Avoid a mountain of mail from piling up with these travel tips!
Millions of Americans travel every year. While many relax at beach resorts or hike mountain trails, their mailboxes at home wait for thieves to show up. The statistics are shocking.
the problem
Most travelers only notice the mail pile-up when it is too late. A mailbox full of mail screams to the world “no one is home.” That’s why it’s so important to have solid advice on how to handle your email when you’re away.
In this post, you will learn:
- Why it is so important to manage your email when you travel
- The best email management solutions available
- What are virtual email services and how to use them
- The best way to configure your email before leaving
- How to handle your mail during long trips
- Tips and advice from email management experts at The Travel Bug
Why it is important to manage your email when you travel
Consider all the junk that accumulates in the mailbox in a typical week.
Banking and financial statements. Credit card offers. Insurance and medical procedures. Packages containing personal items. All of this sensitive data is waiting to be analyzed by the next person who walks by.
The chances of something valuable turning up are quite high. Mail theft is not just empty envelopes flying down the street. Thieves use stolen mail for identity theft, credit card fraud, social security fraud, bank account fraud, and check fraud. FinCEN reported that check fraud related to mail theft alone accounted for more than $688 million in suspicious activity in just six months.
That’s a lot of potential damage.
The good news is that, with the right approach, preventing mail theft while traveling is surprisingly simple.
The best email management solutions
There are several options to choose from when traveling and looking to prevent piles of mail from accumulating on your porch. Each solution has its own benefits and ideal use cases depending on trip length and specific needs.
USPS Mail Holding Service: The USPS offers free mail holding service for travelers who will be away from 3 to 30 days. Mail will be held at the local post office until the return date. This option is super simple and free to use, but it is only available for very short trips.
Ask a neighbor or friend: This is a classic, old method that still works. Designate someone to pick up the mail every day so the mailbox remains empty and secure. The most important thing here is to choose someone you trust with personal information in case important mail needs to be opened.
Virtual mailbox services: This is the real game-changer for frequent travelers. Using a service like www.ipostal1.comTravelers gain access to a real address where their mail will be received, scanned and managed electronically. Access all your mail from a phone or laptop… no matter where you are in the world.
Pretty nice huh?
What are digital email services and how do they work?
Virtual mailbox services have been a game changer when it comes to mail management. Here’s what you should know:
Sign up for a service that offers a real physical address. All mail is forwarded there instead of going to your home address.
Mail arriving in the virtual mailbox is scanned, photographed, and a notification is sent to you.
Options from there include:
- Open and scan – physically open the email and scan the content to view it digitally
- Forward – forward physical mail to any address in the world
- Pinch – securely destroy spam and other types of garbage
- Store – store things until you return home
This eliminates stress completely. You will no longer have to worry if important documents arrive. No more bothering neighbors or friends to ask for favors. A virtual mailbox service expertly handles everything while travelers focus on the trip at hand.
These services work for both short and long trips. Both weekend getaways and six-month sabbaticals work. The virtual mailbox address remains constant and the service continues uninterrupted.
Set up your email before leaving
Preparation is key to making sure everything works. Two weeks before departure is ideal to finalize mail handling arrangements.
Switch to paperless billing options whenever possible. Most banks, credit cards, utilities, and other services offer electronic statements. First, less physical mail reduces the number of confidential documents arriving.
Notify senders of important communications. Some businesses or organizations may require physical addresses for specific types of mail. Update preferences at least two weeks before you leave to ensure you don’t miss any vital email.
Set up mail forwarding to a trusted address if necessary. On longer trips, it may make sense to forward critical mail to a trusted local address or virtual mailbox service.
Pause subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. The local newspapers and magazines stacked on the front porch convey the message of the empty house as much as a full mailbox.
Install a lockable mailbox. This is valid all year round, even when you are not traveling. It doesn’t prevent mail theft, but it certainly deters opportunistic thieves.
Keep an important note in mind: Do not publicly broadcast travel plans on social media accounts until after you return home. Thieves can use this information.
Tips for long trips
Extended trips of more than a month have some additional considerations.
Use a virtual mailbox service as a permanent solution. For frequent travelers, setting up a digital mail service as a permanent, year-round solution can eliminate the setup effort required before each trip. The address remains the same and the service runs continuously. Everything just works.
Configure packet alerts. USPS Informed Delivery and other services can be configured to send alerts and show previews of emails that will arrive. This can help track incoming packages without a virtual mailbox service.
Create a mail management checklist. Compile a list of all companies that send physical mail. Review the list before each trip to pause, forward or scan each communication.
Designate an emergency contact. Despite the best planning, sometimes things happen. Having a local person who can check your mail in an emergency situation can be a big help.
Check your email periodically while you’re away. Don’t let digital mail pile up, either. Set aside time each week to check your inbox and scan documents to ensure nothing urgent needs to be handled. Avoiding stress during the trip makes the return home much more pleasant.
The smart traveler approach
Manage your email while traveling doesn’t have to be complicated.
The smartest solution usually involves using a combination of multiple strategies. For short trips, use USPS hold mail. For medium-length vacations, rely on a trusted neighbor or friend. For extended trips or frequent travelers, set up a virtual mailbox service.
The key is to plan well in advance.
Most travel-related mail problems occur because the mailbox was completely forgotten. A week’s worth of visible mail will attract attention. Two weeks can create problems. A month-long buildup is an identity theft disaster waiting to happen.
But none of that has to happen. With the tips and information above, travelers You can relax knowing that your mail is secure, available and under control.
Concluding
Managing mail while traveling is important for more than just peace of mind. Protects your identity, finances, and personal information from bad actors targeting empty homes.
A quick review of the essential information:
- Use USPS mail holding service for short trips.
- Set up a virtual mailbox service for long trips or frequent travelers
- Switch to paperless billing when possible
- Never allow your mail to visibly accumulate while you are away
- Plan mail management well before departure
Travel should be about making memories…not worrying about things at home. With proper email management, it can be. The best part is that it only takes a few hours notice to set everything up. The return on that investment of time will accompany you on every trip you take in the future.
So get out and explore. The mail will be fine.
