General Chat

Talking with friends recently, we found differing views about who should open the post. What do you think? Should it be the person who is home and perhaps has more time to deal with it, or should mail only be opened by the person it's addressed to?

I suppose it should be done by mutual arrangement ,but technically it is an offence to open any mail but your own .Fred.

i open it cos im so nosey hehe

i do but then theres only me, so i can't even leave the bills for someone else, though the dog would love to get there before me lol sandra

We all open out own mail. If addressed to myself and hubby it is usually a bill so I let him open! Jacky

I open all the post but then I have a very good excuse, other half cant read!!! Sue:-)

I would not dream of opening my wife's mail, unless she specifically asked me too. No matter how close we are I still see that as an invasion of privacy. The only mail addressed to me that she'll open (and vice versa) is utility bills.

I open the mail through the week when hes at work. unless its the bank statement or his credit card statement cause I dont want to see how much he has spent. At the weekends and I am in bed he will open them unless it is addressed to me. Like last Saturday I had a certificate through and he knew I had been waiting so he left it for me to open. Debbie

I would hate it if Tony opened my mail. We always open our own, except maybe utility bills when it is obvious what they are. I think everyone is entitled to privacy. If they are addressed to both of us he leaves them to me because i am the one who writesthe letters they are answering. he reads them after me though if he wants to. Ann Glos

unfortunatly the dogs open most of mine, i dont mind if its a bill, but get a bit annoyed when its a cheque or greeting card, they usually sit on the shelf with teeth marks in them, LOL kaz

Kaz, get a postbox tiffed to the outside of the house, thats what my sister in law did when she had the same problem. Our dog doesn't chew the mail, just barks her head off at the poor postie

Kaz I usualy put my cheques in the Bank. I have never thought about displaying them on the mantle. Debbie

I open my mail and then I phone him at work to tell him he has "interesting" looking mail, that gets him curious and he asks me to open it! haha The only thing i refuse to open is birthday cards (obviously) and the bank statements!

strict rule in our house you only open mail addressed to you. thats nice cos all the bills go to the master of the house anyway. lol

Gwyneth, this was a really interesting one to see everyone's different opinions. I open nearly all the post, mainly because I'm the first one home, and also because I'm the one who organises the money. Also hubby and I don't have any secrets from each other. But obviously I wouldn't open things like his birthday cards etc. As a special treat, I let him open anything with his name on at the weekend!

The dog opens our post lol

I always open ours unless its birthday cards or packages! Andy works away all week so I have to really but he usually gets up before me at weekends so he can do it then. I deal with all the bills and stuff anyway and lets face it, most of what you get now goes straight into the recycling bag! Pam

Husband picks up the post has a quick glance then says they're all for you ,then gives them to me to sort out. Most of it goes in the bin anyway. Bren

As Fred says, I guess most people have a mutual agreement but I'm with Paul and Ann and think everyone has a right to privacy so I would not open anyone else's mail unless specifically asked to.eg. when 2 of them were away at uni. letters would come sometimes come here in term time. When we spoke on the phone, they might ask me to open the letter and read them the contents. To me it's not about not having secrets, it's about repect. There is none of my mail that I wouldn't be quite happy to hand straight over to my husband, but AFTER I had opened it.