I don’t know about you, but I get hundreds of emails. And a lot of them just need to be deleted. I don’t even know how I ended up on their subscribers list.
And they clog up my inbox, even though it is a virtual space on a computer and/or telephone screen.
Most of the time I just go down the list and check their boxes before hitting the delete button. But why? Day after day I go through this.
So my spring cleaning chore is to clean up my computer.
It only takes a few seconds to go to the sites and unsubscribe. And it makes it so much easier to find the ‘real’ emails you want and need. For those who don’t know how to achieve this, the place for unsubscribing is normally at the bottom of the email and you can click on it. Another window will usually pop up asking if you’re sure, or why you have to leave them. And if you click on whatever the appropriate answer it, it will usually confirm your new unsubscribed status.
You can do this with facebook too. Do you have a lot of friends playing games? Are they continuously begging for farm animals and jewels. That’s great if you play too. But if you don’t, go to your settings and hit the button for no game notifications.
So long, Barilla and Gilt, we are breaking up. Farewell, Living Social Deals, I can’t possibly keep up with them all. Au revoir to all of the advertising sites sending out mass emails. I’m sweeping out the cobwebs and making room for the guests I really want to spend time with.
Are you spring cleaning? Does this include your cyber space?
Writingfeemail's Blog 
I did this just a couple of weeks ago. It’s very liberating! – maureen
Yes indeed! Some sites take a few days to get the message through to whatever ‘bot’ sends them out, but it pays off in the long run.
Yikes! I’m surprised my e-mail doesn’t crash from the volume of e-mails. I definitely need to do some spring cleaning/unsubscribing, but I’m so afraid I’ll miss something. š
Happy Easter, Renee!
I know. We want to have access to everything. But then it all builds up….
Happy Easter to you too, Jill.
Thankfully, I discovered a long time ago that you can stop notifications for all those games on FB. If not, I would have deleted my account a long time ago! I need to go through and delete saved emails from my inbox.
That’s a good tip. I need to delete some of those too – receipts for online purchases to name one.
Yep – I have unsubscribed and denied game requests. It’s very liberating š
MJ
It just saves so much time, doesn’t it? I should have known you’d be right on top of this. Happy Easter MJ.
Spring cleaning involves clearing off my “desktop” as well.
And then you’ll forget where you put your ‘stuff’. LOL. Happens to me all the time.
LOL Exactly! Or I toss something and then the next week it’s the thing I actually need.
Many years ago I learned the email box lesson. I couldn’t resist all the wonderful sites with deals and hints and I subscribed to every one of them. Then one day I couldn’t handle wading through them all to get to the more important ones and like you I went on an unsubscribing spree and haven’t looked back. lol …
Hope you have a great weekend.
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How did we think we’d manage before we had those ‘deal’ sites? I’ve never had any trouble finding whatever I need.
My sister and I were talking about this problem just last night. She has figured out how to use rules to presort email into separate folders. I need to learn that. There are ads I like to receive, but when you get on a list, they seem to multiply like bunnies. Then there is true spam and mal-intentioned folks. There is a filtering service somewhere along my email line that puts “QUARANTINE” on Keepsake Quilting’s ads. What’s with that? I’m a customer. As I did my room addition, I discovered lots of really good sites for buying various types of furnishings that I might not have without some of these ads. It’s a dilemma.
That said, it’s time again to purge, and to learn that rule-writing tip from my sister.
Share that one, Lee. I’d love to adopt it as well. And Happy Easter.
Spring cleaning is always a good thing. I belong to many lists that I would not want to give up, but I will not keep them if they have outlived their usefulness. I use folders to filter my mail so I can pay proper attention to each list and still deal with personal messages in a timely manner. Like you, I periodically pick a day and decide what to keep and what to jettison. It is the only way to keep sane in the age of information.
They can stay on my list for months, long after the deal has passed. I’m kooky, I guess.
