H,

Sorry to rain on your parade.

But ... "Refused ... Return to Sender", ... is even cheaper.

Some time ago, when I was looking after this place after Uncle's death, much regular mail for them was returned so designated.

I think that the postmistress told me the other day that that mail gets filed in their round file.

If so, for certain returned junk mail would be so dealt with.

I know ... I know ... passing the buck! Letting someone else look after junk that I should deal with.

There's an oil drum lacking a top out by the shed that's called, "burning barrel. Actually, it's getting so rusty that there are rust holes in the side, so there's better draft and its freight burns with less smoke produced.

There's quite a lot of stuff in the house that should be ttansferred out there. Soon - before my kids get stuck with the job.

Or paper for recycling - they take those bundles free.

We have to pay them to remove garbage ... two miles to the nearby dump (pardon, "landfill") that Toronto bought a while ago for about $220 Million.

I'd need a Sharpie pen for writing on the envelopes ... but I can buy enough of them with the interest on the price of a shredder, even at today's low rates.

And who'll want it, after I'm gone?

ole joyful

My junk mail goes right into the recycling container. I make a trip to the recycling center about every 3-4 weeks, so a couple of bags of junk mail is no big deal.

It IS annoying, however.

I stopped 95% of junk mail from coming into out house... got off all the mailing lists!

The only things that trickle through are local mailings addressed to "Resident".

So I don't need a special junk mail shredder.... and I don't need to toss all those shreds.

I do like to shred things like credit card offers that have our name and address to avoid the possibility of identity theft, so I usually open everything and just shred any part of it that has personal information.

We have stopped getting a lot of that stuff since we called and asked to be put on the list not to get credit offers in the mail.

Oh, and forgot to add that we do recycle all the shredded paper and anything else we can.

Flash The other day I got something from Xerox. Since I own some stock in them, I 'assumed' it was likely just something I really did not want or need to know, as usual, stock holders meeting, proxy voting, blah, blah, blah.

Imagine my surprise when I opened it to find a check. I had filed paperwork months ago as part of a class action law suit, and was awarded some $ because I had held some stock between certain dates, when something was amiss.

A similar thing happened a while back. I don't recall the return address name, but it was a dividend check from Idearc. I had not bought stock in them, but was 'given' some shares as a result of owning some Verizon stock. Those 'given' shares now pay a quarterly dividend.

Granted some things I can tell for sure they are 'junk' but other things I now take the time and look over them b4 discarding in any way.

I stopped 95% of junk mail from coming into out house... got off all the mailing lists!
I did too. My mailbox is no longer stuffed. I made a few calls to get catalogs stopped (never ordered from them anyway) and many things I stuffed back in the postage paid envelopes and sent it back to them with a note to Please remove this name and address from all mailing lists. That got their attention, and they no longer must waste their advertising dollars mailing me stuff to have to deal with in any way.

Sue

I did the same. Our local newspaper did an article on how to stop the credit card offers and reg junk mail. it took almost 3 months but it worked.

Chemocurl, I'd be interested to know the dates if you still have the letter. We have stock too, but never got that paperwork, so probably not applicable but still would like to know. DH worked there for 23 years before it hit the fan and big time "layoffs" started on a regular basis. Sandy

A dear friend of mine does vermicomposting. He takes the junk out of the envelopes and throws it in the piles. Apparently worm's don't eat the plastic windows. He will joyfully tell you that no worm has yet to steal his identity in over 10 years.

From chemocurl's message above that it was useful opening her piece of mail that she'd considered probably junk, only to find a cheque in it, it may be wise to open quite few of those envelopes to give the contents a quick check.

Should you happen to find a cheque, be happy.

If you find some pieces of paper with the sender's message on the front side, but clear (white) on the back side, you may want to keep that and some similar ones to use as scratch paper.

Stick a piece to the fridge with a fridge magnet to build your shopping list.

I find that if I'm writing fewer than 4 pages to a family member or friend, I may use some of them but if I plan to write more than that, which I seldom do, that I may use new sheets. If I write more than 4 pages for delivery to Canada, there's extra postage.

It seems to me that someone said a while ago that if you cut those sheets of paper into smaller sizes and rub a glue stick along one edge of the printed side and let it dry, that it'll work like a sticky note - but I haven't tried it.

Good wishes for producing something useful from your junk mail.

ole joyful

When the junk mail includes a postage paid envelope, I use a sharpie to write 'NO' across my name and send their stuff back to them.

Otherwise, it gets shredded.

When the junk mail includes a postage paid envelope, I use a sharpie to write 'NO' across my name and send their stuff back to them.

Sometimes I stuff other junk mail in the envy too, or some of a WM sale bill...just to be sure and get their attention. It has always gotten their attention and gotten me off their list.