We're not new to RVing - 12 years of loving it - but new to long trips.? When one is going to be gone for a significant period, how do you keep up with paying bills other than those that you can pay on-line?? It would seem prudent to have the mail forwarded, but during a trip with lots of travel that's not realistic.? If there is a site that addresses this please let us know.? Otherwise, how do you "old hands" handle it?? Thanks for the assist.
Paying your bills
- Thread starter pmscas
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Ron
Moderator Emeritus
We have set up so bills are paid automatically, even the credit card. Works for us. We also use Escapees mail service and can get our mail sent to most anywhere we want.
We have a number of recurring bills automatically charged to a credit card (cashback is nice) and pay the credit cards online through Quicken and our bank. Non-recurring bills are paid through Quicken and the bank. Using Quicken we can set up a payment for any time in the future and not have to worry about missing the mail or forgetting to pay.
Bob Zambenini
Well-known member
pmscas said:
I take it that you willl be maintaining a 'stick house' residence and just taking long trips.
As others have said you can set up auto pay, either a direct debit to your bankiing account or a credit card charge.
I do all this except my home telephone bill. Its only about $30 a month buy varies, so if I am going for like 2-4 months I just pay like $150. They are happy to have your money and will run a credit balance.
On mail forwarding, I have just let the post office forward to my son's in Ohio sometimes. But if you have a nieghbor or relative who takes care of your mail, you can get the priority mail envelpes at the post office which are a flat rate and they can stuff all they get in one, and send it to where you tell them. You can use general delivery to any post office. But its a good idea to just pick a small town with a single post office site as in a big town, like Phoenix, it might get to the wrong site.
Bob
We don't make many long trips but we have all our bills set up for automatic pay from the checking account.....just in case I should forget to pay 
I haven't run across anything that we couldn't set up on auto pay although some are easier than others (some require mailing paper forms back to the companies but most are done online).
Wendy
Leaving for Quartzite tomorrow!!!
I haven't run across anything that we couldn't set up on auto pay although some are easier than others (some require mailing paper forms back to the companies but most are done online).
Wendy
Leaving for Quartzite tomorrow!!!
Smoky
Well-known member
I pay all my bills online. I have never come across a bill that cannot be paid online. (though ins rare cases that means my bank generates a paper check and mails it.
I also have gotten rid of paper statements. I converted to all electronic statements but I do not rely on them to remind me. I have a bringup system on my pc that tells me 2 weeks before a bill is due.
I use Quicken to record all transactions, but not to pay bills. I do that directly online via my banking online system.
I also have gotten rid of paper statements. I converted to all electronic statements but I do not rely on them to remind me. I have a bringup system on my pc that tells me 2 weeks before a bill is due.
I use Quicken to record all transactions, but not to pay bills. I do that directly online via my banking online system.
pmscas,
We're also in the retired, long trip mode.
Bills have been pretty throughly discussed.
For mail, a trusted friend or relative is the best bet but....
We set up a mailbox (PMB) at the local UPS Store. Over time we've changed most of the important stuff to the PMB. For a long trip we have the US PO forward to the PMB. Then we can call the UPS store & have mail sent to wherever.
We're also in the retired, long trip mode.
Bills have been pretty throughly discussed.
For mail, a trusted friend or relative is the best bet but....
We set up a mailbox (PMB) at the local UPS Store. Over time we've changed most of the important stuff to the PMB. For a long trip we have the US PO forward to the PMB. Then we can call the UPS store & have mail sent to wherever.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
pmscas...
Forwarding mail IS indeed practical - all of us full or extended time RVers do it. You can pick just about any post office in the USA and have mail sent there as General Delivery. Different post offices have different policies as to the length of time they hold General Delivery mail, but two weeks is the least I have encountered. PLenty of time for you to arrive at a destination and pick up your mail.
Forwarding works best via a trusted friend/relative or a professional forwarding service. The Escapees and FMCA have excellent and inexpensive services and there are many purely commercial ones too. Your local P.O. probably will not be willing to deal with changes of address every couple weeks, though some small town P.O's still provide that level of friendly service. Mine used to allow me to simply call in a new forwarding address, but they got flack from regional post office management about not having signed forwarding forms, so now they require a hard copy signature.
But for bill paying, forwarding may be too slow. We pay everything online or via automatic debits to bank accounts or credit cards (depending on how much we trust the vendor). For a couple of variable amount items, we have a fixed amount sent by our bank every month so that we know a payment gets made on time every month. Then I send an adjustment amount as a follow-up when I have a chance to check on the actual balance due. You can check either via phone or online in most cases.
Forwarding mail IS indeed practical - all of us full or extended time RVers do it. You can pick just about any post office in the USA and have mail sent there as General Delivery. Different post offices have different policies as to the length of time they hold General Delivery mail, but two weeks is the least I have encountered. PLenty of time for you to arrive at a destination and pick up your mail.
Forwarding works best via a trusted friend/relative or a professional forwarding service. The Escapees and FMCA have excellent and inexpensive services and there are many purely commercial ones too. Your local P.O. probably will not be willing to deal with changes of address every couple weeks, though some small town P.O's still provide that level of friendly service. Mine used to allow me to simply call in a new forwarding address, but they got flack from regional post office management about not having signed forwarding forms, so now they require a hard copy signature.
But for bill paying, forwarding may be too slow. We pay everything online or via automatic debits to bank accounts or credit cards (depending on how much we trust the vendor). For a couple of variable amount items, we have a fixed amount sent by our bank every month so that we know a payment gets made on time every month. Then I send an adjustment amount as a follow-up when I have a chance to check on the actual balance due. You can check either via phone or online in most cases.
Smoky
Well-known member
I agree with Gary, using mail forwarding for billing functions can be very dicey.
when we started out in June, all my bills were converted to electronic statements and payment. Sharon elected to continue on using mail forwarding at Escapees. Last month she threw up her hands and converted everything over to electronic. Except fme for two secret crerdit cards she does not want me to know about. LOL! ;D
when we started out in June, all my bills were converted to electronic statements and payment. Sharon elected to continue on using mail forwarding at Escapees. Last month she threw up her hands and converted everything over to electronic. Except fme for two secret crerdit cards she does not want me to know about. LOL! ;D
