[jacRI]

I do it on line 10 days in advance. Cost $1.10. I also tape a note blocking my mailslot for postal worker to redirect my mail. I continue to check my mail until the day I leave. I use Informed Delivery app to see what to expect. Takes a week before mail gets to new location.

[JC and John]

Originally Posted by Ropnrose

Whatever you decide on, sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. You'll get a daily email, with photos of each piece of mail that you receive. I save the emails with important mail (1099's, etc.), for tracking purposes if it doesn't arrive. Once it arrives, I delete the email.

Thanks for the idea Ropnrose. We have Informed Delivery and unfortunately I didn’t save the email that contained the scan of a very important 1099. The dashboard for Informed Delivery does not show more than 7 days of mail so was unable to send a lost mail notice through the dashboard. I generated a lost mail email through USPS. Just a run around. I now will no longer receive this 1099 via mail. My mail is still missing so lesson learned! BTW, mail for informed delivery is scanned in a regional facility which is Orlando for us.

[DonnaSt]

We stop ours at least a week prior to going home.

[DonnaSt]

We use the free service (actually $1). They won’t forward junk mail, flyers, etc which we don’t care about. It does take a long while sometimes especially from MI for things to catch up. I get USPS informed so I can see daily what to expect. I really don’t care about the stuff that they said I should receive and haven’t but I do receive all important pieces on mail like tax information, voting, etc. I too get all my bill online with email reminders so I don’t have much need for any mail but there is always that one thing I missed!

[Lisanp@aol.com]

The bigger question is evaluate what you are receiving by USPS. You can get almost everything meaningful by email (bank statements, credit card statements, utility bills, etc.) and then just do the free forwarding service for what might fall through the cracks.

[zuidemab]

This is the way to go; IMHO.

[jjombrello]

I stop mine one week in advance. I've done this for about 25 years and it works for me.

[bp243]

Originally Posted by Village_daughter

Hello! I need mail sent to Illinois from The Villages for a couple of months. I see two options: 1) Temporary address change (which is free!) or 2) Premium Service (which is $24/week).

Can anyone tell me the benefit of the Premium Service? Are there things that won't send via the free forwarding? Does the Temporary Address change necessary for the free service cause other headaches? Thanks in advance for your help!

It works fairly well through the temporary address change which I believe was $1.10 the last time that I did it. On the other hand, just spoke with a friend whose card was sent around the world (sort of) to me and landed back at her home. It's a bit of a crap shoot, but mostly works for the temporary address change. Never tried the $100 one.

[DrHitch]

Originally Posted by Village_daughter

Hello! I need mail sent to Illinois from The Villages for a couple of months. I see two options: 1) Temporary address change (which is free!) or 2) Premium Service (which is $24/week).

1) Don't pay for premium weekly service. They will box up everything including junk mail, magazines, etc. I believe you ALSO play for the weight of each shipment.

2) Getting USPS forwarded to a rented house in The Villages may be tough. The mail doesn't come directly to the house. It is in the neighborhood mail station. Your landlord has the keys and mail addressed to you is co-mingled with owner mail. That's an assumption that you are renting.....Instead, have someone up North go through your mail and forward to a PO Box at the post office, UPS store, etc

3) Always sign up for the USPS "Informed Delivery" service. You will get a daily e-mail showing you scanned copies of each piece of mail coming to your house up North. I then have my sister pull what I consider vital, and she sends it to a permanent resident friend here in The Villages.

[DrHitch]

Originally Posted by DonnaSt

.....free service......does take a long while.......get USPS informed (delivery)

Yes, this is a good approach. But just remember your USPS mail sent to The Villages (if renting a house) is a PIA for the owner/property manager and may get mail well after your departure. Just have somebody grab vital mail up North and forward to a PO box in The Villages

[Nell57]

Originally Posted by msilagy

FYI - the post office has one more step now when you forward mail *temporary or permanent* After you fill out the change online you now must go to the PO to show an ID to prove it was you who made the change, The PO will send you an email with a bar code to show to the PO along with your drivers lic. Needless to say the ladies at the PO weren't real happy as it will add to their workload. I had to do this in Jan 2024 when I returned to TV and put in a request to forward mail from Il to Fl.

THANKS! This is a new step. I’ll add it to my “Leaving the Villages” checklist

[Nell57]

I have a friend who loves her magazines and catalogues. They never had children or pets. She spends the $$ for premium delivery.
If I never had children or pets I’d probably have an extra million, too

[DrHitch]

Originally Posted by JC and John

unfortunately I didn’t save the email that contained the scan of a very important 1099.

Can't you get a PDF copy of your 1099 from your broker, bank, etc? I'd switch provider. All our docs are electronic from Schwab portal.

[Deden]

I forward to where I want it to go and give a stop mail date here and ditto for coming back. Never had a problem with the Post Office.
Good luck and safe travels.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by DrHitch

Yes, this is a good approach. But just remember your USPS mail sent to The Villages (if renting a house) is a PIA for the owner/property manager and may get mail well after your departure. Just have somebody grab vital mail up North and forward to a PO box in The Villages

When I get mail for someone else, I just drop it in the slot labelled wrong address. Not a problem at all.