Do you receive a lot of mail? Are you aghast at
the number of credit card offers, brochures, and catalogs you receive?
And what should you do with those pesky bills once they've been paid? Here are three reasons
you should be shredding your mail....
Do you receive a lot of mail? Are you aghast
at the number of credit card offers, brochures, and catalogs you
receive? And what should you do with those pesky bills once they've been
paid? While it may be tempting to toss them or just let them pile up,
running them through a paper shredder is a better idea. Here are three
reasons you should be shredding your mail....
To reduce clutter. Whether you receive a
lot of mail or just a few pieces a week, it can really add up over time
and make your home or office extremely messy. All those fliers, credit
card offers, and such can take over your desk or kitchen counter which
can be really frustrating at times. Shredding the mail is a great way to
reduce the clutter so you can reclaim your space. Just insert the
item(s) into your shredder and it will be off your work surface.
Depending on your shredder, you may be able to shred an entire piece of
mail at once since some devices can shred non-paper items such as credit
cards and staples. Be sure to take a look at your shredder's
instruction manual to find out if it can do so.
To make use of the shreds.
Once your mail has been shredded, there are several things you can do
with the paper scraps. For one thing, you can be environmentally
responsible and recycle them. (This may not be possible if there are
plastic or metal pieces mixed in with the paper. If that's the case,
check with your local recycling center to see if they'll accept the
mix.) You can also reuse the shreds. You could use them as free padding
the next time you send a package. Or you could use them as filling for
your pet's bed. (If you do this, just be sure to change the shreds
regularly.)
To prevent identity theft.
Finally, the best and most important reason to shred is to prevent
yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft. This has become a
very common crime and it can be devastating. It can drain your bank
account, tarnish your credit report, and even damage your reputation.
Your mail contains a lot of information that criminals can use to take
advantage of you including your name, address, banking information, and
so on. If you start shredding, you'll greatly reduce your chances of
being targeted. You should shred any mail you don't need to hang on to
including bills, notices from the DMV, IRS, and Social Security
Administration, etc. In fact, anything containing any personal
information should go into the shredder if you don't need to save it.
While this may seem a bit excessive, it isn't really. It's merely a
safeguard and one that will benefit you both now and in the long run.
And if you don't have a paper shredder, you can easily find one for
under $100.00. It's a small price to keep your identity safe.
Shredding your mail is something you should do on a regular basis
and there are three reasons you should do so. Make sure you start doing
so today!
Jeff McRitchie is the Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, reviews, and blog posts on topics related
to bookbinding, laminating, paper shredding, and office equipment. More
than 2,500 of his articles have been published in thousands of
locations on the Internet. If you're looking for information about paper shredders his articles are a great place to start.
