Prison Break: How to Leave a Country (Part 2)

I wrote earlier that I am inefficiently filling my blog with scattershot observations and tips about leaving the U.S. for a while for the benefit of others who wish to do something similar, and that I hope to compile these into a coherent series of pages in the future.

So here's another random tip, this one regarding payment of last bills. If you're like me you get a dozen different bills. I have utilities bills, cable bills, a web-hosting bill, cell phone bill, and so on. Some services you'll want to continue paying for (my Eurotrash web site hosting fee, for example). Most others you'll want to cancel.

If you're afraid you're going to forget about a bill, begin a spreadsheet a couple months before you leave where you list each and every bill that pops up on your statements as well as the cost of those bills. Eventually you should have a good, definitive list of who is asking you for money and a rough idea about how much money they're asking for (keeping in mind the fluctuating cost of heating and so on), so you can be sure you settle things with everyone by the time you fly out.

Just a random tip, but I didn't want to lose that thought.