Yes! I try to do this now and then. When I’m in a rush it’s delete, delete, delete! The other thing I do is use a “junk” email for signups that I know I don’t want to keep…one time purchases or registration for a site that I don’t want to see updates from for the rest of my life! I need to do the FB games…don’t play and am TIRED of getting requests! Thanks for sharing how to do that! ~ Sheila
I need a separate email for those ‘sign-ups’. Thanks for the tip.
You can turn off those FB games notifications in FB itself. It never needs to come into your email.
Yep, just went to FB and did that. Nice! I keep my FB account under control…don’t post much to it other than my blog, although I frequently comment on friends and family posts. Glad to have one of the more annoying features disabled! Thank you again! ~ Sheila
Thank you. After reading, I added “clean my e-mails” to my spring cleanup to do list.
You will not be sorry. Let me know how it works for you.
About a month ago I consolidated similar e-mails that I like to keep and word documents into folders. That felt so good.
Great tip Georgette. I need to do documents into folders. That is next!
The spring cleaning seems to be an on going thing for me. I whittle away at it until it becomes manageable and then before I know it it becomes overwhelming again. Facebook has become so good at hiding ads in amongst my things that I have twice ended up tangled up in one of their ads that I thought was a proper post. It is frustrating. I spend more time deleting email then actually reading it. Fortunately, I have a separate email that I use for all stores and flyers that I totally just empty when ever I remember. That way the crap doesn’t clog up my main email.
Yes, I probably need to set up the ‘phony’ email. It would make life simpler in the long run. Good tip.
Wonderful idea. Virtual spring cleaning! I do this in fits and starts. I end up on way too many good cause email lists. I always think I at least need to stay informed. But eventually I get tired of deleting all the emails that I don’t have the time or energy to open, much less take action on. Time for a full scale scrubbing.
And by the time I get one level done, a whole new batch has sprung to life. Welcome to technology, huh? Maybe they make a virtual assistant to help with these things.
I like your idea and I think I’ll do some spring cleaning of emails too – thanks Renee!
Just don’t delete me Meg. *wink*
Cyber is about the only house-cleaning that’s getting done! I got a new laptop last week, and am in the process of cleaning out my old one for my hubby. Have you run into any that the unsubscribe doesn’t work? I keep getting one in particular, and can’t get rid of it. I am going to get rid of those that get deleted every day, too. How’s your knee?
Thank you for asking. Knee’s good. Doing PT. Time consuming but worth it.
And yes, I have run into a few that are stubbornly hanging on with a firm grip. They say to give them thirty days to get you fully removed. We’ll see.
Not too long ago, I got rid of a ton of emails I was receiving from all sorts of business. And you’re right. Cleaning them out helps you stay better focused. But there’s one that I can’t rid myself of: the Amazon Local Deals. OMG, I cannot tell you how many times and how ways I’ve tried to unsubscribe. I no longer get the emails, but I get “push” notifications to my cell phone. Every. Single. Day!! Trust me, I’ve tried everything to rid myself of those and it grates me every morning when I see them arrive.
And then there’s the request for reviews, and packaging information. Dealing with them can take a big part of the day. But I love them and can’t stop ordering…Yikes.
I have the same problem and it is super annoying. I spam block them though.
You are a smart cookie – Melynda. Way to stay ahead!
A must do for spring! (just let me find some room on the list…ha! can take the place of clean blinds. Done. Much better now.)
I try to clean the end box at least once a week. Some places I like to buy things could really take a hint and slow down the barrage – not smart marketing to irritate customers.
Not smart indeed. And it gets you taken right off the list. The occasional email is ok, but several daily irritates. Thanks Karen.
(I keep wanting to click Like in blog comments!)
That’s a good sign we are all hitting on a chord we can identify with – or facebook comment withdrawal! LOL.
Nice thoughts. However, I have tried to rid my computer of “Gilt.” Gilt said I was not a member so they could not stop the garbage they fling at me almost daily.