Rare Scrapnana Posted August 23, 2013 #26 Share Posted August 23, 2013 I would also be careful on other items. For example, I would not turn off your internet. I think people can get too carried away. Just my opinion. Keith Why would you not turn off the internet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 23, 2013 #27 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Why would you not turn off the internet? Because the day you come home you may need it. And when you turn it back on you may find that your router does not work. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Scrapnana Posted August 24, 2013 #28 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Because the day you come home you may need it. And when you turn it back on you may find that your router does not work. Keith I was thinking about having the internet and cable TV turned off from a few days after I leave until a few days before I return home. Knowing Comcast, however, it will probably be more trouble than it is worth but I sure hate paying all that money for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 24, 2013 #29 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Scrapanana, it can be a problem. We've done several World Cruises and I will tell you that when you return home there often is a lot to do. About 30 days before the end of the cruise people start thinking of the items that they need to take care of. We now keep the internet on and that includes the router. One year I shut the router off and it did not come up easy and I ended up spending a couple of hours on the phone with the internet provider something I didn't want to do. As to cars, we have a neighbor run them every one to two weeks and sometimes drive them around the neighborhood. Some people disconnect their batteries and others put a device on them. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcoy Posted August 24, 2013 #30 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Also about stoping the Internet, your email account could be linked to it so you could loose your access to your email while traveling. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 27, 2013 #31 Share Posted August 27, 2013 In the end the cost of some of these items is a nit compared to the cost of the trip. We will not turn off our satellite. We might take off the premium channels. We will not turn off our internet either completely (turn off the service) or turn the modem off. We've run into problems just turning the modem off. For those who want savings unplug most of your items from the outlets as items such as televisions draw quite a bit of power although turned off. We set our thermostat with outside temperatures in mind. We leave auto and homeowner's insurance as they are. I do know some who reduce their auto insurance but we just don't take a chance with that. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturngazer Posted September 2, 2013 #32 Share Posted September 2, 2013 This is the best... I am planning a WC in January 2015 and have been concerned about so many of these things... gives me a lot of answers and a lot of time to check out so many of the suggestions. My main concern has been my house as I do still have a home -- not in a gated community or with close neighbors, so I'm looking for ideas that will work for this. I do have automated sprinklers, so the garden will be OK and I use timers for most of my lights -- both inside and out. I do have a daughter who lives close by and can come and check on the house and run the car every week.. but I do have 3 cats that will need regular attention and TLC and I hate to leave them for 4 months, but... Keith, you are a wealth of information and I appreciate your taking the time to respond on so many of these threads... thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted September 2, 2013 #33 Share Posted September 2, 2013 saturngazer you are very kind and I appreciate your thoughtful comments. The key is to plan as much as you can and the good news is you have plenty of time to plan for the World Cruise. It is good that your daughter can check on the house weekly for you. That is good to know. Be sure to give your daughter a list of any contractors you use from the plumber to the electrician to the landscaper. This will come in handy if there are any issue that need attending to. I would also give her contacts for your insurance company for both the car and the house. Be sure that you take the list of contacts with you as well so you will have this available as well. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare artbcpa Posted September 27, 2013 Author #34 Share Posted September 27, 2013 I just spoke with our cable company. They have a program called "Seasonal Billings". Instead of turning the cable/internet/telephones off, they charge a reduced rate and just reduce your service to the lowest (basic) rates for the three. The savings for us for all three services is over $150 per month. They ask for three days notice for initiating the program and two days notice for reinstating the services to their previous level of service. That sounds pretty cool to me. Has anyone ever tried something like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted September 27, 2013 #35 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Art, sounds like a good approach. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireEater Posted November 12, 2013 #36 Share Posted November 12, 2013 An important to do item is to shut off water hoses to laundry washer and ice maker on fridge, and to toilet. I work for an insurance company. Those nasty lines seem to bust when one is away for a period of time. Trust me, it happens all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldeya Posted November 25, 2013 #37 Share Posted November 25, 2013 I just spoke with our cable company. They have a program called "Seasonal Billings". Instead of turning the cable/internet/telephones off, they charge a reduced rate and just reduce your service to the lowest (basic) rates for the three. The savings for us for all three services is over $150 per month. They ask for three days notice for initiating the program and two days notice for reinstating the services to their previous level of service. That sounds pretty cool to me. Has anyone ever tried something like that? First thank you everybody for all the information. Priceless for WC newbies:) As for turning off cable/inetrnet/telephones off... Call me paranoid but wouldn't this give out the fact that your house will be empty for months? You never know how this information can be used and by whom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcoy Posted November 25, 2013 #38 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Maybe I should become a professional house sitter. Stay at someone's home for 3 or 4 months at a time. I could stay in different parts of the country or even different countries. This would help pay for my own world cruises. