mail delivery

[LindaShields]

Hello,

 

We are going to be traveling for about 2 1/2 months this winter. I would like suggestions for getting your mail delivered or handled while being gone.

 

We will be staying about 2 weeks in each spot if that helps give any guidance. Mostly we will be staying in state parks.

 

Thanks

 

Linda Shields

 

#111

[bugeyedriver]

Hi Linda,

 

The USPS has a mail forwarding option that comes with a fee and may not work at some locations.  If you know your neighbors very well, you might try my system.  I'm great friends with my backdoor neighbor and side neighbors.  As I head out for an extended time, I ask one of them (on a rotating basis) if they could collect my mail, trash the "buy me" flyers and anything marked as pre-sorted mail where the stamp should be.    All my bills and financial issues are automated and do not involve the mail.  On the very rare instance that I may need something that arrived at my mailbox, I hunker down at someplace for a spell, go the local Post Office, and sign up for a "General Delivery" box.  Then my friends will place the item(s) in an envelope or box and mail it to me under my name at the local P.O. General Delivery.

 

Hint:  It helps to smooth the situation with the occasional box of chocolate covered strawberries sent to the Mrs. of the house if you are out for months on end.

 

Good luck and happy camping!

[KarenLukens]

We have everything on auto-pay also but we just let the post office know that we will be gone and they throw it all into a box for us that we just pick up when we get home. If you let them know, they will hold it all for you

[marsharini]

The US Postal Service will hold your mail for a maximum of 30 days.

 

We have a friend check our mail and bring it into the house, sorting magazines and flyers from other mail.

[LindaShields]

thanks

 

Linda

[KarenLukens]

30 days must depend on your Post Office, we were gone for 3 months with no problem but we live in a small town that only has P.O. boxes, no delivery and everyone know's everyone.  Stopping mail to a house may be different.

[SeaDawg]

Our daughter, or our neighbor and friend of 25 years picks up our mail.

We have a large locking mailbox. They both have keys.

[LindaShields]

Thanks for the suggestions. I talked to our mailman and we are going with his suggestion. A neighbor ( actually hiring a teenager next door with supervison from her mom) to pick up the mail. Periodically she will forward the first class to us wherever we happen to be. I got several prepaid priority mailers. I got the legal size as it is the same price as letter size. It just has to be taken to the grocery store post office near our house. The mailers can't go in a box.

 

Linda

[SeaDawg]

We leave a small plastic bin, with a divider, for our friends. Other than obvious grocery store flyers, etc., They throw nothing away. But, first class stacks in front.

The prepaid envelopes work well.

I got a jury notice in the mail on one of our trips. I was glad that someone I trusted collected our mail. I was able to ask her to open the envelope, and read me the instructions, so that I could defer ( one time automatically accepted here.)

We call our mail collector at least weekly, and go through the batch. Since we are set up for electronic payment on most items, it's pretty quick to go through a week's mail.

Sherry