2. GET TEMPORARY FORWARDING SERVICE

We know what you're thinking: "Don't I just fill out some sort of a card to change my address, and my mail will get forwarded?" Well, yes and no. The Change of Address Form is only a temporary solution - when you fill out the form, you're filling out a mail forwarding order. Whenever the post office receives a piece of mail addressed to your old residence, a yellow sticker with your new address is slapped onto the envelope, and the mail is then shipped off to the correct destination. So senders still don't know that you've moved - you're going to have to inform them yourself (but more about that in Step 3).

Here are the basics about getting your mail temporarily forwarded to your new address:

  • Limited Time. As you can imagine, the inconvenience of having to forward all of your mail on a permanent basis is enough to make anyone go postal (pardon the pun), so the service only lasts for a limited time. How limited? That depends on the type of mail being forwarded. The United States Postal Service will redirect first-class mail, priority mail, and express mail for up to one year, while periodicals like newspapers and magazines will generally be forwarded for 60 days. For other types of mail, check with your local P.O.

  • College and University Mail Services. Not all mail forwarding services work the same way. So far, we've only been talking about the United States Postal Service, which handles most of the nation's mail traffic, but most colleges and universities have their own on-campus mail services, each with their own policies regarding mail forwarding. Many schools offer temporary forwarding service for semester breaks and summer vacations, but under some policies, periodicals and other pieces of mail that are considered lower than first class will not be forwarded. In that case, undelivered magazines may be considered dead mail and are either thrown away or taken by the postal workers who handle them, so if you don't want someone else enjoying your issue of Maxim, make sure you research your school's policies before taking off for the summer! You have been warned.

  • Fill out the form. To get your temporary forwarding service, we go back to the Change of Address Form. In that form, you'll be asked for the names of all the people who are moving (you and any family members who are moving with you), your old and new addresses, and the date you want forwarding to begin.

  • Temporary Moves. If your move is only temporary, you'll have to indicate how long you want forwarding to continue, and when you want it to stop. Don't leave filling out this form to the last minute; fill it out and mail it in at least one month in advance, just to be sure your order is processed in time for your move (otherwise, you'll have to deal with a mail-less limbo period).

Remember, if you don't inform the post office of your new address, no one will be able to find you. Incidentally, the mail forwarding service has become a primary resource for locating people who don't want to be found - police often use it to find criminals on the run, and the welfare department uses it to find deadbeat husbands. So not only is mail forwarding a convenient method of transferring your mail, it's also an instrument of justice!

One the time limit for the forwarding service expires, you can pretty much forget about seeing your magazines or those packages of cookies from grandma. That's why you can't stop here; you have to continue to Step 3 and properly contact everybody who sends you mail. If you still have any questions about the Post Office's forwarding service, then check out their official online FAQ.