24. De-Clutter Junk Mail

Did you know the average American receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year? Junk mail not only clutters your house, but it produces more CO2 than 9 millions cars on the road. Follow these simple steps to remove the junk mail from your home and help protect the environment at the same time:

1. Place a recycle bin and trash can by your front door. Before you enter the house with your mail, give it a once over and immediately trash and recycle unwanted pieces. If you are worried about identity theft, place a shredder near the bins and shred any pieces containing your name and address. Check with your recycling center to see if they accept shredded paper. This will determine if you place the shredded paper in the trash or recycled bins.

2. Gather all your catalogs in the house. Spend some time calling each one and ask to be removed off their mailing list. Don't worry, most catalogs are available online for shopping.

3. Call 888.567.8688 to remove yourself off mailing lists.

4. Call the number on every piece of junk mail that arrives to your home and ask to be removed off of their mailing list. This included credit card offers, insurance promotions, sweepstake entries, etc. If you don't have time for this, you can sign up with agencies that can do this for you. www.41pounds.org and www.dmachoice.org are great resources for minimal fees.