SACRAMENTO, California — The holidays can be a wonderful and expensive time of year, but one thing hitting budgets hard is shipping. FedEx and UPS charge more for shipping from October to January, and don’t forget the time and energy spent getting to a carrier and waiting in line.
Here are some ways to help take the sticker shock out of shipping fees.
“This is our Super Bowl,” said Tanya Toedt Fitzharris, Sacramento Postmaster. “We are already very busy.”
The postal service says it processed nearly 12 billion pieces of mail last holiday season. To put it into a little perspective, on average, it took two and a half days to deliver.
“People are already tracking and expecting a pretty quick turnaround on those parcels,” said Toedt Fitzharris.
So ship as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more it will cost you.
“I know that last weekend people will want to try and mail their packages, but if you mail it on a Saturday, the only way to get it there would be express mail,” said Toedt Fitzharris.
People should also pay attention to the deadlines around this time. For FedEx ground 5-day shipping, the last day to ship is Friday, Dec. 15. For UPS, if you want to do three-day shipping, the deadline is Dec. 19.
For the United States Postal Service, your ground shipping and first-class mail deadline is Dec. 16.
“We've got new sorting machines, we have increased daily processing capacity... we move about 95% of our volume on reliable ground transportation,” said Toedt Fitzharris.
Also, remember to double-check membership or loyalty programs for some discounts. AAA, AARP, American Express and USAA offer deals on shipping.
Another way to save money and time is by reusing boxes and bubble wrap from stuff you’ve ordered online. Another bonus, it’ll help you reduce waste, just be sure to take off any old address labels.
Keep in mind, shipping mistakes could also cost you time and money.
“Definitely have your boxes packaged, properly labeled,” said Toedt Fitzharris. “And if you're thinking it might be raining, make sure the ink that you're using on the type of box that you have won't smear.”
Remember, FedEx, UPS and the U.S. postal service are closed on Christmas Day.
