Getting mail on the highway could be tough – The place are you able to ship packages? How do you deal with payments? The place are you able to decide up prescriptions? In case you’re planning on giving up your house base, how do you arrange a brand new residence handle? These are a number of the high questions we’re requested by van lifers getting ready to hit the highway.
Within the weblog put up beneath, you’ll discover ways to get mail on the highway, plus ideas for establishing residency as a full-time van lifer.
How To Get Packages On The Street
Getting packages on the highway is arguably more durable than receiving paper mail, nonetheless, there are tons of choices that make this simpler. Listed here are the commonest methods to obtain packages on the highway:
Ask Buddies or Household
The simplest method to decide up packages or mail on the highway is to ship it to a good friend or member of the family alongside your route. C/o stands for “care of” and ensures the bundle isn’t delayed or returned to sender. Right here is find out how to handle your packages despatched to a good friend or relative’s handle:
[Your Name]
c/o [Their Name]
Road Tackle
Metropolis, State, Zip
USPS Normal Supply
The US Postal Service affords a free “Normal Supply” possibility for these needing a brief handle to obtain mail and packages on the highway. Even small cities normally have a Put up Workplace, so this can be a nice answer whenever you’re not in an space with different delivery choices. Plus, choosing up Normal Supply mail is free, not like different pickup places we point out beneath. It’s vital to notice that solely USPS packages could be despatched by means of Normal Supply – UPS, FedEx, and different non-USPS shippers will seemingly be returned to the sender.
Not all Put up Workplace places settle for Normal Supply mail, so use this USPS retailer locator to search out the placement closest to you and verify if Normal Supply is beneath “companies at this location”. As well as, we’d advocate calling the placement to substantiate that basic supply is accepted as a result of typically employees aren’t acquainted with the service. Normal Supply mail is held for as much as 30 days, but it surely varies by location, so we’d advocate calling for essentially the most correct info. When delivery one thing by way of USPS Normal Supply, use the handle beneath and convey a photograph ID for pickup:
[Your Name]
Normal Supply
Metropolis, State, Zip
Be aware: You don’t write the handle of the Put up Workplace for Normal Supply mail as a result of USPS will ship your mail to the principle put up workplace on the town.
Whereas we’ve used USPS Normal Supply a number of instances with none points, we’ve heard tales of lacking packages, shops refusing Normal Supply though it’s listed on the web site, and so on. so preserve that in thoughts in case you are delivery one thing time-sensitive or costly.
Amazon Lockers
Amazon lockers are one of many quickest and most dependable choices for receiving packages on the highway. With 1000’s of places throughout the US in handy places – corresponding to grocery shops, comfort shops, and fuel stations – you merely choose the closest Amazon locker location at checkout. After Amazon drops your bundle off within the locker, they’ll e mail you and also you’ll have 3 days to go decide up your bundle utilizing a scannable barcode or pin # that robotically opens the locker. It’s tremendous simple and also you don’t want Amazon Prime to make use of their lockers, however the downsides are it’s solely accessible for objects bought from Amazon, there’s a dimension restrict on packages, and it’s not widespread in smaller cities.
UPS or FedEx Shops
If you’re a receiving a UPS or FedEx shipped bundle, a few of their retail places will obtain packages for you for a small price (sometimes $5-$15 per bundle). Not all places supply this service, so positively name forward to substantiate you possibly can decide up a bundle there, how a lot they cost for decide up, and the way lengthy they’ll maintain a bundle for. You can too ship to a UPS Entry Level, that are licensed bundle pickup factors like lockers, small retailers, and comfort shops.
When delivery your self packages to shops like this, the handle format is normally essential, so make certain whoever is delivery it addresses the bundle correctly.
In-Retailer Pickup
In case you’re shopping for from a significant retailer and don’t wish to cope with delivery charges or choosing up a bundle at one other location, see if the retailer affords in-store pickup. Many main retailers, corresponding to Walmart, Goal, REI, and Residence Depot, supply free in-store pickup for on-line purchases. That is additionally an enormous time-saver if you understand precisely what you want!
Campgrounds/RV Parks/Inns
It is a final resort possibility just because we don’t keep at campgrounds or motels typically and it’s hit and miss which companies will settle for mail on behalf of their visitors. If you wish to ship one thing to a enterprise, remember to name and ask to get the right directions and delivery handle. Some companies have a special mailing handle for visitor mail.
Some cities can even have mail service companies that settle for packages (typically licensed retailers of UPS, FedEx, and so on). I sometimes simply Google “delivery retailer in ….” after which name them to substantiate they’ll settle for packages and get directions.
The best way to Get Mail On the Street By means of Mail Forwarding
Whereas receiving packages could be difficult, getting paper mail like letters, payments, and checks on the highway is definitely fairly easy. Mail forwarding companies can help you have a everlasting mailing handle whereas on the highway while not having a good friend or member of the family to handle your mail for you.
Establishing a mail forwarding handle is much like a PO Field in that it provides you your personal handle the place mail could be despatched, however not like a PO Field the place that you must bodily decide up your mail, your mail is dealt with by an actual particular person, so you possibly can speak to them immediately and entry your mail practically any day of the week. Whenever you obtain mail to your private mailbox (PMB), the mail forwarding service will scan the skin envelope and ship you an e mail/notification letting you understand you’ve acquired new mail. You’ll be able to then select to have it opened and scanned, forwarded to an handle of your selecting, held for a later time, recycled, or shredded. Whereas mail forwarding companies are nice for paper mail, we wouldn’t select this feature for getting packages because you’d have to pay to have them forwarded.
