Dealing with telemarketers and junk mail

What do you do about junk mail?

Here is what one person suggests:

What? Open your junk mail? No, no, no...you don't open the junk mail. Instead, you put one slash through your name & address, then write 'return to sender' and put it back in the mail box for pickup or in the slot for outgoing mail.

Do this with catalogs, post cards, anything. It stops it flat … and the Post Office likes it because they get paid going and coming.

How do you stop telemarketers?

Here is another man’s suggestion for getting rid of telemarketers:

I got the telemarketers to stop cold when I told them they can speak to the person they called, but first they must listen to me sing "Up On The Housetop."

This is not a pretty sight because my singing voice sounds like goose farts on a muggy day.

I’d stop occasionally during the song and remind them that they'll "soon be talking to the person they called and won't that be exciting?!" I’d also stop occasionally and ask "Have you been a good little boy or girl this year?"

My kids loved it! My wife rolled her eyes and shook her head but the calls stopped.