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare artbcpa Posted November 26, 2013 Author #39 Share Posted November 26, 2013 (edited) First thank you everybody for all the information. Priceless for WC newbies:)As for turning off cable/inetrnet/telephones off... Call me paranoid but wouldn't this give out the fact that your house will be empty for months? You never know how this information can be used and by whom. I agree. That is why I like the "Seasonal Billing" They are still up and running for our "house sitter", but we are saving quite a bit of money. Edited November 26, 2013 by artbcpa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Scrapnana Posted November 26, 2013 #40 Share Posted November 26, 2013 I just spoke with our cable company. They have a program called "Seasonal Billings". Instead of turning the cable/internet/telephones off, they charge a reduced rate and just reduce your service to the lowest (basic) rates for the three. The savings for us for all three services is over $150 per month. They ask for three days notice for initiating the program and two days notice for reinstating the services to their previous level of service. That sounds pretty cool to me. Has anyone ever tried something like that? Unfortunately, Comcast does not have this plan. I was told to cancel cable TV and internet but leave my phone (I don't want to lose the phone number I have had since 1976). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted November 26, 2013 #41 Share Posted November 26, 2013 I really try to avoid turning anything off in the way of cable or satellite or internet or telephone. I find that too many things seem to go wrong when things are off. But, like most things this is a personal choice. What I recommend to any of you going away for the first time for such an extended time is to make a comprehensive list of all you need to do. As you think of something add it to the list. Hopefully, this way you will not forget anything. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tv24 Posted December 25, 2013 #42 Share Posted December 25, 2013 We retired this past year and are trying to leave home for extended periods of time to explore the world. Spent 3 months in Paris this past spring and will be on 2 cruise ships for 3 months this winter. We are lucky to live the the San Francisco area where housing is scarce and there are lots of responsible young people who are eager to have a house to sit instead of being jammed with roommates in a tiny apartment. We are lucky to have a dear young friend who is our house sitter, but if she were not available, I would scour the area to find another, even pay someone. We rely heavily on the internet to stay in touch with friends, do banking, pay bills. Skype, Facetime, and the like allow for visual keeping in touch. For some bills (house insurance, real estate taxes), I pay in advance of departure. I have found that some magazines allow subscriptions to be suspended and then extended for the period we are gone. Our house sitter opens mail and scans important stuff, sends the scanned material attached to email. I tell myself that nothing will be perfect and we can get clever and work through whatever goes wrong. I refuse to allow my adult responsibilities get in the way of my adventures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkNC Posted December 26, 2013 #43 Share Posted December 26, 2013 I just spoke with our cable company. They have a program called "Seasonal Billings". Instead of turning the cable/internet/telephones off, they charge a reduced rate and just reduce your service to the lowest (basic) rates for the three. The savings for us for all three services is over $150 per month. They ask for three days notice for initiating the program and two days notice for reinstating the services to their previous level of service. That sounds pretty cool to me. Has anyone ever tried something like that? We have used that with beach property we have owned. It worked fine for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireEater Posted December 26, 2013 #44 Share Posted December 26, 2013 We have a lot of snowbird friends that come to Florida for a period and does that same thing for both of their places. Has always worked fine for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted April 26, 2014 #45 Share Posted April 26, 2014 The mail is a pain ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrobbins Posted April 27, 2014 #46 Share Posted April 27, 2014 We are planning to rent a post office box and have our mail temporarily forwarded to it. The cost of the post office box for three months is under $25 and the forwarding is free. We plan to have the person who will be checking on our home pickup the mail at his convienence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted April 29, 2014 #47 Share Posted April 29, 2014 We are planning to rent a post office box and have our mail temporarily forwarded to it. The cost of the post office box for three months is under $25 and the forwarding is free. We plan to have the person who will be checking on our home pickup the mail at his convienence. Sounds like a good idea.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrobbins Posted April 30, 2014 #48 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Another advantage of forwarding your mail is that junk mail is not forwarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted May 2, 2014 #49 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Another advantage of forwarding your mail is that junk mail is not forwarded. That is the best part .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shemp2000 Posted May 3, 2014 #50 Share Posted May 3, 2014 How do you think prescription drugs would be handled. I know my insurance only pays 1, sometimes 3 month supply? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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