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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

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Belize Mail

by tacogirl 10/02/2011
written by tacogirl 10/02/2011
San Pedro Belize beach pictures

How to handle your mail when you move to Belize

When you’re moving to another country, one of the most challenging tasks you’ll face is how to deal with your mail, not only in your former country, but once you arrive in your new one.

As an American Expat who recently moved to Belize, specifically the town of San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye, here are the solutions I used to implement my “Mail Plan:”

The Internet is Your Friend – The obvious solution for any ongoing financial commitments you may have, such as credit card bills, bank statements, insurance, storage, etc., is to go paperless. This feature, now available from almost all companies and banks, will save you the hassle of dealing with getting an actual physical piece of mail, which you’ll quickly see in this article is not as straightforward as you may think.

Additionally, you can save your statements on your computer, which comes in handy since paper degrades quickly in a humid, tropical climate such as the Caribbean.

Virtual Mailboxes Must Have Been Created by Expats – This incredible internet service, which not only had I never heard of before relocating, but probably never would have needed if I’d stayed, is a complete lifesaver for an Expat. Why? First of all, because these services allow you to “appear” as if you still have a U.S. address. This is important since a lot of online vendors will not ship to a foreign address.

Secondarily, it gives you geographic anonymity. For me personally, this was critical because I have rental properties in the States still, and I really didn’t want my tenants knowing I was moving to Belize!

Third, it gives you an address to have the U.S. Post Office forward all of your mail to. Now comes the fun part. These services will upload a picture of the envelope to your account, send you a “you got mail” e-mail, and then you can decide whether you want to have it forwarded, scanned so you can see the contents, or shredded. If you want mail forwarded, then you simply pay the cost for them to do so. The service I use and highly recommend is mailboxforwarding.com.

What About My Local Mail? – Yes, you will still need a local mailbox because unlike the United States, there is no door-to-door postal service, for residences or businesses. When I arrived on the island I found out that the San Pedro Post Office had run out of P.O. Boxes.

Then I found the wonderful Dianne Lawrence at Quicksilver Messenger Service. For roughly $175 US per year (depending on the size of the box you need), she will set you up with your own rental P.O. Box – mine is in a DVD store! She also can handle any Fed Ex shipments you may have. You can now have all of your Belize mail (cell phone, internet bill, etc) sent here, as well as your virtual mailbox mail. You can find her at quicksilverbz.com .

Good Time Management is Important – Lastly, you will need to plan accordingly with all your mail needs. Mail coming from the States to Belize takes approximately ten to 14 days. Mail being sent from Belize to the U.S. takes about 12 to 21 days! If you need it there quicker, than Fed Ex is the way to go.

Overall, once you get your systems set up and become accustomed to the process, dealing with your mail needs is really not that difficult at all!

Written by Sharon Heibing from WealthShips.com

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tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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2 comments

Loving the Bike 10/02/2011 - 11:24 pm

What an informative and beneficial post. I really mean that. I think a lot of people overlook this as being a pretty serious issue and not that easy to solve when moving to a place like Belize. Nice job.

Darryl

Reply
tacogirl 13/02/2011 - 10:11 am

I agree Darryl Sharron’s info is great. Lot’s of details to think about when moving to another country.

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Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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THE ORIGINAL BELIZE BLOG

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

If you have any questions or want Belize discounts, Contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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