BFT Workforce Member (& full-time van lifer) Courtney has a mail forwarding handle managed by Anytime Mailbox and it has made receiving paper mail on the highway a lot simpler and extra streamlined.
Anytime Mailbox differs from different mail forwarding companies in that it additionally has an app (vs. email-only) that may ship a push notification whenever you obtain a brand new mail merchandise. From the app, you possibly can resolve what you wish to be executed along with your mail – opened & scanned, recycled, shredded, or forwarded. Anytime Mailbox is tremendous easy to make use of and they’re fast on scan requests (sometimes lower than 3 hours throughout enterprise hours).
Anytime Mailbox has PMB places all throughout the nation – Courtney selected a mailing handle in South Dakota so she might additionally set up residency with this handle (extra data on that beneath). Anytime Mailbox plans begin at $4.98/month and there are completely different tiers based mostly on the quantity of mail you need to have the ability to obtain. For an handle in Spearfish, South Dakota, Courtney pays roughly $11.25/month for the smallest plan accessible which incorporates:
- Incoming mail: 30 items (every extra $0.35)
- Open & Scan: 5 pages (every extra web page $0.50)
- Forwarding bundle: $6
- Recycling: limitless
- Shredding: $.15/web page
- Recipients (names on mail): 2
Different common mail forwarding companies embody Postal Connections, MyRVMail, and Escapees.
Necessary Be aware: Because of the US Patriot Act, banks won’t settle for PMBs as a “actual” bodily handle. Your account(s) could possibly be frozen in the event you use your mail forwarding handle for banking, so we advocate utilizing your PMB as your banking mailing handle and a relative or shut good friend’s handle as your banking bodily handle.
How To Set up Residency and a Residence Tackle
If you’re utterly shifting out of your house and don’t have any plans to return to your outdated city, determining what to have listed as your house handle is perhaps tough. Not solely does this impression your mail, but it surely additionally impacts your medical insurance, your RV or car insurance coverage, and your taxes. It’s additionally vital in the event you plan to vote, which I clearly encourage you to do. Listed here are a couple of choices:
Choice 1: Use the handle of a detailed good friend or member of the family
The simplest method to cope with establishing a house residence is to listing your handle as one belonging to a detailed and keen good friend or a member of the family residing in the identical state as you that manner you aren’t altering your official residency. Whereas that is a simple possibility, it does require that particular person to be your important level of contact for mail, so that you’ll wish to be sure that particular person is keen and in a position to sustain along with your mail.
Choice 2: Set up residency someplace new
In case you don’t have the choice or don’t wish to use the handle of somebody you understand, you can even set up residency in a brand new state utilizing a mail forwarding service. Whether or not or not it’s value shifting your residency actually is determined by how lengthy you propose to be touring and the sum of money you’ll save by setting a brand new residency up.
States with no earnings tax are common amongst van lifers and RVers, together with South Dakota, Texas, and Florida. Every of those states has mail forwarding companies that may set you up with a bodily handle that you should use to ascertain residency after which they may ahead you your mail. South Dakota fees the bottom car registration charges and doesn’t require an annual inspection. You’ll be able to even register your car in South Dakota with out even driving your van to the state.
BFT Workforce Member Courtney lately went by means of the method to vary her residency to South Dakota, utilizing the staff at ChooseSD (which companions with Anytime Mailbox for mail). The method was extremely easy requiring the next paperwork to obtain a South Dakota driver’s license:
- Receipt for a 1-night keep at a South Dakota campground or lodge
- Paperwork out of your mail forwarding firm verifying your new handle
- Present Driver’s license
- Passport
- Social Safety card
The factor to remember is that in the event you set up residency in a brand new state, not solely will you pay taxes in that state, however you’ll additionally purchase your van insurance coverage and medical insurance in that new state. You should definitely do your analysis on the most effective choices for taxes and insurance coverage earlier than switching your domicile state.
The best way to Decide Up Prescriptions On The Street
Getting prescription treatment on the highway can pose challenges, however listed here are a couple of ideas for refilling on the highway:
- Ask your physician for 90-day provides so that you don’t have to fret about getting refills as typically
- Contact your insurance coverage firm to see in the event you can decide up prescriptions exterior your residency state. Some insurance coverage firms could not cowl the price of prescriptions picked up in different states, so remember to name to substantiate the place you possibly can decide up prescriptions.
- Fill your prescription from nationwide chains corresponding to CVS or Walgreens so you possibly can simply switch your prescription to a different location as you journey
- Use an internet prescription firm like GoodRX and mail your prescriptions utilizing Normal Supply, UPS, FedEx, and so on.
The best way to Pay Payments On The Street
Thankfully in the present day, most payments could be despatched electronically and paid on-line. Earlier than you head out within the van, contact your financial institution(s) or login on-line to opt-out of paper mail and request e-statements as a substitute.
You probably have points, inform them that you simply’ll be touring for x-amount of time and wish an choice to pay on-line or mail a verify. It shouldn’t be a problem, however to keep away from hang-ups or late charges the primary month, it’s greatest to handle this forward of time.
In case you aren’t frightened about overdrawing, arrange your entire payments for autopay. That manner you’ll be assured to by no means miss a fee.
Additionally, notify your financial institution(s) that you simply’ll be touring often and don’t want a maintain positioned in your playing cards from frequent irregular places. Generally a maintain is positioned in your card robotically in case your financial institution notices you’re withdrawing cash in Texas after which 3 hours later you’re gassing up in New Mexico for instance. Simply allow them to know forward of time and it shouldn’t be a problem.
What questions do you could have about find out how to get mail on the highway? Share your questions, ideas, and experiences down within the feedback, and make certain to join our van life publication right here.
