If you are like 98% of all Americans, you get mail you would rather not receive (and I'm not talking about bills - who wants those). Here are a couple suggestions of things to use that unwanted mail for.
The most obvious, is to use old mail to start a fire with if you have a wood stove or fireplace. Just don't burn mail with plastic return labels (the plastic melts and makes a mess).
If you get mail with envelopes for response you can use them in two ways. One is helpful: reuse the envelopes to mail others. For envelopes of odd size or with "windows" you can either cover the windows with a mailing label and use them anyway. The other option is to keep them to organize. I keep my receipts every month to keep track of how I spend my money. I make an envelope for a particular month and put the receipts in it as I get them. If you have to keep seperate receipts for company reimbursement you can mark one for a month and put the company name on it.
Another thing to do (if you have a mischievous streak like my dad) when you get envelopes with return postage already on them, is to take the junk mail and mail it to the place who provided you with a postage paid envelope. Another option would be to fill it with something personal: your opinion of unsolicited mail, a Bible verse or two, poetry, or be imaginative and send something that will really get noticed (like a dead roach or some other bug). The thing is the company that supplied you with the postage paid envelope still has to pay for it no matter what you send them. Maybe if enough people sent them junk back, they would stop harassing people with their junk.
Another thrifty tip, if you get a package of any size you can reuse it by taping it back together. You just have to make sure the original mailing label has been removed or blacked out with a magic marker. And by "original mailing label" I mean any labels: return address, send to address and post office labels/postage stickers.
By Suntydt from Tazewell, TN
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I have also taken unsolicited junk mail, stuffed it back in the envelope & mailed it back to the company that sent it, if I've already asked them to remove me from their list & they haven't. I know people who also take junk mail & send it to other companies who send them junk mail!
Sending something else like a "dead roach or some other bug" is just asking for major trouble though. I would think you could be arrested & prosecuted, not to mention lawsuits from the company and the poor employee who was unfortunate enough to open the envelope! I wouldn't suggest anyone try it.
Some where there is an address you can write to concerning junk mail. Sorry, I don't have it. Maybe one of the readers might? Good luck.
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I get so disgusted with all the junk mail I get in the mail that I have start taking my name off it all. Then put it back in the envelopes they give you postage paid and mail it all right back to them. Let them pay for the postage and save space in my trash can. Maybe they will stop all these random mailings to get you to buy something.
By Debbie from Berwick, ME
I had a friend that did this same thing except he left his name on the mail. He wanted them to know he was not happy with their mailings and to remove his name from their mailing list. (02/01/2006)
By SL Edens
Years ago I found a stamp that said "please take my name off your mailing list" and it had a trash can on it. I stamp it all over the order form that comes with catalogs and the actual mailing page and put it right back into the postage paid envelope and send it back to them. I also call them and tell them to remove my name and not give out to other companies if there is no postage paid envelopes. I very rarely receive any junk mail or catalogs anymore. (02/01/2006)
By Roseanna
I make labels that say"Refused Return to Sender" and put them over your name. Post office has to return them (02/01/2006)
By steve a
I use it for my advantage. Any plain paper is used for scratch paper, I cut the page in 4 pieces. Any envelopes are taken apart and turned inside out and used for my mailings. The envelope it came in is cut apart and plain insides used for grocery lists and other "reminder" shopping I need to do. (02/01/2006)
By suzq
I have done this for years also, sometimes even including junk mail from other companies. That way they can see what it feels like to keep getting junk, not just the stuff they send out. (02/02/2006)
By Dede
GOOD ONE! I was having my morning cup of coffee reading this and laughed so hard coffee came out my nose. I am telling you this is a tip I will use. (02/02/2006)
I have been doing this for about a year. A lot of the "stuff" that comes has your name and address on the inside pages. If I have to waste time going through it all and removing and shredding, I feel that they have to pay for my time and it keeps the Postal Service in business. I get this type of junk mail every week - anywhere from three to ten per week. During the holiday season I got a record fifteen "offers". (02/02/2006)
By Margaret
You can also use those postage-paid envelope to send mail to others. Just print out a label and address to the person you are sending it to. You don't have to pay for postage, and the junk company is paying for you to use their envelope! (02/02/2006)
By Ashley
Go to greendimes.com, an amazing website, I reduced my junkmail by 90% (09/22/2008)
By Dani
