Thanks, everyone, for your helpful thoughts and ideas.

My mailbox only holds two weeks worth of mail and I'm often out for four weeks at a time. I did have a major problem at the beginning of 08 when my carrier thought I moved and all my mail was returned to senders. The W-2s from my three employers, merchandise I purchased online (and paid shipping charges for) as well as bills and other personal mail, all sent back. It took three months and six phone calls to get it straightened out.

Generally what I've been doing is putting a hold on my mail through usps.com and have the hold taken off the day or day before I expect to be home. You can only have it held for 30 days per time. If I'm going to be out longer I let them deliver for two weeks then put the hold on for 4 weeks so I can be away for a max of 6 weeks before it's a problem.

One thing I'm considering is getting a PO Box, but not in my home town but in a city I find myself traveling through frequently. For me Indianapolis is an idea spot since I go up and down I-65 and/or I-70 atleast once a week or usually three or four times a week. I just have to locate a post office close to a truck stop.

As far as bills go you can pay almost all your bills either online or over the phone. I pay both my electric and cell phone bills over the phone with a credit card.

all my bills, except the mortgage, are emailed to me (well, the wife, now - but that matters not)

I pay them online.

I send the mortgage company a certified check, once a month. I can do that from anywhere.

Surprise mail - such as jury summons and the like - is typically sent a month in advance. Yes, you can still miss the date and all - but every court I've ever dealt with has been understanding. They may call your carrier to confirm that you've been gone when you said you were, though. Don't try it as an excuse because you just didn't feel like sorting through 35 pounds of mail.

Truely, the best option for you single types is finding somebody you can trust to handle your mail correctly and appropriately. They need not pay the bills, but they do need to be able to obtain and open your mail for you. Then they need to be able to let you know two whom, and how much, you owe. My vote is for family, but I trust the heck out of my family.

If that fails, many accountants and secretarial services will offer a service like that. I imagine their policies vary, but I'd want one that you could give a list. They open mail from ONLY those sources and provide you with a list of other return addressees - along, of course, with any bills that need to be paid (or have been paid for you). You then provide direction - pay this, set that aside, open the other.

Sure, it costs - but typically not much. Almost certainly a lot less than you are saving on utilities by not being home!

Make sure those racy letters from your girl/boy friend go elsewhere, of course.

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Keep the big doors at the back!

Lurch,
I know what you are saying....... but why ask someone, pay someone or bother yourself with all that paperwork in this day and age? There are so few things that cannot be done online that I don't see what you would pay someone for?

Maybe it's just me and my comfort level with technology...... but anymore, I only visit my PO Box about twice a month and it's only a few miles from my house....... Everything I do seems to be automatic or online....... If a company didn't deal online I don't know what I would do........ the last time someone asked me to send an actual check snail mail I laughed at them...........

I can tell you that setting everything up and then just sitting down and glancing over things every few months (I look at my checking account online several times a week to monitor, but since I use level pay for almost everything .... the bills are the exact same amount each month..... it makes it very easy to spot something that is out of place) and it has been a wonderful stress reliever....... I know it took me a while to get where I am but I started when all this stuff was beginning so I had to add slowly as each company came online.........

When my son moved out on his own, we set up everything in one weekend...... he even has his rent automatically taken out of his account because he rented from a rental agency....... it works great for him...... basically he divided his bills in half since he is paid bi-monthly (rent out of the first check, other bills out of the second) and then what is left in the account 3 or 4 days after his paycheck is deposited is his "play money" or my personal choice...SAVINGS.....

I am also teaching my son how to budget and float money on credit cards...... the only valid use for them as far as I am concerned (other than emergencies)......... we got him several low limit credit cards that have grace periods........ he uses one for all gas and vehicle expenses.... one for food (fast food, groceries etc...), one for entertainment, and one for clothing and personal care......... this way at the end of the month he can easily see what each area cost him...... he pays the balance in full each month and thus incurs no interest and keeps a good credit rating. Easy budget...... basically the old envelope method but using plastic ....

(If anyone doesn't know it....... it is extremely easy for an 18 year old to get credit cards...... this is because instead of having to "earn" your credit rating.... everyone starts around 800 and then if they don't pay on time has points taken off....... 18 year olds have perfect credit..... go figure.... )

I do also have a 17 year old (daughter)...... her father and I put money in her account once a month and she has to budget all her expenses from that (gas, lunch, other food when out, presents for friends, school supplies, clothes, movies, etc....) We started out putting money in every week, then every 2 weeks.... she still struggles at the end of the month and ends up having to ask for extra chores for extra money when she really wants something but at least she is learning that most people don't have a steady supply of money throughout the month......

I would be willing to bet that budgeting and accounting type skills are an issue for a lot of truck drivers....... because your income is often irratic, it really takes organization and planning to keep all your ducks in a row......

I have wondered if the new generation will be better or worse at managing money since they really don't see it leave their hands....... everything is electronic........ it will be interesting to see...........

Now, we could really have fun and start talking about the fact that EVERYONE should live below their means........... but that would probably ruffle feathers so I will leave it for now......

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The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein

MajikLady makes a good point. A good way to approach this problem is to limit the the amount of your mail in the first place. I have auto-billpay for everything available. I pay that utilities directly from checking (I used to pay from savings, but discovered a a nasty federal fee for more than five wire transfers per month). Then I also have auto-pay for my creditcard which does come directly out of my savings each month. I tell ya, the way of the paper mail is all but over. I can well imagine similar arrangements are available for other contigencies. Have you considered a billygoat?

Regarding "holding mail"... with any frequency, it would basicly be an unpaid P.O. Box wouldn't it? And it might be a good idea to get a "1st Class only" box. I'd imagine you would only get a couple pieces a week tops.

Storyteller,

Oh, I agree. But the question was how to deal with MAIL - and since the most important mail (seen one way) is bills and the like, I went that way with it. My wife pays the bills in whatever manner appeals to her on the day - with the exception of the Mortgage. We had some issues with the online system, so now we pay by certified check, sent registered. (no more possibility of 'we didn't get it', or they deducting too much - what a fine mess THAT was!)

The number of bills is minimal - don't even have to pay for the phone or internet service

Others may not be so lucky

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Keep the big doors at the back!

I like my special offers and freebies (example: Lowes sends me a $10 off your next $50 purchase every 90 days and Starbucks sends me free coffee coupons because I buy gift cards (so I can get the free pound of coffee) etc...) so be careful...... if you do "1st class only" you won't get any of those....... or some charity mailings (I do attend some local events).........

I don't know if the policy is national, but my PO Box only gets mail that is addressed to me personally......... so anything that says "Resident" (which is most junk mail) never makes it to me..... (I did have one coupon mailing I wanted to get, that is junk mail, so I called the company and they imputted my name (instead of resident) with my address and now I receive it....).....

I really have found that the box and auto pay stuff has saved me numerous hours, every week, that I used to devote to the "paper" in my life....

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The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein

I think I just get a little too excited about how easy this all is now....... 15-20 years ago when I owned several rental properties I remember having 63 different bills I had to deal with every month......... it was horrible to keep track of everything and have it organized so when tax time rolled around I could still have a life!!!

Little things like what we have been discussing in this thread have made my life so much more relaxed and peaceful......... too bad this stuff wasn't around when I had a houseful of little kids!!! THAT is when I needed the timesavers!

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The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein

Yeah, but then the little yard apes would have been trashing the PC, which would still require you to do everything by snail mail. (Provided the little urchins hadn't taken all the stamps and stuck 'em to the windows!)