As I said, this isn't really a packing issue, but it really doesn't fit into a category and I need it to be answered. I am leaving for Spain in 24 days (yeah!) and will be staying for three months. For those of you who have traveled for long periods of time, who do you handle bills and such things that need to be paid monthly such as credit card bills? I am planning on contact these companies, but was wondering how other people have handled this situation?

Hi Rubia! I think this is probably the best forum for your very good question and I'd be honored to be the first to (try to) answer this one.

At my bank we have the ability to manage our accounts online using their "WebBank" interface through the internet. Through it, for the last 8 months or so, I've been paying ALL my bills by their "Pay Bills" feature.

You have to set this up, list all the companies you intend to pay, include your account number, the mailing address, and.. that's all. Then, when the time comes to pay your bills (assuming you know the amount of the bill) you log on and pay that particular company/business. You can also set this up to pay a certain amount monthly on some particular date. And, since it's on the internet you can do this from anywhere in the world while also seeing your up-to-the-minute statement.

More than likely you'll have to pay an extra fee to your bank to get this "WebBank" ability, but it'll be worth it to you while you're in Spain or when you return home. I haven't written/mailed a check in about 6 months!! It's GREAT!! During my last two trips to Spain in the last 5 months I had to pay a couple of bills this way and it was easy.

I'm not sure if your bank has a WebBank as well but if not it might be worth opening a NEW account which does -- at least for the time you're in Spain so you can manage your money more easily.

Good luck and have a great time in Spain!

Saludos, MadridMan

Rubia, As I also pay my bills online with the bank I work for, I just want you to know that it is pretty much safe. I have been doing that for about 4 yrs now, and never had a problem. And if you don't feel comfortable with going that route, then you can contact the companies that you pay each month, and setup a draft-which automatically takes the amount of your bill out of your account each month, on a certain day. I know with my creditcard, I was able to select the amount I want to pay each month, if not the full amount. I do recommend that you do this ASAP, because sometimes it takes a month or 2 to get setup.
OH, one more thing, I know with the bank I work for, you can have your accounts setup online WITHOUT paying your bills, so you don't have to pay that monthly fee for that service. You can then keep an eye on what you have and what has been paid while you are away, and do it from any computer. This service is free. Well anyway, I hope this helps you a bit.
Good Luck, and like MM said, Have a great time in SPAIN!!!!
LittleWing

Rubia, I've had the same problem, but now I have everything set so I can leave for extended periods without problem. I have the post office hold my mail, too, so no one can pay my bills for me while I'm gone (which is another possibility I've tried in the past). I've arranged to have almost everything paid either automatically to a credit card (this is best - my first choice - I collect airline miles), or automatically from my bank. My credit card bills are paid straight from my bank account. I almost never write checks any more. There are a few things I do write checks for, but they are all bills that come just once a year - not the time I usually travel - or things I just feel better about checking more carefully (like the newspaper subscription. They make weird mistakes. I put the subscription on hold when I'm gone, so no bill comes then.) It's really wonderful. There has not been a fee for any of these arrangements. Actually, I think the companies like it because they are more likely to get the bills paid on time. The bills are sent to me to review before the due date, and then they are paid directly via credit card or bank account on a set day each month. The funny thing is that this is how we paid all our bills in Madrid while living there. We had things "domiciliado" with the bank. It seems to have caught on here in the US later.

I arranged this with each company separately. Many also give you access to your account online, so you can check from abroad that your bills have been paid. I have even transferred money from one account to another online from overseas. (And when I'm travelling with library books, I go online from wherever and renew them so I'm not fined when I get back! ¡Viva el internet!)

Some companies will send you paperless bills via e-mail...so you can set up a web-based e-mail account and then combine that with the payment methods described above. I also pay all my bills online (I finally broke down and started doing even my mortgage payment that way about a year ago--I had been reluctant to because I worried it might not go through and it's SUCH an important bill!!). It works really well, and I know many companies are trying to move customers away from reliance on so much paper. My insurance company will let me get bills online and review current statements from their website.

The only thing you'll want to do is come up with a carefully-protected list of your account numbers, login names, and passwords, and find a way to keep that information with you. I might invent a code of some sort for that (if your password is the name of your dog, for example, simply list "dog," and if you use particular numbers, consider noting them in a way that other people wouldn't understand, like adding 1 or 111 or something).

Once you set up online bill pay, you'll probably fall in love with it--especially as postage rates will increase to 37 cents this summer!!! Our bank charges about $5 a month for bill pay, but we save well over that in postage. With direct deposit of paychecks, you'll be able to handle just about everything from afar...but you might consider leaving a checkbook with a trusted friend (who can forge your name!!) in case of emergency.

Also, some companies will let you pay ahead (especially things like car loans or student loans), so you might be able to do that and simply not receive a bill at all while you're gone. You'll need to contact them directly to do that, or they may think you're making an extra principal payment and keep billing you like normal.

Good luck!!

Hey Diana, I had forgotten about paying the bills with a creditcard, as I also do this with some of my bills to earn miles, but make sure Rubia, that you pay that full amount, otherwise you will be paying that normally high interest rate (which I always pay-in-full. I'm too tight with my money in this regard, to give any company more than I have to )...Anyway...that's all