I stop my junk mail by registering with the Mailing Preference Service. It’s a free and confidential service. Once you’ve registered it takes 2-4 months to take effect. You will then see a reduction in the amount of junk mail you get. You can sign up online:

https://www.mpsonline.org.uk

I also refuse store cards, VIP cards and any other cards offered to me when I buy stuff. If the sales assistant asks me for my postcode, email address or any other details I say “I’d prefer not to give my details.” If you do give your details you will be sent mail or emails. Even if they promise not to send you advertising, they will!

Junk mail sucks up our valuable time and energy because we have to…

Collect piles of unwanted post from the doormat each morning

Waste mental energy each time we look at the pile of junk mail and promise ourselves to ‘read it later’ (which of course we never do)

Unwrap the cellophane covered catalogues, brochures or other advertising

Work out which bits of the junk mail can be recycled or binned. Is cellophane recyclable? Is metal coated paper recyclable? Is shiny paper recyclable? Can I recycle paper with staples in it?

Preventing junk mail is far easier than having to process it.

A new year begins! My new year’s resolution is to make more time. More time to follow my passions, connect with people and create. Less time cleaning, putting stuff away and fitting stuff into storage. I must eliminate time sucks (an inefficient or unproductive activity or process) by getting rid of my excess stuff. I borrow from The Minimalists who explain that owning things can suck up valuable time because we have to…

Store the thing

Clean the thing

Think about the thing

Worry about the thing

Protect the thing

Replace the thing

Mend the thing

Refil the thing

Shop to find the refils

Find space for the thing

Move the thing

Pack the thing when moving home

All the above takes up a lot of TIME.

I have a box in my cupboard under the stairs. Anything I don’t need or love goes in the box. I try to put one thing in the box every day. It could be a pen/pencil/scarf/hair clip/roll of wrapping paper. Taking my excess stuff to a charity shop makes me feel good. My halo shines because I’m raising money for charity and it’s so easy. No need to run marathons, hold complicated charity events or turn out my pockets to chuggers in the street.

My box is see-through plastic so I can see what’s in it and keep it clean. 7 items in the box per week, multiplied by 52 weeks in a year = 364 bits of stuff GONE from my home. If each item sells for £1, I’ve raised £364 for charity.

Pens. Do they breed in the draw? We love pens but we probably don’t use all 50 pens scattered throughout our home. But pens are USEFUL. Well, yes and no. They’re only useful if we use them. If pens are shut away in draws, hidden under piles of newspapers, broken or out of ink, they’re not useful. To minimise excess stuff, choose 10 of the 50 pens and allocate a draw for them. Donate the rest to charity or if broken, put in the landfill bin.

What is allowed to come into your home? We can practice saying ‘No’ to the excess stuff we don’t need or love, often found in:

• the Sales, Black Friday
• 3 for 2 offers
• catalogues
• last minute or ‘exclusive’ deals
• car boot sales
• charity shop items we don’t need
• buying in bulk
• just-in-case items
• online purchases (makes impulse buying so easy)
• holiday souvenirs