Why would a freelance writer or any other home-based worker want a post office box? Well, as a freelancer who has a home address and can easily get home delivery, I’ve chosen to have all my mail go to my post office box. Here’s why…
The Advantages of a Post Office Box
#1, If You Rent
If you’re a renter like me, you know the hassle of having to change your address every time you move. And not only do you have to fill out the form and hope everything gets forwarded, you also should contact all your important clients to let them know, especially since they’ll have to send you 1099 forms that you must have to do your taxes.
Here’s a cautionary story. I moved in 2013. I promptly notified all the companies I worked with so they could update their records. I still had problems getting all my 1099s, and I also missed a check that was sent to my old address and somehow didn’t get forwarded. (My bad, though, for not following up much sooner on the missing check.)
#2, You Want to Keep Your Home Address Private
This is an issue for some of us. We don’t want our home address floating around out there, and we don’t want unwanted visitors knocking on our doors.
#3, You Travel Frequently
No need for a vacation hold (if you’re gone less than 30 days): the post office will keep it all and you can fetch it when you return.
#4, You’re Concerned About Mail Getting Stolen
Your box is secured by lock and key. That’s not the case where I live now. My mailbox is on the street where anyone could open it and steal the contents.
#5, You Want to Keep Your Freelance Business Separate
You can choose to get personal mail at home while getting your business correspondence at the post office. This can be a good idea if you’re concerned that important business mail will be lost or misplaced by the people you live with (kids, sloppy roommates, absented-minded husbands).
Some Disadvantages…
#1, You Have to Travel to Get Your Mail
This isn’t a problem for me since I live near downtown Ashland, Oregon and the post office. I’m within a couple hundred feet of the building several times a week and I have 24-hour access.
#2, There’s a Fee
Yes, it costs money. However, if you use it for business, it could be a tax deduction.
Suggestions
#1, Get a Big Box
They cost more, but they also hold more, which means you can pick up less often. Another advantage: important mail, like magazines, and 9×12 envelopes, won’t be as bent. They may even lie flat if you get a large enough box.
#2, Use a Private Company
Not necessary, of course, but many private businesses offer mailbox service. They have an added advantage in that you can often have packages delivered there that you can pick up whenever the business is open. (The post office doesn’t do that.)
Your Take
What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of having a post office box?
Cathy Miller says
Hi John. I can see the advantages, particularly if you rent. I would have never believed I would leave San Diego but life happens. I don’t have a P.O. Box now as I live in paid-off house and my travel is limited to a few times a year. But as much as you travel, I can see the benefits.
I do have privacy concerns but nowadays I feel like it’s closing the barn door after the horse has escaped. It’s frightening what is already out there.
John Soares says
Cathy, a Post Office box is less important for people who own their homes and don’t travel much. However, I appreciate knowing that important mail won’t get stolen out of my mail box on the street.
Anne Wayman says
John, I’ve never had a private P.O. box… never wanted to make daily trips to wherever… just not my thing.
I’ve had my physical address on the web for years and, knock on wood, never had a problem.
Mail delivery to my home, through many rentals, and even living on boats, is so darn convenient… in many decades I’ve had one check lost… I don’t worry so much about the W9s because I track and report my income with them and without them.
Just my opinion, of course.
John Soares says
Anne, I’m glad home delivery has worked out so well for you. I’ve had multiple instances of major problems after moving, including one time an address change form was handed to our postman, and somehow got lost. I moved to Kauai and didn’t get any mail for several weeks, including important bills. I eventually had to file another change of address form.
Laura Spencer says
Great discussion John,
I had a post office a few years ago, but cancelled it when I realized I wasn’t getting enough volume to justify the expense.
If you are concerned about security, there are a few alternative. We were able to get a locking mailbox some time back. There’s a slot for the mailman to stick letters (and smallish packages) through. To get the mail out of the locking mailbox you must have a key.
Great post. It gave me plenty to think about.
John Soares says
Laura, I’ve also had a locking mailbox before, but many homes don’t have them. Where I live in Ashland, Oregon, many people still have there mail delivered to open boxes right on the street. And if you’re a renter, you usually have to use whatever mailbox comes with the place you’re renting.
Cheryl Rhodes says
When I first started thinking about taking a writing career seriously in the early 90’s, I thought I should have a US mailing address to be taken seriously by US publishers. In other words, they wouldn’t know I’m Canadian. Fortunately I’m only 6 miles from the Canada/US border crossing and there was a mailbox service in a shopping plaza in Blaine, WA. My horse was kept about 2 miles from the border crossing so it wasn’t a whole lot out of my way, and back then there was no passport checks and crossing was a whole lot faster. I don’t know that it helped having a US address and after a few years I got tired of paying the monthly rental and since then I’ve used my home address. I did lose a potential client last year when they saw my Canada address and said they only worked with Americans, but that’s the only time I’ve run into that problem – that I know about.
John Soares says
Thanks for sharing your experience Cheryl. I’d never considered that a Canadian might need a U.S. address. It’s unfortunate that it can be difficult for a business in one country to hire a writer in another country.
Susan Johnston says
When I was a college student living in a dorm, my mail went missing several times. Even when my mother used tracking, it didn’t matter because the postal service considers mail delivered when they dump it at the university and the university doesn’t use tracking numbers. (Fortunately, I had one Amazon package disappear and the retailer replaced it, no questions asked. I suspect it might have disappeared due to sticky fingers and I hope some work-study student enjoyed my recording of the Brahms Requiem!)
I got a P.O. box my senior year and it made things so much easier! When I lived in a sublet the summer after college and didn’t have my name on the mailbox, I could just pick up mail at the post office without changing my address. The one problem I’ve had with P.O. boxes is that some services will not deliver to a P.O. box and the sender knows it’s not a real street address. If you get a private mailbox through UPS, it just looks like an office address with a suite #, which seems more legitimate (and it’s very cheap if you pay for 15 months at once like I did). I haven’t had a mailbox continuously since college but I have one now and it’s convenient since I don’t need to be home to sign for packages. Technically, they can charge $1/per day for storage after packages sit there for 5 days, but the employees at my UPS store are very nice about that.
John Soares says
Susan, I recently set up a private mailbox at UPS and so far I’m very happy with it. It’s cheaper than the Post Office, and like you say, they also accept packages. They also have a substantial discount for paying in advance for a long term. I got 8 months for the price of 6.