Sending gifts to your friends and family is an admirable expression of love, especially on Christmas. With gifts, you can spread joy while telling them how much you care about them. However, if you live far from home and have to send more than a few Christmas gifts, then you may be wondering how you can do so without spending a lot of money.
If you’re sorting out your Christmas gifts and want to figure out an economical way of shipping them, you’re in the right place. Today, we are going to talk about some of the most affordable ways of shipping Christmas gifts to your loved ones.
The holiday season counts for some of the busiest mailing and delivery days of the year. For example, in 2021, a total of $870 billion was spent online with US merchants. With this number rising every year, it’s important to sort out your gift packages before it’s too late. It’s better to be cautious than to be late.
When you’re shipping Christmas gifts, you must remember that there is no one way to ship packages that will work for everyone. That said, there are some factors you must keep in mind if you’re looking for an affordable method of shipping Christmas gifts.
Speed
Now, the first rule of shipping Christmas gifts is that they should reach the recipients by Christmas Eve. The cost of shipping will largely depend on whether you’re opting for the standard delivery time or not. If you go for overnight delivery or delivery within two days, then you will have to pay relatively more.
However, it’s essential to remember that overnight delivery can cost as much as five times more than standard delivery. This is why it’s important to ship your gift at least a few days before Christmas Eve. Each courier service changes a different rate for their specific delivery times.
If you want to ship packages within two to three days, you should go for USPS Priority Mail. While the cost of shipping with USPS is less than other courier services like FedEx and UPS, there’s no guarantee that your package will get delivered within the stipulated time.
In a time-sensitive case, it’s better to go for FedEx or UPS because they provide a guarantee that your gifts will get delivered.
Distance
The distance of your gift’s destination is an important deciding factor in how much you will ultimately pay for the delivery. The cost of shipping depends on how close or how far the destination is. In any case, remember that you are paying for mileage. You will have to pay according to the distance from the mailing address to the destination address.
Weight
The overall weight of the package will determine how much you end up paying for shipping. The heavier the package, the higher of cost of delivery. For lightweight packages, you can go with the USPS because it’s extremely affordable. FedEx and UPS, on the other hand, offer relatively low shipping costs for heavy packages.
Size
The size of your parcel is a significant indicator of the cost of shipping. This means that the shipping costs will depend on how much space the shipment will consume at the back of the shipping truck. If you’re sending a big shipment, you will have to pay a larger sum than for smaller packages.
While the size, distance, weight, and delivery time are important determinants of the cost of shipping, there are some other factors involved while calculating it. Some of these factors are as follows:
In a nutshell, when you’re shipping Christmas gifts, you must ensure they are carefully packed to avoid any damage. You can use packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and other types of cushioning to keep the items safe, especially if you’re shipping fragile items. If you want to ensure the timely delivery of your gifts but don’t want to spend extra money, then you should ship the gifts earlier.
