https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 06 May 2026 14:29:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2015048 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:54:35 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2015048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It goes on the counter until one of us goes through it once a week. Bills will go in a mail sorter on that counter with a due date written on the outside of the envelope. Whoever gets to them first (which is usually me) will pay them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2015043 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:52:20 +0000 MaryM 2015043@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also immediately sort/discard. </p> <p>DH likes to create these random piles all over the house. It drives me INSANE. Once a month or so I'll gather them all up while he's watching TV and give him a trash can and ask him to go through it and put it away. It usually results in just a smaller pile, but at least it's only one pile. </p> <p>We have a few bills that we still write checks for, those go on the fridge in a clip with the soonest to be paid on top. Magazines go on the coffee table until read. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2015032 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:47:18 +0000 youboots 2015032@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All of our bills are on autopay. So usually I just pick out whatever looks important/fun/interesting, everything else accumulates in a basket (mostly catalogues and bills) and I sort when it starts to overflow every 2 months or so. Not the best system. I need to stop getting catalogues. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014995 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 11:28:11 +0000 fancyfunction 2014995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like to immediately sort/discard/shred. My husband's not as quick as me ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014870 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 10:24:26 +0000 Sparkler 2014870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I open everything daily and 95% gets tossed out as it's either catalogs, credit card related stuff or junk mail. I have a large basket that is on the book shelf near out desk that all the "important" stuff gets tossed in after I pay things that need paid (sometimes I will file right away). We honestly clean it out and do filing about 1x a year (tax time). It keeps things tidy, but obviously not perfect! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014792 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 09:37:08 +0000 MapleMoose 2014792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Immediately get rid of junk mail, bills go in a basket on the island counter for DH to take to his office later, and catalogs I either set aside to look at later or throw right in the recycling bin. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014781 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 09:28:12 +0000 ineebee 2014781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hate how the mail piles up on the counter or kitchen table! So we have two systems: </p> <p>1) Put mail in a mail sorter on the counter. (It seems less messy when the mail is standing upright than flat on the counter)<br /> 2) When we eventually go through the mail, we have a document tray (3 shelves) and sort into a) things to file, b) things to deal with within the next week, and c) "I don't know" pile </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014773 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 09:26:43 +0000 looch 2014773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bills: we have none sent by snail mail, this is my husband's territory, he manages everything online.</p> <p>Junk: immediately in the recycle bin</p> <p>Magazines: I put them in my backpack, so I can read them on my commute as they come in. I recycle at my destination. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014759 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 09:13:46 +0000 dagret 2014759@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I go through the mail immediately every day. Recycle the junk, toss what we don't need and bills go immediately in to my purse or planner for me to deal with at work. It annoys DH for some reason that I do this first thing in the door. But if I didn't, it would quickly become a big pile like you mentioned. The only things that stack up are the bills/expenses that need to be filed for taxes... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014728 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 08:50:57 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2014728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We only get one bill in the mail, so that one goes to my desk so I can schedule it online within a day or two. Personal mail I read immediately and it mostly gets thrown out unless it is something sentimental that I want to keep (then it goes in a box in the closet). Everything else is thrown away immediately. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014723 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 08:48:20 +0000 PurplePumps 2014723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How do you opt out of catalogs?!? Our snail mail system is easy, it's 99% junk, so it goes right into the recycle bin. The few bill ones get set aside for me to scan and then tossed out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014668 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:54:08 +0000 Mamaof2 2014668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sort immediately - throw away junk mail and give DH his bills and take mine to work to pay later </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014667 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:52:47 +0000 Pancakes 2014667@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: hah! I think the mail breeds at our house too! I am the worst at managing paper clutter. I try to go through the mail when it comes but some days it doesn't happen and then before I know it I'm overrun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014651 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:19:59 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2014651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sort immediately as I'm walking in- bills or things to take care of go in a special paperwork shelf, junk in the recycling and any magazines I leave for DH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014646 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 07:15:25 +0000 snowjewelz 2014646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sort right away - throw out junk mail and try to file others or pay bills as needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014615 Thu, 08 Jan 2015 02:17:21 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 2014615@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a box/crate in our entryway area where we put all the mail. We quickly sort and grab the important ones (cards, bills, etc) and leave the rest. We eventually make our way through the pile of "other" mail and toss them. Probably once a week or so. It's nice to just have one place to "dump" the mail though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014551 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 23:01:49 +0000 BoogieBea 2014551@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As much as I'd like to sort the mail as soon as I pick it up, we end up piling them up for a later time as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014544 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 22:53:55 +0000 Mae 2014544@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bring mail in. Toss junk. Review bills then toss them (most are on autopay). Anything that needs attention (unusual bill or whatnot, which is rare) stays front and center on the counter until I deal with it so that it annoys me every day until I do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-your-system-for-dealing-with-snail-mail#post-2014540 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 22:51:38 +0000 mrbee 2014540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We sure get a lot of mail! We've set most bills to online only and opted out of catalogs too, but it just keeps a'comin'.</p> <p>In a perfect world, we'd have an area where we could immediately sort the mail into categories: magazines, catalogs, bills, junk, etc. Then we'd process the bills, shred the bills, and read the magazines, etc.</p> <p>In the world where we live, the mail goes on the kitchen table or counter and starts to form small piles. My best guess is that at that point, the mail somehow becomes alive and starts to actively breed. After they've created an overwhelming pile of additional mail, then it all falls onto the floor where the breeding continues. Perhaps not the ideal system.</p> <p>What's your system for dealing with snail mail? </p>