An Update - Ridding My Mailbox of Unwanted Catalogs

A couple of months ago I shared with you in this post a new website I had found called Catalog Choice. This is a place to enter in catalogs that show up in your mailbox unwanted. Catalog Choice then works with the companies to remove your name from their mailing lists. I thought I would take a minute this evening and give you an update on whether or not it has worked for us.

And.... the answer is..... YES! I love it! I started using Catalog Choice on Nov 15. By the first part of December I was already noticing a difference in the number of catalogs I received in the mail and by the time Christmas rolled around there was a BIG difference. And, since this is the time of year that we receive the most of this sort of mail it made an even bigger impression on me.

I also want to share something else with you that I discovered. When you enter the name of a catalog that you no longer wish to receive, you also have to enter the customer code and the key code from the back of the catalog (usually they appear in a blue and pink or yellow shaded box that is part of the mailing label). Catalog Choice then lists all these customer codes when showing the list of catalogs you have listed as ones you no longer wish to receive. What I'm finding as I track ones entered vs. ones I'm still receiving in the mail, I have found that more than one company has me and/or my husband in multiple times under multiple customer codes. This would certainly be one explaination as to why we receive so many, huh? I, personally, also see it as a huge waste of paper, as well as time and money by the company sending the catalog.

So, in a nutshell, I have been very pleased and plan to continue using this as a way to get rid of unwanted catalogs that I receive in the mail. Join me and we'll work together to keep our mailboxes clean and, hopefully, save a few trees along the way!

Being "Green" for the Holidays

NOTE: This post has been edited to correct the web site link for Catalog Choice.

Recently I've been looking for ways that I can cut back on the use of electricity, gas and paper around our house. I've been a BIG paper recycler for years and with the expense of electricity and gas over the last couple of years I've wanted to cut back to save money.

At the same time, I've been reminded what precious commodities these are and how we are responsible for using them responsibly. We need to be responsible so that we don't run out of these resources and as a way of taking care of our earthly home that was created for us by God. For example, waste paper and we lose ALOT of trees. Our planet would be in serious trouble without the trees.

This week I discovered a web site that could help us all take part in a great way to save paper. And, here's an added benefit.... keep some of the junk out of our mailboxes! I don't know about you but my mailbox is packed to the brim this time of year with all sorts of mail order catalogs that I don't even open. I've been looking for a long time for an easy way to remove my name from mailing lists on all these catalogs.

This website is Catalog Choice. Here's how it works...

~ First, create an account.

~ As all those unwanted catalogs begin showing up in the mailbox log into your account, choose the search option and enter in each catalog name.

~ If it is a catalog company they work with you will be asked to enter the customer code and key code from the address label on the catalog, then enter a reason code for why you no longer wish to receive.

~ Catalog Choice will contact the company to have your name removed from their mailing list.

~ If you find you are still receiving it in the future you can go back to your account and click an option called "Still Receiving?" and Catalog Choice will make another contact to have your name removed from the list.

~ If you have a catalog from a company that is in their database but does not work with Catalog Choice you will receive a message saying they are unable to assist you with this particular catalog.

~ If the catalog is not in their database, you will have an option to go ahead and enter the name. If Catalog Choice should ever begin working with that company in the future you will be notified via email.

Another really great thing about this website? It's all FREE! They are funded by several "green" foundations so this service is provided to us, the consumers, at no cost.

I've already entered several catalogs in this afternoon and, I'm sure, will do many more during the next few months. Please join me in my effort to clean out my mailbox and cut down on the use of paper and printing costs in our country!

Have a great weekend!