Stressing out with Domicile vs mailing address

[lijbs]

My wife and I have always wanted to journey (full time) around the US and Canada once I retired. Well, I retired the end of October 2022 and we are in contract to sell our house. We expect to start traveling around 4/23.

Do we need to officially change our address at this time? Here are some other facts;

1. My folks are still alive (98 and 95) and live in their own home. This home is in the same state as the home we are selling.
   
2. We plan on traveling (full time) for about a year or so.
   
3. After the above travel, we will more than likely purchase our next sticks and bricks and use the RV for vacationing. This will not be in the state we presently live in.
   
4. If we need to return in the event of one of their demise we will move into their home.
   
5. For the past five years all of our bill paying is done online. The only mail that we receive is 4th class and general junk mail.

SO, we are asking if some folks that are familiar with the above topic might advise.

Do we need to officially change our address at this time? If needed can we just use my folks address as our domicile/mailing address.

Thanks in advance

[Reprobate]

Yep. Change it to your folks address and sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. Then you will get an email each day that gives you a picture of the mail you will get that day. If you get anything important, they can forward it to you, or take care of it.
Of course, you will also get a picture of their mail. Might be good or bad.

[Old-Biscuit]

You can change your address to your folks ...register your vehicles/DLs in current state provided your folks want to deal with your mail
OR

Use Escapees Mail Service In TX, SD, FL (whichever state is most beneficial to you ---taxes/insurance/registration/medical etc)
*Imagine Long Island is expensive

Mail Service is easy........can be done anything
Domicile....have to change registrations/DLs/Insurance and Declare
But that just makes for a fun trip

https://escapees.com/

[carybosse]

Are the parents in reasonable distance to where you are until April? So, if you need to run over to get the mail, you can?

Mail forwarding only runs for a year, you can do it online for $1.10. There are much more expensive options to extend it. However, it takes sometimes 2 weeks to begin, and if you do more than one, my post office people say if you send in duplicate change of address, their system collapses.

[twogypsies]

At ages 98 & 95, are your parents able to handle the mail for you? Do you have other relatives that could do it better?

It would be so much easier to use a mail service (Escapees) and have the mail shipped to you once a month or so .... whenever you'd request it being done.

What address will you be using for your taxes and financials?

BTW... you state your plans are to full-time for one year to see the U.S. and Canada. You won't be seeing that much in a year.

[lijbs]

Originally Posted by Reprobate

Yep. Change it to your folks address and sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. Then you will get an email each day that gives you a picture of the mail you will get that day. If you get anything important, they can forward it to you, or take care of it.
Of course, you will also get a picture of their mail. Might be good or bad.

This is the way we are presently leaning. Thanks for the response, at some point we’ll update with our decision. Excited but still fairly nervous and jerky about having no grounded home.

[lijbs]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

You can change your address to your folks ...register your vehicles/DLs in current state provided your folks want to deal with your mail
OR

Use Escapees Mail Service In TX, SD, FL (whichever state is most beneficial to you ---taxes/insurance/registration/medical etc)
*Imagine Long Island is expensive

Mail Service is easy........can be done anything
Domicile....have to change registrations/DLs/Insurance and Declare
But that just makes for a fun trip

https://escapees.com/

Yep switching over to their address sounds like the right idea! as I mentioned we really don't have much meaningful mail that comes delivered. Bill paying is all online. Over the years my wife has been very generous with donations to numerous causes and charities so she is in the process of advising them to hold back on their mailings and not waste time and resources by sending.

She just reminded me that there will be some that we will still continue to support but that we may just leave off our mailing address.

Thank you!

[pasdad1]

My advice is to setup a mail forwarding service. They can open and scan/email the contents if you need to see it immediately.

They even accept all packages (Amazon/fedex/ups etc)

You may decide to continue full timing past your one year estimate….we have been doing it 3 years, and it’s so much fun we may never stop!


Here is the mail service we use.

http://www.MyRVMail.com

[lijbs]

Originally Posted by carybosse

Are the parents in reasonable distance to where you are until April? So, if you need to run over to get the mail, you can?

Mail forwarding only runs for a year, you can do it online for $1.10. There are much more expensive options to extend it. However, it takes sometimes 2 weeks to begin, and if you do more than one, my post office people say if you send in duplicate change of address, their system collapses.

Cary what a great idea! A dress rehearsal before we hit the road. No better way to see where or if any hiccups might be hiding.

[lijbs]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

At ages 98 & 95, are your parents able to handle the mail for you? Do you have other relatives that could do it better?

It would be so much easier to use a mail service (Escapees) and have the mail shipped to you once a month or so .... whenever you'd request it being done.

What address will you be using for your taxes and financials?

BTW... you state your plans are to full-time for one year to see the U.S. and Canada. You won't be seeing that much in a year.

Lets see first of all I just checked, they are 98 and 96! My father is fully cognizant and supportive. My Mom not really in touch with the present. She goes through a mental re-boot every couple of minutes.......however, go back 35 years ago in her memory and she can remember what she wore on any specific day! Bizarre how the memory works. Sorry for digressing, back to topic.

I really like the idea of having the mail (envelopes) scanned by USPS and sent via email each day! This way my wife can stay on top of their mail as well. I she notices something of Importance we can make arrangements to have those items sent where we can retrieve. I didn't mention but my wife is currently paying their bills once a week when we visit. Sounds like this is a great idea!

Last comment you made is more than likely so correct! I mapped a perimeter loop through Canada and the lower 48 and a year doesn't even sound like enough time! I retract the year and we'll revisit that statement in 365 days.

Thank you

[lijbs]

Originally Posted by pasdad1

My advice is to setup a mail forwarding service. They can open and scan/email the contents if you need to see it immediately.

They even accept all packages (Amazon/fedex/ups etc)

You may decide to continue full timing past your one year estimate….we have been doing it 3 years, and it’s so much fun we may never stop!


Here is the mail service we use.

http://www.MyRVMail.com

Thank you for the link and as I just responded to twogypsies, I believe you're right about the length of travel.

[jrs]

I suggest setting up a mail forwarding company. Check out Escapees.com a full timer supporting organization that has great information on setting up a domicile. If you're under 65 Florida (at the time we looked) was the only state offering PPO managed care coverage. We chose MyRVMail.com (they also hand Good Sams mail business) to handle our mail. We also have votiing rights. Works for us.

[FLJOE]

A lot of folks who start out there first year of fulltiming with a certain plan change or modify that plan after the first year.

My suggestion as a "current" FTer with almost 12 years on the road is to use your parents address for now and see what changes in the next 12 to 18 months. It is not cheap or easy to change registration/title addresses, insurances, voting locations, etc.

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by FLJOE

It is not cheap or easy to change registration/title addresses, insurances, voting locations, etc.

Doing a USPS “temporary” forwarding order to a mail service, and then extending the “temporary” order again and again, does not entail changing anything regarding registration, voting location, etc.

Much better to rely on the mail service to scan and email PDF of mail when required, than expect 95 year old parent to do this.