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The Great Paper Push: Just Say No
Going paperless is a heck of a lot easier when you put the kibosh on letting flyers, junk mail and more get past the front door
I love mail. As a child, I could spot an invite and distinguish junk mail from a mile away. I'd gotten it into my head that those who received mail were people of importance (that is, adults). Now that I'm firmly in my adult years, not much has changed. It's a daily habit to check for mail when I pass the box (even when I know that delivery isn't until late afternoon). And although I romanticize the correspondence part of mail, bills get the same treatment. Staying on top of finances and bills is my nod to being responsible, one of those adult traits I so admired as a child.
Going paperless is something I've wrestled with for a few years now, but the efficient part of me has finally succeeded. I know that no matter how organized I am with my paper, it's just quicker to live a paperless life. Less time opening mail and keeping track of it until it gets filed means more time to do just about anything.
You'd be amazed at how many ways there are to go paperless. Some steps are effortless, while others may take a little more time and experience. Let's dig in and see how you can start your journey immediately.
Going paperless is something I've wrestled with for a few years now, but the efficient part of me has finally succeeded. I know that no matter how organized I am with my paper, it's just quicker to live a paperless life. Less time opening mail and keeping track of it until it gets filed means more time to do just about anything.
You'd be amazed at how many ways there are to go paperless. Some steps are effortless, while others may take a little more time and experience. Let's dig in and see how you can start your journey immediately.
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1. Just say, "No thanks." On a daily basis, I am offered extra paper and politely decline. Some prime examples: coupons from office supply stores, random flyers and business cards. And at the office, your coworkers are probably in the routine of handing over paperwork and agendas. To counteract this:
• First, recognize when you really don't need the paper and decline it.
• If it's imperative that you have the information, request the data in email form.
• Take advantage when a store offers to email you the receipt.
• The next time you find yourself waiting at the doctor's office, car wash or DMV, empty your purse or wallet. This five-minute activity will help keep paper piles from building at home.
• First, recognize when you really don't need the paper and decline it.
• If it's imperative that you have the information, request the data in email form.
• Take advantage when a store offers to email you the receipt.
• The next time you find yourself waiting at the doctor's office, car wash or DMV, empty your purse or wallet. This five-minute activity will help keep paper piles from building at home.
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2. Stop printing stuff. I find that when folks print stuff, it's because they don't trust their systems. Perfect example: An important email ends up in your inbox and instead of properly archiving it, you print it. When we're not comfortable using our digital tools, we go out of our way to feel safe. To combat this printing instinct:
• Read online tutorials and ask friends who know how to process email how they do it.
• Sign up for a free workshop at an Apple retail store.
• Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters and emails. When there's less virtual clutter, you will find that you can locate files easier and won't need to print them just so you know where they are.
• Make your email system do the work for you by creating tags and filters so that you spend less time sorting the incoming mail.
• Use your browser's bookmark feature to catalog images, recipes and more.
• Try this tip for creating email files: Your digital files should closely mirror your paper files.
• Read online tutorials and ask friends who know how to process email how they do it.
• Sign up for a free workshop at an Apple retail store.
• Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters and emails. When there's less virtual clutter, you will find that you can locate files easier and won't need to print them just so you know where they are.
• Make your email system do the work for you by creating tags and filters so that you spend less time sorting the incoming mail.
• Use your browser's bookmark feature to catalog images, recipes and more.
• Try this tip for creating email files: Your digital files should closely mirror your paper files.
3. Stop junk mail. I live by the phrase "Junk mail should never touch a surface."
• Recycle junk odds and ends before entering the house. If junk mail finds its way indoors, it's best to dispose of it immediately.
• If your schedule doesn't allow for daily processing or if you feel like your mail piles triple overnight, use Catalog Choice and MailStop. Catalog Choice is a lot like hitting an unsubscribe button; just go to the website and opt out of receiving certain catalogs. MailStop is under the Catalog Choice umbrella. It comprises three add-on services that range from a free cell phone app to a $20 yearly service.
Tell us: Are you already doing anything from this list of paperless practices? Is there anything that you implement at home that I left out?
More:
Paperless Home Offices Show Reams of Style
• Recycle junk odds and ends before entering the house. If junk mail finds its way indoors, it's best to dispose of it immediately.
• If your schedule doesn't allow for daily processing or if you feel like your mail piles triple overnight, use Catalog Choice and MailStop. Catalog Choice is a lot like hitting an unsubscribe button; just go to the website and opt out of receiving certain catalogs. MailStop is under the Catalog Choice umbrella. It comprises three add-on services that range from a free cell phone app to a $20 yearly service.
Tell us: Are you already doing anything from this list of paperless practices? Is there anything that you implement at home that I left out?
More:
Paperless Home Offices Show Reams of Style
Ideabook published on March 8, 2012.
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I've become interested in doing crafts with paper - I just recently watched a short video showing how to mash up junk mail in a blender & make it into really interesting homemade paper. Instructables has quite a few instructions, too, for those who are crafty & interested.
Junk mail, bills, glossy magazine pages all burn poorly and release high levels of particulate matter, which contains dangerous particles that can enter your lungs but can't escape. This can cause a host of health problems, including asthma and other respiratory diseases and cardiac issues; particulates can even damage your immune system. Worse, this toxic mess goes into the air that your whole neighborhood breathes. You might think this is a minor contributor to air pollution, but you'd be wrong.
See: The Center for Disease Control’s Wood Stove/Respiratory Hazards Page for more information.
And from the EPA:
Never burn household garbage or cardboard. Plastics and the colored ink on magazines, boxes, and wrappers produce harmful chemicals when burned.
Sounds like I have I a pet peeve. In that case, thank you for letting me vent. I will take your advice re: Catalog Choice, etc.
RE: burning things in CA, it's the AQMD. We can't even have 'wood-burning' fireplaces anymore. So, no burning stuff, inside or out.
It is a great tool, you do not have to tethered to a computer to scan...I through it into my briefcase often