Going Digital
One of these days, were all going to have to face it, we live in a digital society. Going digital with most of your communications has several distinct advantages, which include eliminating the amount of junk mail and number of telemarketing phone calls you will receive. In fact, switching to a digital lifestyle can not only reduce these, but also help the environment and save you money. This means switching a number of your services and communications from the standard paper forms into digital copies, like going from receiving a bill every month to paying it online.
Eliminating Junk Mail
Junk mail, while it is easy to ignore and toss in the trash, is causing a serious impact on the environment. Stopping junk mail from coming to your home will not only reduce the chance of identity theft, but also reduce the temptation to buy products and services you don't need and help the environment. Much of the junk mail people receive is directed towards financial means. Things like pre-approved credit card applications, if not shredded and destroyed before they are put in the trash, can lead to someone else claiming this credit card in your name. Going digital eliminates this potentially hazardous paper trail.
Catalogs can also be eliminated when going digital. The temptation to look at them when they come in the mail can lead to you purchasing things you don't really need. Most stores have online shopping catalogs that are much more effective and easier to use. With these, you can go directly to the product you are looking for without seeing everything else you aren't shopping for. Plus, catalogs are one of the number one wastes of paper we have. The majority of them will be thrown away, and many cannot be recycled due to the high level of chemical processing used on the paper and in the ink used to print them. Stop all catalogs as soon as you can.
Part of going digital means going green as well. After junk mail, the second most common, and dreaded thing we receive in our mailbox is bills. Bills are typically filed away and forgotten until there's a problem, and the envelopes and all other papers are normally thrown in the trash. Paying your bills online will not only reduce the amount of waste online, but detailed records of your payments are kept between both your bank and the company you're paying. It is just as safe and required much less filing. Plus, five bills a month would cost around $2.00 to mail. Paying online is free, and can be set up to run automatically. Several companies also offer a price reduction or a discount to those who pay online, since it is saving them money, too. They no longer have to print out the bill and mail it to you.
Some Environmental Facts About Junk Mail
Some of the environmental facts surrounding junk mail show the major environmental damage that direct marketing is causing.
- Most people get 10 times as much junk mail as they do normal mail.
- Around half of all junk mail sent isn't even read. Around 70 percent is thrown away regardless.
- Close to half of all trash is landfills is made of paper.
- On average, the United States produces around 5 to 6 millions tons of trash just from junk mail.
Going digital can eliminate a majority of these facts. Providing a company with an e-mail address will reduce the amount in your mailbox. Instead, the company will send you offer e-mail, which can be much easier to deal with than traditional mail.
Stopping Telemarketers
Eliminating telemarketers are one of the big ways you can save money. It is much easier than most people think to eliminate telemarketers. Legally, the majority of them cannot call cellular phones, which most of us now rely on for a majority of our communications. They are, by far, much more convenient that the traditional land line. So, to eliminate telemarketers, just get rid of your land line. While many people will be concerned with going completely cellular, it's not as bad as you think. Since the majority of people already have cellphones, try unplugging you phone for a week and see how much happier you are just using your cell phone. Eliminating you land line will not only eliminate your telemarketer problem, but it will also save you from having to pay that extra bill.
Family cell phone plans, in the long run, will give you better communication between family members than a land line will any day.
If you are the type of person who makes a large number of long distance phone calls, there are online programs that allow for long distance voice and video chat that are just, if not more reliable than the standard telephone. Going digital for long distance calls will mean installing a computer program like Skype on each computer, then logging in. The software and the service are both free.
The Dangers Of Going Digital
While going digital can help the environment and help reduce annoying direct marketing techniques, there are several things you should be wary of when moving everything into a digital world. First off, the majority of spam e-mail you will eventually receive is scam designed to get personal information out of your. You should never send personal information, like bank accounts and social security numbers, through an e-mail and no legitimate company will ever, ever, ask for this information. Also, avoid following links to sites from e-mails. This is another scam. If you get an e-mail from you bank with a link requesting that you go hereto login, don't. Always check the URL before you enter personal information, usernames, or passwords.
Other than avoiding scams, you should also take care to safeguard your passwords when going digital. Essentially, your password is one of the most important things you will ever have, and anyone who has access to it, or figures it out, can then have access to your entire life. To start, it is usually best to keep a small notebook that has all of your usernames and passwords in it, and keep this book safe. There are certain accounts you will use everyday, like your e-mail, Myspace, Facebook, and bank accounts, but others you may go over a month without using. Having the names and passwords written down will keep you from having to remember and reset them every time you use that account.
You should also select a secure password. Most account setup procedures will force you to do this whether you want to or not. For a secure password, you will need a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. Your password should also be at least 10 characters long and hard to guess. Using the password "home" wont work anymore, but "hOMe894576" will be much more secure and harder for someone to randomly guess.
You should never use the same password over all of your accounts either. Most people who will try to steal or guess your password will try that password on every account they know you have. Each account should have its own unique password, which will then ensure you can only compromise one account should your password get guessed, stolen, or leaked.
