Cut down on your junk mail with this tip from reader Jake:

My wife and I started returning credit card offers and Columbia House mailings back to the company through the enclosed postage-paid envelope. To make our point clear, we circle our address in red and write in big letters “PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM YOUR MAILING LIST. THANKS.”.

Then we stuff everything in there – even the envelope it was mailed in, and drop it in our mailbox on the company’s dime.

We’ve noticed a significant decline in credit card offers since my wife started doing this. Sure beats trying to get the paper shredder unstuck after chewing through the day’s junk mail.

Don’t forget another great way to reduce junk mail: register on the Direct Marketing Association’s Do Not Mail list.

— BEN POPKEN

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