I've been thinking about getting my life, my apartment ready for me to be away for a year or so. The first thing I need to do is stop some of the mountain of mail that comes into this house. Catalogues and junk mail, magazines, and wads of paper in envelopes from half a dozen companies that bill me monthly: the cell phone, electric bill, rent, some medical stuff--all of these can be set up as bill pay through my bank. I have to set it up. All the catalogues? I guess I'll have to spend some time calling them and asking to be removed from their mailing lists. This is going to take some organization on my part. Whomever takes in my mail next year shouldn't have to put up with this. But if I start now, this flood should slow down to a trickle.

I plan to sublet my place, so that means I'm moving! Basically, I need to lighten the load, empty closets and cabinets to leave room for the new guys to move in here. Oh, the slog to empty the closets in our homes! I've got two closets, and four deep cabinets that I need to wrestle to the ground. I know there are a dozen shirts in there that I don't use because they need to be ironed. I iron about three times per year, and I love those shirts when they're pressed, but I'm not willing to lug an iron around. They'll have to go, or go into storage.

I need to stop pre-approval of all credit cards. These banks are just leeching my good credit rating, and killing trees to tell me about it. Also, banks that I don't do business with (and that's most of them) are always sending me offers to open up savings accounts, buy a car, and "free" checking with a 10,000. balance parked in their establishments. Where were they when I was a holey-sneaker-poor-mom, and really needed the credit? Anyway, there has to be a way to turn off the spigot of unwanted solicitations. https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t and http://answers.usa.gov/system/templates/selfservice/USAGov/#!portal/1012/article/2699/How-to-Stop-Unwanted-Mail You're welcome.