Shipping gifts the cheapest way
Posted on December 1st, 2008 – 4:30 PMBy Kara McGuire
This year, my family of four is heading to Massachusetts for Christmas. After losing air fare roulette in August, and choosing a non-direct flight to a less convenient airport on Christmas Eve for about what we could pay today for our perfect flight, the airline we’re flying on added bag fees.
Besides wearing the same outfit for a week, which I am seriously considering, another way to avoid fees (and luggage hassles) is to mail our single package of gifts.
The package isn’t much and it isn’t heavy– we’re toning down Christmas this year anyway. Like most families, unemployment and plummeting net worth is all too familiar for some in our extended family. But since it’s rare for the entire clan to get together, I wanted to buy Christmas pjs for all of the kids– a tradition in my immediate family that I’d like to pass on.
So today, I packed up nine pairs of fleece pajamas to send out east. Considering the trend of free shipping deals from online retailers, I did try to buy the pjs online first. But they were out of a few of the sizes I needed, so I resorted to shipping them on my own dime.
Question is, how should I send them?
Since I rarely send stuff, I have no idea if FedEx, UPS, or the good ol’ snail with the mail would be cheaper.
I expected more from an article full of shipping tips from Bankrate.com. The story suggests I estimate my package’s cost via the three services from my computer. But that requires me to weigh the package, and I don’t have a scale.
ConsumerReports compared shipping times and costs last month and found that the postal service is generally cheaper, unless you are shipping FedEx Ground.
Parenting magazine Cookie performed its own experiment too.
I need stamps and I also need to drop off a return at UPS (the Gap has free returns for maternity clothes– yes this is my subtle way of announcing that I’m expecting another rugrat in March). So here’s an idea. I’ll take my package to UPS, FedEx and the post office and will compare the cost. I will share my findings with you later this week.
Until then, any tips you have on holiday shipping are welcome here.
7 Responses to "Shipping gifts the cheapest way"
since this is supposedly my area of expertise, I’ll make some guesses.
if you don’t have access to someone’s account, the post office will be equivalent or a little cheaper depending on service. I have a personal UPS account and use that (and drop off in one of their boxes around town) because the post office’s website crashes when I try to print a label.
The other important thing to consider is insurance - UPS and FedEx shipments include $100 coverage and additional insurance is less expensive than the post office’s coverage. None of these organisations lose a lot of packages, but they do lose some. If it’s important, I insure for replacement cost.
finally, postal carriers can get into all residential buildings. If you live in a house the UPS or FedEx driver will leave a package at the door unless it’s signiture required, but they can’t always get into apartment buildings.
congrats on the baby!
If you want to track the package online avoid USPS like the plague. Their online “tracking” system is completely worthless. If you’re lucky the package might end up in the system before it’s delivered.
Clearly you only wanted dedicated readers to know that you’re expecting. Congrats!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to you and the fam!
I know you can ship packages via Greyhound and Amtrack, as well. I don’t know how the rates compare, but I had a roommate in college who routinely got big, bulky boxes from her parents’ home (usually clothing when the seasons changed) via Grehound.
We are also travelling east for the holidays (and expecting in April). At this point, I think our cheapest alternative is to use one large piece of luggage - we’ll have to pay $15 for the luggage anyway, so putting our clothes and gifts in one large piece will save us additional shipping costs. Just don’t go over the weight limit, which will incur another airline charge.
