How to Be a Savvy Consumer When It Comes to Junk Mail
What a Savvy Consumer Needs to Know about Junk Mail
Being a savvy consumer means paying attention to subtle suggestions that might prompt you to buy unneeded merchandise. One way to reduce the temptation to spend is to cancel all of those annoying and unsolicited catalogs you receive in your mail each week. A savvy consumer does not spend money on impulse, and having a bunch of colorful catalogs lying around your house can certainly send you into a spending spree.
An Environment Conducive to a Savvy Consumer
There are many benefits to being a savvy consumer. Savvy consumers have the capability of limiting their purchases and not overindulging like wasteful consumers do, but you need to set up a home environment that enables you to become a savvy consumer. If you are drowning in a sea of unsolicited catalogs for a wide variety of merchandise, you definitely need to curb the junk mail you receive.
There are several ways to be a savvy consumer and reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. There is a National Do Not Mail List which you can put your name on to limit the solicitations you receive in the mail. You can also contact the Direct Marketing Association and they can provide you with information about how to get off specific mailing lists. Individual states may also offer certain choices for opting out of junk mail, so your options can vary depending on which state you live in.
Be Direct
Another way to curb all those unwanted catalogs is to call companies directly and request that they not send you the catalogs. When you get the day’s mail, simply cut off the last page which has your address. This page will also likely have a toll-free number that you can contact the company at. Put these pages aside until you have time to actually call the individual companies. It might be annoying to make so many phone calls, but being a savvy consumer is definitely worth it.
Don’t Let It Snowball
When you do order from one of your favorite companies, request that they not share your personal information with other companies. If you don’t make this request, you may find your mailbox being stuffed with dozens of catalogs from companies that purchased your information from the company you did business with.
Eliminating junk mail and unwanted catalogs will enable you to reduce your spending by allowing you to avoid the temptation to spend.