Mail while on assignment

[aamy]

I just accepted my first travel assignment, 9 hours from home. I need advice on how to handle my mail while I am gone. I will likely only come home once or twice while on the assignment. I thought about either a) having my parents pick it up twice a week b) having it forwarded to my assignment location, or c) having it forwarded to my parents house. I also considered a P.O. box, but if I am having parents pick it up, there is really no need. Any thoughts from previous or current travelers?

[NedRN]

What is mail? Seriously, what do you get you need? Online bill pay, auto credit card or debit pay. Even my property taxes are done automagically. About all you need to do is keep track of auto/drivers registration and your professional credentials. You can almost always do that without receiving a snail mail telling you that you need to renew.

But if your parents have a lick of sense about envelopes that say "must open now" or "check enclosed", they are a good solution to your USPS addiction problem.

[bagladyrn, RN]

If your parents are willing to pick up your mail go to the post office and get half a dozen of the large "Priority Mail" flat rate envelopes. Have them stamped while you are there. Your parents can simply drop all mail except junk into the envelope and send it off to you every week or two (or immediately if something important arrives.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Set up a separate email account for bills, and go paperless for everything you can.

Then your parents will have less to deal with. You might consider letting them open everything else and screen for what can go in the shredder.

[Traveldee]

I have my mail forwarded to my assignment location. Has worked fine so far.

[aamy]

Thank you. I already pay the majority of my bills online. The main mail I was worried about was letters from my son who is in basic training. But I am sending him my address to the place I will be staying.

[NedRN]

Real letters are a gift. But surely he can email?

[aamy]

NedRN

I JUST read your reply. Yes.....8 months later. To answer your question... My son was in MILITARY BASIC TRAINING. So no... he was not allowed to email.

[NedRN]

Seems like a very old fashioned policy of the military. What on earth could be their rationale? Perhaps more disciplined without access to computers or cell phones while they are breaking you down and building you back up? Do you happen to know?

[aamy]

I believe it's exactly what you stated....limited access to the outside world basically....breaks you down so they can build you back up the way THEY want you. They were allowed an occasional phone call from their personal cell phones. But cell phones were taken up and kept until their drills decided they could call home and then they would hand them out....typically 3-4 weeks between calls.