Stop Catalogs on Mailbox

Holiday season is not really that far away. Soon there'll be Halloween (well, end of October will appear sooner than you realize) ... and then Thanksgiving and then suddenly that shopping spree! And with the holiday season come lots and lots of catalogs to your mailbox. Some people enjoy it but many of you may not! Want some relief from the more than 18 billion catalogs that overload U.S. mailboxes each year? Here are some tips for what to do:

The best way isn't to call the companies; you're better off sending a request by mail. Web sites like Junkbusters.com provide template letters for free that you can print out and sign.

The Abacus Alliance, a database used by mail-order catalogs, will remove you from it's listings upon request (abacusalliance.com). The Direct Marketing Association, too, will add your name to a "delete" list for direct marketers (free by mail; $5 online at dmaconsumers.org).

As last option you may pay the pros to do this job for you. For $20, StoptheJunkMail.com lets pick which catalogs you want to keep receiving; it then contacts the others repeatedly until you're removed from their lists. for good.