[davemitchell59]

As others have said, get as much as you can set up electronically with regard to bills and other expenses.

As for other mail, I think it depends on the nature of your trip. If you're going to be moving around a lot, there are several mail service programs out there that work. But, you'll continually be updating those services as to where to send the next bundle of your mail.

I like the PO Box idea that someone mentioned as long as you're planning to be back home every few months. I would do that in conjunction with the "Informed Delivery" service available through USPS.

Having a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member is, in my opinion, a better alternative to a PO Box. They might hold your mail indefinitely, but, with "Informed Delivery" you are able to tell them to forward something important.

We simply forward our mail temporarily if we're going to be in one spot for our trip. e.g. We forward it to the campground in AZ that we spend 6-8 weeks at in the winter. We forward it to my brother's house when we spend the summer in MN, including the time that we might be exploring before we arrive in MN for an extended period of time. We forward it up until two weeks before we leave the area and then put a mail hold on knowing we'll be home within the USPS 30 day limit on mail holds.

We also have a good relationship with our mail carrier. She'll hold it beyond the 30 days if our trip changes and we can't get home before the mail hold ends.

Lots of options. You just have to figure out what works best for your situation and any particular trip.