I thought this topic had been address but have tried to search and can't bring up anything. Is there a standard check list I always feel I have forgoten something as I am leaving on my trip. Stop the mail, stop the paper, leave phone numbers with work and freinds. Any other suggestions?

If you have a web-based email account like Yahoo or Hotmail, you can write an email to yourself that has key information related to your trip. That way, if you lose it you can always drop by an internet cafe and retrieve it from your email account.

Other ideas - Get a plug in timer so that you can have a lamp go on around dark and off at 11:00.
-Adjust the thermostats to save on heating or cooling.
-Use up the leftovers in the fridge.
- Photocopy all the passports, charge cards, etc that you will carry with you. Keep a copy in your suitcase, and a copy at home.

Call your credit card company and have them make a note on your account with dates and countries visited, so when any "strange" charges start coming in they won't "freeze" your card.

Probably the same with ATM card?

And here is the link to the old thread

http://www.fodors.com/forums/postrep...t+card+company

Somehow the link got copied like I am ready to post a reply... weird! But all the ideas are there

Here is another link to even a longer thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;dirtyBit=1

Fainagain, I clicked on the site but got swisspanarama.com I thought there was a longer thread but couldn't find it. Thanks

I give up The longer thread is:

Have I done enough prep?

If you copy it into the search window, you'll pull it up.

These suggestions are all good ones. Two years ago we were going away for three wks. We did all the usual things including paying bills ahead before they were due. As we were leaing for the airport my husband saw the mail carrier in the neighborhood and insisted we drive back to our driveway & make certain he was not going to leave our requested to be stopped mail. Meanwhile while we waited my husband walked to our garden to give a last look and on the ground he found his passport, credit cards, &DL--he had failed to tuck his neck pouch under his shirt and had not velcroed it shut. This will never happen again--scary!

Patrick's rule #1: If you're going to be gone for 5 months or longer, be sure to remove the head of lettuce from your refrigerator.

If you are going to be gone more than a month, it's best to bury your cat even if it's not dead yet -- just in case.

Zootsi, Re the plug-in timer: I do that, too...even for weekend trips! I even thought about using one for the radio to turn on at certain times but thought that would be going overboard.

two words: high colonic

I always turn off the water to the house as well. We had a neighbor who went away for the weekend, and had a pipe under the kitchen sink burst and flood the house. They came home to an absolute mess! Ever since then, the last thing I do is shut off the water.

(I just have to remember to turn it back on when I get home BEFORE some one uses the bathroom!)

The refrigerator water line broke for two different friends while they were out of the country. I don't know that I would do what Chele60 suggests but I would at least turn off the refrigerator line.