Mailing packages and cards for the holidays? I am in the post office a lot mailing packages and have picked up these tips.

christmas_cards

These ought to help you out:

  1. The earlier you mail before the holidays, the better.
  2. Cards take longer due to the high volume of mail, so don’t be one of those people who consistently misses the holiday by not mailing the cards in time.
  3. Don’t go the US post office on Mondays or Tuesdays unless you enjoy waiting in long lines. And don’t wait for 2 days before Christmas either unless you want to pay a lot of money to ship overnight and weight in looooong lines.
  4. The best time to go to US post office is at the end of the week, but not at lunch time and not just before the post office closes. Some locations have extended and Saturday hours. Check online.
  5. If you do have small packages to mail, consider using the self service machine in the post office. You can weigh your package, print out postage and then pay with a credit card. You then drop it in a box. If it weighs more than the specified weight or size posted on the drop box, you can just hand it to the mail clerk without waiting in line.
  6. Do not put stamps on packages or envelopes that weigh more than 13 oz. These packages will be returned to you.
  7. Make sure you package your gift so that it is secure and does not move around in the box.
  8. If you are mailing something fragile, take it to a mailing center like The UPS Store. It will cost more to mail it, but they will guarantee the items will arrive unbroken. If not, you will be reimbursed for the $ amount it is insured for.
  9. Beware of HUGE or square shaped Christmas cards. They require extra postage. I did that one year and had to pay extra for all 120 cards! Never gonna make that mistake again!
  10. Pay attention to the box you are using. My Mom shipped toys a couple of years ago in a box that was from a liquor store. There were illustrations of liquor bottles on the outside of the box. The box seemed to disappear into thin air. It took 6 weeks for them to be returned to her. It was because of the box illustrations that they were returned. It is against the law to ship liquor. So use a box with no illustrations. Any indication that something else is in there that may be illegal to ship, will result in a return to you.
  11. Get familiar with Priority Mailing Boxes. There is a preset flat rate for using these, as long as your item fits in there securely. Very often this is cheaper than it would be if you used your own box. You can get the boxes for free at the post office. Usual transit time is 2-3 business days.  Click here to check it out.
  12. Take the time to tape up your boxes carefully  so they can withstand the long ride.
  13. Print addresses clearly so there are no delays.
  14. Don’t forget to include your return address.
  15. Don’t get aggravated if you have to wait in line. Trust me, you will have some excellent people watching in there. Long lines at the US Post Office have given me a ton of inspiration for my writing!
  16. Beware of the parking lot. The drivers are horrendous!

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!