Not all of us quit our jobs and move out of our apartment every time we travel. Many travel blogs espouse the romantic idea that we all need to quit our job, tell our boss to fuck off, sell all our possessions that won’t fit in a backpack, and hit the road indefinitely. That doesn’t work for all of us.
In fact, it doesn’t work for me at present either. Maybe someday, but not today.
As of 2015, I still maintain an apartment in the US while I travel internationally, as well as a car, cellphone, and health insurance for domestic coverage in the US. I have to maintain and pay for this stuff while I’m gone, and that’s fine – it’s just part of my life.
With a bit of effort, it’s not terribly hard to maintain your home life while you’re on the road. There are even some opportunities to save some money while you’re out.
A few considerations for trips of varying lengths:
FOR ANY LENGTH TRIP: Maintain What You Have
PAY YOUR RENT IN ADVANCE.
If you pay rent or make mortage payments, pay for the months you’ll be gone before you leave. I cut post-dated checks and hand them over on the week before I go.
PUT YOUR CREDIT CARDS ON AUTO-PAY.
While I generally prefer to see the charges on my monthly credit card statements before I approve payment, it’s much easier to approve automatic payments to my credit card accounts than worry about missing payment dates while I’m away.
RELATED POST: Never Run Out of Access to Cash While Traveling
RELATED POST: Credit Cards & ATM Cards I Use
PUT YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE ON AUTO-PAY.
If you have self-paid health insurance and/or dental insurance in your home country, enable automatic payments from your checking or savings account in order to avoid lapses in coverage (as appropriate, per country).
GET A NEIGHBOR TO CHECK YOUR MAIL AND WATER YOUR PLANTS.
Obvious stuff. If you have a pet, act accordingly as well.
DON’T LET YOUR PIPES FREEZE.
If you live in a house or apartment and you’re leaving during winter, don’t forget to leave your heat on so your pipes don’t freeze/explode.
FOR TRIPS OVER A MONTH: Save Some Money
SUBLEASE YOUR PLACE.
If you can rent out your place to a trusted friend, fantastic – this could be your biggest savings of all. Note that some lease agreements / landlords will NOT permit subleasing – make sure to ask about this before you sign your initial lease, or before you sublet to a tenant.
LOWER YOUR MOBILE PHONE PLAN COSTS.
If you’re on a two-year cellphone contract like many of us, consider lowering your cell phone plan cost, including SMS text allotment and data plan if possible and appropriate. If you’re on a prepaid at home, then no worries.
CANCEL OR PUT A HOLD ON YOUR CABLE TV.
You definitely won’t be watching any cable tv while you’re out. Save some money by canceling your cable while you’re traveling.
CONSIDER CANCELLING YOUR STREAMING VIDEO ACCOUNTS.
Netflix (or Hulu, HBO NOW etc) may or may not work in the country you’re visiting due to licensing agreements and/or internet speed. If you’re not getting any use out of your account while traveling, put it on hold and save the money. Additionally, if you still receive mailers of DVDs from Netflix, make sure they get sent back, and that no more DVDs mail to you before you go.
CANCEL YOUR CAR INSURANCE.
Is your car going to be sitting idle for months while you’re gone? See if you can cancel car insurance until you return to save a little cash.
FOR MULTI-MONTH TRIPS: Think Ahead
CONSIDER MOVING OUT OF YOUR PLACE.
If you’re a renter, you can always move out of your place if you’re beyond your lease agreement. Put your stuff in storage and come back to it later. This works best for those of us that don’t have a lot of STUFF, of course.
VISIT THE DENTIST AND/OR DOCTOR BEFORE YOU GO.
My dental insurance covers me for a free office visit and cleaning every six months. If I’m taking a long trip, I take advantage of this before I leave.
FILE YOUR TAXES.
If you’re traveling at length starting early in the year, are your taxes finished and filed? Or have you requested an extension if filing on time is impossible? It’s easy to forget about tax day when you’re on the road.
BONUS POINTS: For The Truly Responsible
WRITE A LIVING WILL.
Consider writing or updating a living will before departure in all cases, but especially for potentially hazardous destinations. If something happens to you, this will give your loved ones a road map for how to deal with any assets and final wishes you may have.
Thanks for reading! Comment below with any home life maintenance tips you’d like to share.
