The Trash Can Hack That Prevents Junk Mail From Piling Up In Your Home

Grabbing mail from your mailbox on autopilot when you get home from work might be an everyday activity, or you might pick it out only when the letterbox is close to bursting at the seams. In either case, tossing them on the nearest table as soon as you walk through the door will leave you with a huge stack of posts. This disorganized mess can make you less productive, negatively impacting your anxiety levels and sleep quality. However, you can employ a simple trash can hack to sort your post and prevent junk mail from piling up in your home.

While you might have the best intentions of cleaning out unwanted mail and decluttering your room, it's easy to put it off for another day, especially if you're dealing with a high pile. The trick is to place a trash can right next to your door or near the letter box to grab and sort the mail daily, promptly tossing the junk ones in the trash can.

As mentioned, you only need to place a trash can next to your door or near the mailbox. Remember, this trash can should be different from any other cans near your garage or mudroom to help you recycle the old paper. The trash can hack is based on a simple logic: If you don't bring junk mail inside your home, it can't pile up and give you a headache. While getting your mail and sorting through it daily or weekly (in case you don't receive too much mail) might seem ambitious at first, cultivating positive organization habits will help you be in charge of your mail situation and prevent clutter from taking over your table and countertops.

Sort your mail into one of the four categories—junk, file, take action, and someone else needs to step in—when you've got it in your hands. Toss the junk posts into the trash can immediately and bring the others in, effectively reducing the mail you bring inside your home. Don't forget to shred, cut, or use a protection stamp on unwanted mail that contains sensitive information, like credit card offers, to avoid being a victim of identity theft. For the posts you bring in, you can use stylish organizers to keep them organized or file them. Maintaining this habit will prevent junk mail from piling up and allow you to get to bills on time and take advantage of exciting offers before they expire.