Ways to Beat the Christmas Shipping Cost Blues

Finances are tighter than ever this year and if you have loved ones scattered throughout the country you know that shipping charges can take a big chunk out of your Christmas budget. With a little forethought and preparation, however, you can keep both your shipping costs and your stress level to a minimum. Here you'll find links to USPS and UPS rate calculators as well as the latest from the United States Postal Service on shipping to overseas military personnel and some practical tips to minimize the impact shipping costs will have on you this holiday season.

United States Postal Service (USPS): If you have to ship very large packages, try planning ahead a little and get your Christmas packages to the post office in time to ship them Parcel Post. According the USPS website, the deadline for shipping packages Parcel Post for delivery by Christmas day is December 16, 2009. The deadline for Priority Mail is December 21^st. Yes, an additional five days of preparation time would sure come in handy but at what cost? Let's find out:

My best friend lives about as far away from me as you can get and still be in the continental United States. If I ship a large (16"x16"x12") box to her filled with 20 pounds worth of Christmas presents via Parcel Post, it'll cost me $25.51. If I procrastinate and have to send that very same box by Priority Mail, I'm out $43.55.

By the way, if you absolutely have to ship large holiday packages by either Priority or Express Mail, give serious consideration to printing and paying your postage via USPS's Click-N-Ship online program. If I use the Click-N-Ship program on the Christmas package mentioned in the previous paragraph, I'll only pay $41.58 for Priority Mail.

Why is my shipping so high? Because I'm using my own packaging. If my 20 pounds worth of gifts can fit into a USPS Priority Mail flat rate box I will pay only $13.95! Therefore, if I need to ship via Priority Mail, using flat rate packaging is my best bet for reducing my shipping costs, even if I have to double up and use two flat rate boxes.

Here's a link to USPS Priority Mail rates:
http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-prices.htm

Here's the link to USPS' online postage calculator:
http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm?from=home_header&page=calculatepostage

For Those Shipping to Overseas Military Personnel: The United States Postal Service has recently issued their 2009 guidelines for shipping to military personnel. In part it reads:

"To help the friends and families of service members, the Postal Service offers four different size and shape options at convenient flat-rate pricing, including a Priority Mail APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Box that provides a $2 discount for APO/FPO destinations. At nearly 800 cubic inches and measuring 12" x 12" x 5½", the box is 50 percent larger than other USPS flat-rate boxes. The price to ship anything that fits in the box is just $11.95 to APO/FPO destinations, regardless of how much it weighs, up to 70 lbs."

That's a $2 reduction in flat rate shipping costs for anyone shipping to overseas military personnel. Additionally, the postal service will supply a free mailing kit specifically designed for families shipping items to military personnel overseas. The kit contains two large Priority Mail boxes, four medium Priority Mail flat rate boxes, six Priority Mail labels and a roll of Priority Mail tape as well as mailing labels and customs forms. You can order one of these Military Care Kits by calling 1-800-610-8734.

To read the guidelines in full as well as find the USPS deadlines for shipping Christmas packages to military personnel please visit:
http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2009/pr09_094.pdf#search=%27shipping%20to%20military%27

United Parcel Service (UPS): Shipping my hypothetical Christmas package by UPS will cost me $29.09 if I ship UPS Ground, $62.17 if I use 3-Day Select and $93.33 if I ship 2^nd Day Air. If I'm a big time procrastinator and have to ship my package by Next Day Air, I'll be paying $128.68 at minimum. Per the UPS website, a package shipped via UPS Ground spends an average of four days in transit. Pad that for the busy holiday season and plan accordingly.

To review the UPS Year-End Holiday Schedule please visit:
compass.ups.com/uploadedFiles/2009_UPS_PEAK_SEASON.pdf

To calculate your package's shipping costs through UPS please visit:
https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US&WT.svl=PNRO_L1

Are You An Online Holiday Shopper?: If you shop online, consider having your packages gift wrapped and shipped directly to the recipient. A good many online retailers offer gift wrapping services for an additional charge. If an additional gift wrapping charge gives you pause, consider this: If you have your Christmas gift purchases delivered to your home you're essentially paying double shipping charges. You pay once to have the gift shipped to you and again when you ship it to the recipient. Add in the additional time and hassle of unpacking the gift when it arrives, wrapping it and then re-packing it, getting it shipment-ready and hustling it out to the post office, and the few dollars it takes to have your gift prewrapped and delivered direct might be money well spent.

Free Shipping & Promo Codes: If you do a lot of online shopping, be on the lookout for free shipping deals. For example, if you shop Amazon.com perhaps the items you're ordering will qualify for their "Free Super-Saver Shipping," which applies to certain items with a total order of $25 or more. Or Overstock.com which offers everyday shipping of $2.99 for your entire order and occasionally offers $1 shipping. But don't limit your search for free shipping to the well-known online retailers only. There are all sorts of shipping deals to be had online. Simply search for them. Let's say you're going to order something from TonsofStuff.com. Just go to your favorite search engine and type in searches such as:

Tonsofstuff free shipping

Tonsofstuff shipping coupon

Tonsofstuff coupon code

Tonsofstuff promo code

You'll get quite a few pages filled with potential savings to you. Even if you don't stumble upon a free shipping deal, you might stumble upon a promo code or link that'll offer you a percentage off your purchase. Either way, you win!

Be Weight Conscious: Always keep in mind that shipping costs are based on weight. How practical is it to ship your niece a pair of $20 jeans if the shipping costs are going to run an additional $10? You might be better off gifting her with a $25 gift card that'll cost you the price of a First Class postage stamp. Or tuck the gift card in with the rest of her presents which will add only one ounce to your holiday package.

See? With a little forethought and organization you can drastically reduce your holiday shipping costs. That means more money for presents, for Christmas dinner or for starting next year's holiday fund.

Sources:

USPS-Priority Mail Prices
http://www.usps.com/prices/priority-mail-prices.htm

USPS-Calculate Postage
http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm?from=global_header&page=calculatepostage

USPS-2009 Holiday Shipping Cut-Off Dates
http://www.usps.com/holiday/shippingcalendar.htm?from=global_ftpromo&page=holidayintlmaildates

USPS-Shipping to Military
http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2009/pr09_094.pdf#search=%27shipping%20to%20military%27

UPS-2009 Year-End Holiday Schedule
http://compass.ups.com/uploadedFiles/2009_UPS_PEAK_SEASON.pdf

UPS-Calculate Time & Cost
https://wwwapps.ups.com/ctc/request?loc=en_US&WT.svl=PNRO_L1