World Cruise - my first - how do I handle mail?

[boatbob]

How do you take care of your mail when you are gone for 5 months?I 

[ryndam]

Just now, boatbob said:

How do you take care of your mail when you are gone for 5 months?I 

1. Try to have everything possible sent electronically;

2. Arrange electronic, automatic recurring payments for typical bills (utilities, insurance, etc.);

3. Coordinate a periodic mail-check with a close neighbor or relative;

4. Depending on how your mail is delivered, place a collection container to catch junk mail and irrelevant advertisements (our mail slot is in our garage door);

5. Repeat suggestion #3.

 

Rob

[crickette]

Check the website of your postal service for "hold mail".  I'm sure they offer 1 or more services.

[Txcotn]

When we go away for more than 30 days (the longest USPS will actually hold your mail) we temporarily forward it to a relative and retrieve when we get home. A temporary forward gives you the ability to cancel it when you get home. Plus what Rob said #2 and #3.

[Keith1010]

We have done this several times.

 

We done it one of three different ways.

 

1.  If you are close with a neighbor see if they will take it in for you (we did one time)

2. We forwarded the mail to a family member who lives about 50 minutes for us (a few times)

3. When the family was away for a few years we would forward it to a P.O Box ( a few times) 

 

USPS will not hold mail more than 30 days as a rule. Occasionally the local postmaster might make an exception but not where we have lived.

 

I you do forward your mail to another address I would make the effective day two weeks before you go. It is a manual process and sometimes it takes them a few days to get it in place. I just like knowing it's all done before we leave.

 

Also, sign up for informed delivery with the post office. I like that as it gives me a feel for what mail has come my way. You see it regardless of a vacation hold or a forwarding of address.

 

Over the years we eliminated all hard copy bills and started that before our first world cruise so when we get home we would have only one box of mail which that time of year are mainly magazines and tax related forms.

 

Keith 

[Txcotn]

Last time we forwarded, the informed delivery was inactive so we had no idea what to expect. January and February are critical for us as that is 1099 and W-2 time so we always breathe a sigh of relief when we get home.

[History&Wine]

All good suggestions.  On past world cruises I have had friends pick up my mail.  This cruise is so long (141 days) I plan to forward my mail to a neighbor.  As Keith mentioned, do this a week or two before you leave to see that it runs smoothly.  Also have someone check any mailbox in case some mail slips through. 

 

Don't forget to file for a federal tax extension and check your state rules.  An extension only delays the date to file; it does not delay payment.  So  be sure to pay a bit extra in estimated taxes to avoid potential penalties.

 

Two months, four days 'til the 2024 world cruise! 

[FlyerTalker]

Note that the post office has put in some new processes for forwarding mail to a new address - requiring identification to try to cut down on fraud of folks filing forward requests for addresses not their own.

 

 

[Cruise-y]

I am frequently out of the country for months at a time and I can tell you that this is a real problem.

1) I love my neighbors and they love me, but I don't like to ask them to get my mail every day for months.

2) You can forward to a P.O. Box, but the advertising junk mail and "to any resident" stuff will still be delivered to your street address. It can accumulate fast. And yes, we have applied for all the "no advertising mail" options. It doesn't stop everything.

3) You can stop mail for 30 days but then the bulk for that period is delivered. My best option has been to stop for 30 days, then have a neighbor pick up the delivered bulk on my front porch, then stop again for 30 days, etc. It takes some maintenance while away. But beware, often a fill-in/weekend carrier won't stop delivery.  I've officially stopped mail days in advance (and even put a sign inside my mailbox reminding that the mail has been stopped) and returned home to a stuffed, overflowing box.

[SLSD]

We use a service which checks on our house every few days.  Our mail goes in through a mail slot--and the service places it in a designated box for us.  An across the street neighbor does keep an eye out for any packages which may arrive.  

[boatbob]

Many thanks for all suggestions.  Really appreciate the tax info.  Barbara

[Keith1010]

7 hours ago, Cruise-y said:

 

2) You can forward to a P.O. Box, but the advertising junk mail and "to any resident" stuff will still be delivered to your street address. It can accumulate fast. And yes, we have applied for all the "no advertising mail" options. It doesn't stop everything.

 

I am not sure why that happened to you. I've done it this way many times over the years.

In fact, the good news is you don't come home to any of the junk.

The only exception was getting it one time over the course of 130 or so days away and that was because the back up postal worker messed up.  

By the way this is why I start forwarding the mail two weeks ahead of time so if there are any issues I can speak to our regular carrier.

 

Keith