Three Must-Have Products For Dealing With Mail at Home

By: Jeff McRitchie

Dealing with mail at home can be a pain if you don't have the right equipment. Letter openers and paper folders can help you open and prepare correspondence, while a high-quality paper shredder can help you get rid of junk mail and documents you want to keep private. So here are the three must-have products you should get so dealing with your mail will be easier and more secure.

1.) A letter opener. Since we're in 2010, the old-fashioned, knife-like envelope openers are a thing of the past. Now we have automated devices that can really speed up the process of opening your daily batch of mail. One that's great for use at home is the Martin Yale 1624 Handheld Letter Opener. This device runs on 4 AA batteries and is small enough to fit in a desk or kitchen drawer. To use the 1624, all you need to do is insert a standard-sized envelope into it. The envelope will be opened instantly and you won't have to deal with paper cuts or anything of the sort, especially since the blades are 100% enclosed. The 1624 was designed to fit comfortably in your hand, so opening your mail will be a painless endeavor. Plus, this product is affordable so you can save your money for other things.

2.) A paper folder. Whether you still send a lot of written correspondence to your friends and relatives or you want to make the process of sending out your holiday newsletter easier, a paper folder can really help you out. This is a type of machine that simply folds a sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper into thirds so you can easily pop the document into an envelope. An affordable device that you can use at home is the Techko LF282N. It can fold 5 sheets of paper at once and it can even be placed on a desktop because it's not very big. It comes with a one-year warranty and is reasonably priced to boot.

3.) A shredder. Finally, you're going to need a paper shredder even if you don't send out a lot of paper correspondence. That's because just about every piece of mail you receive contains enough information about yourself that an identity thief could potentially steal. The information these people look for include names, addresses, Social Security numbers, bank account and credit card information, and more. Just think of all the mail you get that contains this type of information ranging from utility bills to credit card offers, bank statements to government benefit checks. That's why you need a shredder such as the Fellowes IntelliShred PS-79Ci. This is a cross-cut device that will take care of all your sensitive information, including expired credit cards. This machine is easy to use and because it has a Level 3 security rating so you can have peace of mind.

Dealing with mail at home is easy when you have the right equipment. All you really need is a letter opener, a paper folder, and a shredder to make things a breeze. So consider getting these great devices for your home today so dealing with your mail can be easier - and more secure - than ever before.