Virtual Mail Service and Other Tips Help You Prepare for Your Next Vacation Adventure!

Preparing for a vacation, or any other long stay away from your home, requires planning and preparation. If you’ve already decided where to go, what to see and do, where to stay, and how you are going to get there, you may mistakenly believe that all that is left to do before you leave is to make your reservations.

Making your reservations is only half the battle, and you are actually just getting started with making preparations for your trip! There are several things that travelers should do before leaving home to ensure their time away is relaxing and free of worry and stress. The following tips can help you get ready to leave your home before you next trip!

Make Digital and Photocopies of Passport and Important Papers

While most locations won’t accept a copy of your legal documents, copies are good to have in the event your papers become lost or stolen during your travels. This way, you will have all the information that you need should you need to file for replacements of important documents such as your passport, drivers license or birth certificate. Make copies of the labels of your prescription medication and your health insurance card also in case they are misplaced and you need medical care on your trip.

Notify Your Bank and Credit Card Company

Many banks and credit card companies will put a freeze or hold on a transaction that looks out of the ordinary. Avoid the hassle by notifying them before you travel.

Pay Bills

Enable automatic bill pay for your regular monthly bills, or otherwise pay your mortgage payment or rent, utilities and other monthly bills before you leave so that you can relax and enjoy your vacation.

Make Arrangements for Your Mail

If you have home delivery of your mail, nothing announces that your home is empty and unattended quite like newspapers and other mail piling up just outside of your door. While you could make arrangements with a neighbor to pick up your mail for you, or have the post office hold it for you until you return, virtual mail service allows you to see who has sent you letters, packages and other mail while you are away, regardless of where you are in the world!

Subscribers don’t have to worry about the neighbor or post office accidentally misplacing their mail, or that they might forget to tell them of the arrival of an important letter or document. Virtual mail allows users to choose how their mail is handled while they are away: scanned, stored, forwarded or discarded.

Make Arrangements for Your Pets

Don’t forget about your dogs, cats and other pets, while you are away. Arrange for a pet sitter, kennel, or other care before you leave!

Turn Off the Water

If your home will be vacant while you are away, turn the water off at the main water supply valve as it enters your home. This protects your residence from damage should the pipes unexpectedly leak while you are away. Left unattended, a leaking pipe can quickly cause thousands of dollars in water damage, so cut off the water before you leave.

Unplug Electronics

From your toaster and coffee maker, to your computer, TV and other electronic devices, unplug them from outlets to protect them from power surges and reduce your power usage while you are away. The water heater is also around one third or more of the monthly power bill, so go on ahead and cut off it’s power supply at the breaker box if you will be gone an extended period of time to dramatically reduce your power usage.

Take Precautions to Deter Burglary

Avoid attracting robbers to your home while you are away. Arrange for someone to mow your lawn, use timers on your lights and draw your curtains so that passersby can’t look into the home and determine whether or not it’s occupied.

Use or Give Away Refrigerated Food Items

Milk, eggs, dairy, fresh leafy green vegetables as well as any leftover food items will quickly spoil in your refrigerator while you are away. Eat these items before you leave, or give them away to neighbors so that you don’t have to deal with the smell and clean up when you return.

Check for Travel Alerts Before You Leave

It’s a good idea to check for travel alerts for your destination before you leave on your trip. Check local and regional weather reports and forecasts for your destination so that you are aware of any potential dangers such as local and regional floods or dangerous storm systems such as hurricanes and tornadoes. This way you can take action and travel by a safer, alternate route, or perhaps postpone your trip to a more favorable time.

If you will be traveling outside of the country, it’s also a good idea to check for alerts and warnings with the U.S. State Department before you leave to ensure that your destination is still a safe one to travel to.

Vacations are supposed to be fun. With a little planning and preparation, you can avoid common hassles and worries that often come up while traveling and that can prevent travelers from being able to relax and enjoy their stay away from home.

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