1 Million Label Milestone

1 Million Label Milestone

I proudly announce reaching the 1 million label landmark.  The address labels received today from 12 different charities put me just over that significant milestone.

About 7 years ago I realized that I was on target to achieve this accomplishment and dutifully stopped u sing the return address labels on my outgoing mail and purchased a rubber stamp for this purpose instead. 

Additionally, I have 3 closets of note pads… most with my name… a carton of stamped, addressed envelopes to the charities that sent me the labels and two boxes with greeting cards, calendars, certificates of appreciation and nickels.

Now that I reached this goal, I am contemplating how to dispose of what I have. I thought of donating them to a charity and getting a tax deduction in the process only to be told that there is no interest in any of my treasures except for the nickels – and it would take me about three hours to wrap them which is the only way they would be accepted.

Now that the accumulation period is over and adrenaline rush has subsided, I can inject some perspective and reflect in what has occurred.  It seems that the organizations mailing these are spending quite a bit of money to get me to feel guilty using their gifts so that I would send them countless and repetitive contributions that far exceed their costs. Some of these charities I give to annually and, on occasion, I slipped up and sent a second check.  Others, I never heard of. I also noticed that mailings accelerate just after I send my checks and some of the charities deliver over 20 packages a year.  How much do I have to contribute for them to recoup their costs and have a meaningful residual to devote toward finding the cures to the terrible diseases they are chartered to try to eradicate? I don’t know, but I no longer feel good about contributing to these organizations. 

I will continue to contribute to the charities that I feel I should, but I am going to do it through a donor advised charity fund account, throwing away, any unopened mail I get soliciting contributions.  But my main concern now is the cost of carting away the labels, pads and calendars I seem to have all over my house.

If you have any questions, I am available for your questions at [email protected] or by filling out the form below.