When you move in the real world, you usually fill out a change of address form at the post office, and boom! — your mail arrives at your new home. If only it were that easy to change your email address. Whether you’re leaving an outdated service, moving to a new job, or just want to get rid of that stupid username you created in high school, here’s how to make the transition to a new email address simple and orderly.

First, make sure your new email address is one that you’ll actually use for a long time. That might mean finally getting your own domain and tying your email address to your real name. Something like [email protected] has a lot more staying power than [email protected]. That way, you don’t have to deal with an email provider and you never have to worry about changing your email address again.

That may sound daunting to set up, but it’s actually quite easy to get your own domain name and set up an email address that you can use in a more familiar interface like Gmail (or your favorite app). An email address through your domain registrar may cost you a little extra per month for the privilege, but it’s a small price to pay for a custom email address.

If you don’t want to spend money on a domain, we recommend going with one of the big free providers like Gmail or Outlook. Basically, you want to avoid the email address that your school gives you, the email address that your ISP gives you, or the email address that your company gives you. Work and school emails are fine, but they may not last forever. You need something that you can always fall back on.