[kpd3062]

We are planning for TV bring our primary residence but maybe going back to Texas for 2 months around the holidays or a month in the summer etc. what is the best way to handle mail? Do you have the post office forward it or hold it? Thanks

[Clarinet]

We have forwarded mail in two directions for 17 years. Simple process done online and never had any difficulty getting our mail at both addresses. I wouldn't want to hold most of the mail for 2 months. There must be important mail that shouldn't be left that long.

[retiredguy123]

The best solution is to have a neighbor pick it up and send or email to you only the important stuff. Using the USPS forwarding system for a month or so can create potential problems and delays.

[kathyspear]

USPS has a service where they will send your mail to another address once a week (via Priority Mail) but it is kind of pricey. We did that when we were snowbirding in FL for 2 to 3 months at a time. For a month I would just arrange for the mail to be held for pickup when you return. Once you get settled you might be able to arrange for a nice neighbor to get your mail every day (since they have to pick up their own anyway) and let you know if there is any first class mail that looks important. Also, it helps if you set up all your bills for paperless and autopay. Since we did that we get very little physical mail.

Good luck with your move and welcome to TV!

kathy

[jpvillager]

We have used the PO standard forwarding for 12 years with no problem. It sometimes seams to be a slow process. Feels like they accumulate it for a few days before forwarding. I recommend you pay all your bills automatically either by charge card or bank eft. Do not mix using the same charge card between auto pay and gas, restaurant or any other more risky usage. That way there is less change of card fraud resulting in you having to change card nos. for your auto payments. Also change over to paperless statements but be sure to check them monthly. Welcome to the Villages.

[davem4616]

when we were 'snow bunnies' (hopping back and forth every few weeks) we'd just put the mail on hold.

when we became 'snow birds' (staying in FL for long periods of time), we'd have the mail forwarded to us in FL.
the tricky part was timing the cut off...we always had some mail that seemed to get forwarded to FL after
we had left. Fortunately a neighbor would pick it up and mail it up to us

then we smartened up and bypassed the USPS as much as possible by going 'green' with everything we could, as many bills as possible now go directly to a credit card or a draw from our checking...which significantly lessened the risk of incurring a late charge fee when we were traveling (which we did a lot before covid-19). It's pretty easy to identify which bills you can't direct to a credit card (like taxes) and will still be coming via regular 'snail mail'...those are easy to figure out when they are due....some of those we pay early before we travel because we could, others we knew that we'd have plenty of time to pay when we returned, or they wouldn't be sent out for awhile, so we just put a 'hold on the mail'. With online banking it's easy to pay a credit card bill from where ever.

[kpd3062]

A bunch of great tips thanks. I wasn’t sure if the USPS had a limit on forwarding but that sounds great! Thanks

[MaryAnneC]

Starting two winters ago, The USPS would not hold our mail for longer than one month.
I would place a hold for 30 days, have the mail delivered to my address, then my neighbor would pick up the mail, and I would start a new 30 day cycle. USPS offers a service at no charge where they send you a picture each day of your first class mail. That way you know if you get something unexpected and can take action. We also try to have most of our bills paid automatically through our bank and we get electronic bills.

[MacScuba]

You can Hold mail for up to 30 days. You can Forward mail for up to 6 months, then renew it for another 6 months. We've done both. Allow up to a couple weeks on either end for start/stop delays. Autopay is your friend.

[cathell62]

The best with today, forwarding is pathetic.
Sing up for email notifications with USPS.com and get notified of everything in your mail on a daily basis. The delivery is getting to be less desirable in efficiency. I here daily that forwarding takes 7-10 days.
Call the providers and change your address before you leave and when you return.
Who cares about the junk mail...

Originally Posted by kpd3062

We are planning for TV bring our primary residence but maybe going back to Texas for 2 months around the holidays or a month in the summer etc. what is the best way to handle mail? Do you have the post office forward it or hold it? Thanks

[mepoole]

I have forwarded mail in two directions 4 times a year for 12 years. Simple process done online at the USPS site. I never had any difficulty getting my mail at both addresses even though I make two round trips each year.

[BobbyMurphy46]

We are snowbirds and have our mail forwarded. Try to pay everything online as much as possible. One thing about mail forwarding, the Post Office doesn’t forward magazines. You have to notify the magazine directly to have the address changed and typically you have to do it one-two months in advance.

[Villagesgal]

Start mail forwarding a few days before you leave, it takes about a week to get to me on the west coast. I also stop the msil forwarding 2 weeks before I come back and have it held for those 2 weeks. I leave for 2 or 3 months twice each year and this works great for me. I also have the USPS send me photos of what's in my mail, so I know what's coming and can look for it.
All works great for me and I don't have to rely on a neighbor.

[SIRE1]

We are snowbirds, in The Villages for 5 months and in Michigan 7 months. Based on our experience, I have some recommendations for mail forwarding.

First, set up either email delivery of many of your bills (e.g. credit cards, cable, utilities) or set up EFT for them. The forwarding process is sometimes very slow and bills may not arrive before the due date.

Second, use the US Post Office web site to enter your forwarding request. Using the web site cost $1 but at least you know it was entered and the dates and forwarding address are correct. We used to send in the post card, which is free, but had some bad experiences when the info was entered into their computer incorrectly. By using the web site at least you will know what is entered into the post office computer system. It always amazes me that it cost me money for saving the post office from doing something they have to pay someone else to do, but that is the process.

Third, set your start and stop dates with enough lead time for mail that will be in the pipeline. We usually set the START forwarding date about 5 days before we leave. That way, any mail that has already been processed will arrive before we leave. And STOP forwarding about 10 days before you plan to leave. That way any mail that has already been processed and directed to the new address will arrive before you leave. It really does take around 10 days or so for forwarded mail to arrive vs. the 2-3 days for mail sent directly to the new address.

Fourth, for mail that you expect to receive on a regular basis (e.g. credit cards, cable, utilities, bank statements) , use their company web site and change your address on their Profile page. That way, this mail will be sent directly to your new address and avoid the long forwarding lead time delay. Then, before you return, use the company web site and change your address back.

Finally, be aware that the post office will only forward magazines for a month or 2 (can't remember what it is but it is not long). So if you are going to be gone longer than that, make sure you go to the company web site and change your address on their Profile page or contact them by phone. That way, this mail will be sent directly to your new address. Then, before you return, use the company web site or phone again and change your address back.

[daca55]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

The best solution is to have a neighbor pick it up and send or email to you only the important stuff. Using the USPS forwarding system for a month or so can create potential problems and delays.

If you are only going for two months I wouldn’t forward it. The forwarding process is very slow and by the time you start getting your mail you will be heading home. Have a neighbor pick it as previously recommended.