RE: [A/S] RE: request for tips on handling home front during extended periods of travel

["Perry Joe Scudder" <perryjoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Oliver,
Mary and I usually take off for 3 or 4 months one or two times each year. We
still keep our house running at the same time.
Here is what we find that works for us:
1. We set up as many things as we feel good about on "Draft" at the bank.
2. I setup the banking on line so I can handle 4 accounts from anywhere I
can get on line. They are the "Checking" account, a "Money Market" account
(our money from the retirement pot lands here each month), the "VISA card"
account, and the "Overdraft" account. I can transfer money from one account
to the other with an internet connection anywhere. We run everything we can
through the VISA card (we also get travel miles out of this), and I go on
line and pay it off each month, so there is no interest.
3. Mary still has some bills that don't fit into any of the above places, so
she just pays what she thinks they will be ahead of time, or makes up the
payments and puts them in an envelop for mailing at the proper time during
the month. She then takes care of the few dollars she may be off when we get
back home.
4. I have one of my neighbors get my mail out of the box each day, and keep
it until we come home. He calls us on our cell phone if something looks like
it may need attention. We have him open that mail and we make a decision as
to what action to take (this has only happened one time with a screw up in
some county taxes in our 6 years of traveling).
This has at least kept us out of jail to date.

Joe Scudder
WBCCI 8624