Linda has set us the task of talking about the last piece of physical mail we got. I’ve noticed that most people have been saying they get very little mail anymore, preferring to pay bills online. While I pay the bills online, I still get the paper statement just to make sure. I know, call me wasteful. I like having the paper trail to refer to.
I’d like to talk instead about the last piece of mail addressed to my husband. He made the choice to respond to a Publisher’s Clearing House notification about six months ago and since then he gets at least one, sometimes three mailings from them every day! Well, maybe not EVERY day but at least 2 or 3 times a week.
At first he was ordering from them, small things, but that just seemed to increase the amount of mail he was getting. I told him that it was not worth it to continue but he said that he was going to keep up with it until the next big giveaway.
Of course no one knocked on our door with the huge check on prize day so I thought that would end the matter…not so. There seems to be a new drawing every few months and they keep telling him that he is getting closer and closer to winning (estimates place your odds at 1 in 1.7 billion). Now they send him mailings that have a map of our town to show that they know where he lives!
Each one of the mailings has an envelope with a sticker or something that needs to be attached and sent back in order to keep you in the running. He has stopped ordering (thankfully) but still wants to send back the entries. One day I had 6 empty envelopes going to Publisher’s Clearing House (may/may not be an exaggeration).
On the one hand, I feel like I am losing money in postage (55 cents for regular mail at the moment). On the other hand, getting one of those oversized checks would be something! Plus, at this point we are keeping at least one postal worker (possibly two – one sorter, one mail carrier) in jobs so we are contributing to the economy.
To be fair, he was a winner. We got a check in the mail from Publisher’s Clearing House for $10. That about paid for the postage for the month so we are almost even. And really, how can I deny my husband the pleasure he gets from opening all these fantastic offers? Could be worse.
Thanks Linda. Great subject.
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Janet's Smiles 
LOL – I did that Publisher Clearing House thing way back when my kids were little. Each envelope gave me moments of anticipatory joy. Never won, never even got $10 like your husband. Since giving up I’ve never heard from them again. I don’t miss the junk mail. I’m like you, I keep and appreciate the paper copies of statements. Something tangible means I dealt with it and can easily refer back to it until I shred it years later. Multiple satisfaction comes year after year after year, right? My daughter creates and sends cards too, I’m a big supporter of keeping snail mail alive!
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I’ve started to use the junk mail we get in my crafting. Some of those envelopes are really pretty!
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Good thinking! Way to recycle or upcycle them!!
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Although I don’t do bills via mail anymore, I love to get personal mail. I started doing ATC trades and now I’m part of two groups that trade every month. I love getting those little envelopes of art happiness. Congratulations on the $10 win! 🙂
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Very cool, Dawn. What do you do with the ATC cards? I’ve seen some that are so lovely but I don’t know what to do with them after they’re made. Give me some suggestions!
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I’m in a group of 12–we make 2 different cards each month (some months are themed) for each member and send them out, and they do the same (so I receive 24 cards from everyone else). I have ulterior motives for doing this because I’m new at attempting to make cards. I receive ideas from the artists I trade with, and I can also practice my own creativity on a smaller card to figure out what works for me. I’ve committed to a year, so when I’m done I’ll have a variety of techniques I can refer to and spark ideas. It’s just a fun way to receive some happy mail every month and keep me trying new things. One of the girls in our group had her favorites professionally framed for her craft room. Another incorporates them into her scrapbooking. I just keep a binder for now because of space issues.
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I do the on line PCH, then it doesn’t cost me a stamp. Lol. I too won $10.00. Its a ploy to keep you coming I think. Another way to kill trees.
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My husband is not that computer savvy and gets frustrated easily. I’m sure the laptop would wind up out the window if he tried it. I did enter one thing online but I haven’t been continuing it. It’s not fun for me 🙂
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My father-in-law got caught up in the PCH schemes. A few times he really thought he had won. It was so sad to see how disappointed he was. He passed away last May and unfortunately, his big win never happened.
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Maggie, sorry for your loss. I am not setting too much store by it so fortunately I won’t feel the disappointment, only the excitement when we win! Thanks for stopping by!
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Love that your husband is having fun — it’s a simple way to gamble without betting the house, I suppose. Fingers crossed that giant check shows up on your doorstep!
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Yeah, couldn’t hurt right?
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Of all the frivolous ways to spend 55¢ this seems like a good one. Carry on my optimistic friend.
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You never know, right? Somebody has to be the 1 in a million!
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That’s the spirit 🙋♀️🐝. I thought about actually writing letters again but my handwriting is so awful and I don’t want to print out too much so email it is… 😁
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Well, being a card maker, I encourage people to continue with regular mail all the time – lol. I know how you feel about the handwriting though. Some days I like mine and some days I wonder who’s hands are holding the pen!
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😊⚘ well, I usually get calls afterwards asking me what I actually wrote 😁 🙋♀️🐝
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