Keeping up with the snail mail

Oh boy, I just filled out another temporary change of address form. Thank goodness it can be done on-line. It costs $1.05, but that's cheaper than the fuel needed to get to the post office.

Good thing all my important bills can be paid on-line. The paper bills have been catching up to me just a few days before they are due or in some cases after. Yesterday I paid my car and medical insurance. Today the paper bills came in. I mark them “paid on-line” and pack them up in my computer bag. Of course, I also save electronic confirmation of payment.

Some bills are non recurring and take some time to catch up with us. For example I just got a bill from my wife's eye doctor who she saw back in December. It took until recently for the insurances to figure out what they would pay and what we owe.

Then there's the darn electric bill. Normally our bill is around $25 -$30. Most of that is the just the “meter fee.” Back in December we used a lot of electricity. The solar panels didn't get much sun and we even used some electric heaters. The bill was around $120, which is very high for us. Our January bill was just as high, which is odd as for most of the month we were gone and main power breaker turned off. That's an indicator that they never read the meter. They just sent a bill based on the previous month's usage.

My lovely wife suggested that we just ignore that bill. I'm fine with that. Eventually they'll 'read the meter and make corrections. . . or not. Whatever. That's the attitude one gets when they make most of their own power. Threats of being shut off don't impress us much.

We can't even deal with the electric company on-line as they bought out our old electric company since we've been traveling. The old Internet contacts no longer apply.

Henry David Thoreau told us to simplify, simplify, simplify. One does what one can, but in the modern world there are limits. Even those folks who live in a small remote cabin have paperwork to deal with these days. Sorry Henry.

-Sixbears