If you have a vacation planned in the future, or you’re going to be going somewhere for more than 3 days, you’re probably going to most likely want to hold your mail.  Yes, it’s free, and many people overlook this when they are looking to take a vacation, or go out of town for a few days.

Unless you will have somebody watching your home like a neighbor, or such, you will most likely want to hold your mail, so that none of it gets lost.  If the mail piles up too much in your mailbox, the carrier may place it at the post office, which can spell disaster for the future.  This is something that you don’t want to happen.

How do you hold your mail with USPS?

• Head to the USPS mail hold online form.  Here, you’ll be able to notify the post office how long you’re going to be gone for.  When you fill out the simple form, they will alert your local post office to hold the mail for you.
• Fill out the form, and make sure that you write in the right dates.  If you don’t, this again can spell disaster for the future.  You’ll want to make sure that you look over everything, just to make sure it’s accurate.
• After you’re done, you’re going to get a confirmation number.  You will want to make sure that you write this number down for future reference, just in case something happens.

To do this hold online, you’re going to have to pay a measly $1, but this is only to confirm your identity, and remember, for doing so, you’ll avoid those long waits at the post office, and the grumpy old lady at the counter.