Let the post office know when you'll be moving and what your new address will be; a temporary forwarding address might be necessary if you do not have a permanent one by the time you move. As an alternative, the post office will hold your mail and forward it upon written instructions from you.

If you want to rent a post office box in the new city, you must do so in person. All post office box rentals are for a minimum of six months.

First-class mail is forwarded free of charge for one year.

Magazines and newspapers are forwarded for 60 days. Standard Mail (B), formerly called fourth-class/parcel post, is forwarded locally for 12 months at no charge. You pay forwarding charges if you move outside the local area.

Only one charge-of-address card (Form 3575) is necessary per family if everyone in the household is moving and if all people have the same last name. For other cases, one change-of-address card per person can be used. Mover's Guides, which contain Form 3575, are available at your local post office, from your postal carrier, or via the Internet at www.usps.gov/moversnet.

Use the postcards included in the Mover's Guide to notify your correspondence of your new mailing address. Publishing companies prefer at least four weeks' notice – preferably six. Early notification of your new, complete mailing address, including ZIP code, can avoid postage-due costs and eliminate the delayed receipt of your magazines and other publications.

Prepare a list of friends, relatives, business firms and others who should be notified of your move. The following checklists will be helpful:

Utilities Electric Gas Water Telephone Fuel Sewer District Trash Cable/Satellite Professional Services Doctor Dentist Certified Public Accountant Lawyer Broker Insurance Agencies Life Fire Auto Home Health Accident Hospital Established Business Accounts Dry Cleaner Bakery Drug Store Diaper Service Department Stores Water Softener Service Lawn Service Dairy Service Stations Laundry Banks Finance Companies Credit Card Companies Automobile Agency Real Estate Agency

Government & Public Offices Veterans Administration Library City Hall – Refuse Service City and/or County Tax Assessor State Motor Vehicle Bureau Social Security Administration State/Federal Income Tax Bureaus Draft Board Publications Newspapers Magazines Newsletters Professional Fraternal Other Relatives and Friends Business Associates Record and Compact Disc Clubs Book and Video Clubs Other Organizations and Clubs Schools and Colleges Landlord (if you are a tenant) Tenants (if you are a landlord) Church

Consider having a "garage sale" to dispose of unwanted items. (For information on this subject, ask for United's "Planning a Garage Sale" booklet.) If you donate clothing or household goods to charitable organizations, obtain receipts showing the items' approximate value for possible tax deductions.

Begin to use up supplies of canned goods, frozen foods and other household items. Buy only what will be used before moving. Consider making shipping arrangements for frozen foods with the local frozen food locker plant. Due to the possibility of spoilage, it is not advisable to move frozen foods on the van unless all of the following conditions are met:

1. They are in a freezer operating at a normal deep-freeze temperature at the time of loading. (Check your freezer operating manual for suggested normal freezing temperatures.)
2. The distance to be moved is not more than 150 miles and/or delivery will be made within 24 hours.
3. No storage of the shipment is necessary.
4. No preliminary or en route servicing of any kind is required.

Fill out your own "Personal Household Inventory" using the form in the back of this guide. Completing your own inventory can help you determine the amount of declared valuation for the shipment. List, as nearly as possible, the year of purchase and original cost of each item. Attach any invoices or records of purchase to the completed inventory.

If you are being relocated at your company's request, find out what portion of your moving expenses the company will pay. If your company has a written moving policy, ask for a copy of the document.