Margaret Arnold • November 30, 2024
Holiday Mail Overload? A Simple Guide to Clearing Your Mailbox Clutter

Even in our digital age, print catalogs and direct mail continue to find our mailboxes. After two household moves, managing my parents' subscriptions, and wanting a simpler life, I've mastered a process that transformed my overstuffed mailbox into a manageable number that reflects my light and variable lifestyle.


Here's my strategy that started four years ago and still works today:


  • Shop Strategically Think twice before online purchases. Each new retailer potentially shares your information with others. I've narrowed my shopping to a few trusted catalogs, dramatically reducing the snowball effect of shared contact lists.
  • Take Immediate Action Handle catalogs the day they arrive. Remember – anything you "save for later" can be found more current online. For unwanted catalogs, move straight to removal.
  • Leverage CatalogChoice This free, nonprofit service became my secret weapon. Their dashboard tracks opt-out history, addresses, and household members. Through moves and life changes, it's proven invaluable for opting out of more than 120 company catalogs. For the rare catalog that CatalogChoice can’t find, a quick website search usually reveals more opt-out information.


I've mastered a process that transformed my overstuffed mailbox into a manageable number ...

  • Target Service Promotions For those window replacement and credit card offers, visit company websites to find removal forms or email contacts. A five-minute investment saves years of unwanted mail.
  • Handle Nonprofits Gracefully For memorial donation-triggered mailings, I take a different approach. I return their fundraising letter with a note requesting removal while acknowledging their mission and telling them to “keep up the good work.” It costs a stamp but saves them money in the long run and honors their work.


An Added Tip: Register with DMAchoice.org ($5 for 10 years) to reduce about 80% of national direct mail. Combined with the above steps, it's powerful.


While the occasional unwanted catalog still finds my mailbox and I'm researching another idea for the credit card offers, my system has reduced a small hill of paper to a manageable handful. Better for finding “Silverish Simplicity” and definitely better, I hope, for the environment.


A family footnote: Years ago, I assigned my eldest daughter the summer project of calling catalog companies to remove our address. Recently, she told me this "chore" made her feel grown up and taught her valuable communication skills. Sometimes, fighting mail clutter has unexpected benefits but fortunately, especially for her, we have progressed.


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Past Blogs

A tote bag is sitting on a counter next to bottles of cleaning supplies.

A Happy Cleaner: Four Decades of Family Moves & Experiences

By Margaret Arnold • May 17, 2025
When my four children were in elementary and middle school, an annual Christmas card and letter that arrived each year gave me a glimpse of the life stage that awaited our family. I recall the usual family news but what struck me about this particular holiday update was the amount of moves her four children made in those college and post-college years and the loving assistance she provided. Little did she know she was modeling how I wanted to be, and have been, for my children these past 13 years and 18+ moves (counting three for my husband and me). From college dorm room to first apartments and now to first homes, I have had the joy of helping my kids settle into their spaces. What an exciting time it is for them! A key role I’ve played during these move-ins and occasional move-outs has been that of a cleaner. I like to clean – I mean I really like it. Not only do I enjoy the physical work I especially like the mental and organizational challenge and doing this domestic task better, deeper and, in the last three years, more sustainable. A KEY ROLE I'VE PLAYED DURING THESE MOVE-INS ... HAS BEEN THAT OF CLEANER.

An Earth Day Project to Last a Decade

By Margaret Arnold • April 26, 2025
Earth Day has significant meaning for me. Beyond falling during my wedding anniversary week (4.23), this global day has involved cleaning ditches with my children and outdoor spring projects. It's ideal for honoring Earth's wonders as nature awakens in Minnesota. For a third year, my gift to Earth is a forest management project first shared last year on LinkedIn . My husband and I have tackled buckthorn eradication , transforming our woods to reveal 300-year-old oaks, black cherry, cedar trees and the land's natural contour. While I attempt to embrace simplicity, this conservation project isn't simple! Eradicating this invasive shrub (and larger old trees) from our forest will take a decade or more. It demands physical work and resources, but the rewards extend beyond restoring native habitats in my corner of the world. my gift to the earth is a forest management project ...

Miles, Enduring Friendships and Loose Change

By Margaret Arnold • April 13, 2025
Last Sunday, three friends and I celebrated spring birthdays with a long walk and brunch. Though still brisk walkers as former "runner girls," we paused to appreciate the beautiful spring morning as we wound through streets, a wooded trail with frozen ground, and finally a shared-use path. Greeting passing runners reminded me of my younger self, but I've grown content with my natural walking habit. Four years ago, I retired from decades of running for a consistent walking routine. I no longer feel compelled to justify my walking routine against running and have fully embraced this new habit and discovered unexpected treasures beyond the well-known health benefits. EACH WALK OFFERS BRILLANT SUNRISES, UNIQUE CLOUD FORMATIONS, CHATTERING BIRDSONGS ...