How to Save Money on Christmas Postage

Christmas will soon be upon us. Traditionally, the season is packed with trips to malls and specialty stores. We need to find the perfect gift or card for a host of extended family relations and friends. Some of these folks live in far off parts of the country. Obviously, not all family members will make it home for the holidays. So, we mail a lot of Christmas cards/letters and packages. Sadly, postage/shipping prices for letters and packages continue to rise. This year is going to be especially tough for many folks due to the current economic situation.

During the Thanksgiving holiday I used to sit down and pen a Christmas letter. We would also take a family photo. I would get my Christmas cards signed, too. Then, came the fun of stuffing envelopes and mailing them. It always took more than one stamp to mail the holiday greetings. So, I made a few 'minor' changes.

Now, I send a family letter to distant family and friends. But, I no longer add a Christmas card with the letter. I mail Christmas cards to local people whom I see often. These folks are aware of the major events in our lives. So, I no longer include the Christmas letter with their greeting. I don't send family photos every year either anymore. A neat idea that I recently came across (other family and friends are doing this) is--inserting family photos into the Christmas letter itself. Most folks put their family letter together on the computer, so adding photos is a simple step. All you need to do is--take some family pictures with your digital camera. Then, add them to your family letter.

Some people email their family letter. It is cheap, but somewhat impersonal. Most folks enjoy being able to receive a 'real' card or letter in their mailbox.

Many people give gift cards at Christmas time. This is a great way to save on shipping costs! The gift card can be slipped in with the family letter and/or greeting card. The person receiving your gift can then make the purchase of their choice.

If you purchase an item from a major retail or on-line store they will ship the goods to any address in the USA. Some on-line stores offer free shipping if the purchase is over a predetermined amount. That amount will vary from store to store. The only down side to this is--the gift is not wrapped.

You could buy an item in your family member's home area and have it delivered to them. Gift certificates to specialty stores or restaurants can be purchased in their vicinity, too. The local merchant could mail the certificate directly to your family member. There are some benefits to purchasing a gift in your recipients home area. First, it would be easier for the person to return the product if something is broken. Second, they may already have the product you purchased for them. In that case exchanging it would be simpler because it was a local transaction.

Some families exchange names. For example:The adults trade names amongst themselves and the children trade names with other children. Each person is responsible to buy a gift (or gifts) for the name they draw. Often times the families have a price cap on how much to spend per person. This can reduce shipping costs because you probably will not be shipping as many gifts to the missing family members.

Check to see if other relatives are going to spend the holiday with family members before shipping a large gift. If someone else is going, they may be willing to take your present/s along. One Christmas my family went to Haiti to spend time with my sister. My Grandmother gave us presents when we were together at Thanksgiving. She knew we would be gone at Christmas. It worked out fine and she saved on shipping costs.

You can calculate how much it will cost to mail a package via UPS or USPS on-line. They can both pick up packages at your house (by prior arrangement). The forms to have home package pick up can be filled out on-line.

Plan on mailing your letters/packages several weeks before Christmas. This ensures timely arrival at their destinations.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!