Vacations are the perfect time for you to turn off the noise of your day to day stressors and unwind. However, before you can kick back and fully enjoy your time away from work you’ll need to take care of more than planning your trip and packing your luggage.
What happens to your mail when you’re on vacation can be an overlooked part of your to-do list if you’ve got a lot on your plate. You may not be a person who receives a lot of may so you don’t think it’s a big deal to ignore it during vacation. Ignoring your mailbox can put you at risk for more than just piled up mail but luckily there is a simple solution.
You won’t need to hunt down a neighbor who’s willing to pick up your mail while you’re away. If you already know when you’d like to begin and end your vacation you can make sure your mail is taken care of in just a few easy steps.
Let’s take a look at what happens if you forget to put your mail on hold, how to place a hold on your mail, and some things you can do to take care of emails while on vacation.
When Mail Boxes Gets Full
If your mailbox becomes too full for your postal carrier to deliver mail a thirty day hold will be placed on your mail. What happens to your mail may seem inconsequential if you’re not expecting bills or payments but ignoring your mail while you vacation can make you vulnerable to thieves who will view your mail piling up as a sign that you’re away.
After the thirty day hold time, the postal office will mark your mail to be returned to sender if you haven’t claimed it. You can completely avoid this hassle if you place a hold on your mail before you start your vacation.
Put Your Mail On Hold
You can put a hold on your mail via the United States Postal Services website or go directly to the downtown San Diego post office to place your hold. The post office can hold your mail for up to thirty days. You can request your hold start time thirty days before you need it or the day of as long as you submit your request before 12 AM Pacific Time.
Email Is Mail Too
This is another neglected to-do list item. Some travelers constantly check emails during a vacation. If you plan on unplugging from the work grind completely, then take some time before your vacation to clean out your inbox. Once your inbox is clean create a forwarding message that will go out to any incoming email senders to let them know that you’re away on vacation.
Placing a hold on your mail protects your home while you’re away. It also saves you from potential mail thieves or missing important letters. It’s easy to do so don’t put it off. Remember, you can place your hold up to thirty days before your expected vacation.
