It has been several years since I have lived in the same state as any of my family. So, each holiday season I have to trek to the post office to send out all the gifts that I have for everyone.
If you have ever had to do this, you already know how expensive it can be to ship Christmas presents. In fact, sometimes I use FedEx as they can be cheaper on the heavier packages.
But what makes the cost even worse is when you miss one of the USPS deadlines for guaranteed Christmas delivery. When that happens, you have to move up to the next level of shipping, which is more expensive.
This year, I am opting for gift cards just to save on the cost of shipping. I think it will end up being the cheapest Christmas since shipping costs will be minimal for a change.
If you have to mail out some presents this holiday season, knowing the deadline dates in advance can help keep the stress level low. And, it will ensure that you don’t end up spending more on shipping than you intended to spend.
USPS Christmas 2012 Delivery Deadlines
Here are the deadlines for international mail:
December 3rd: Priority Mail International
December 11th: Express Mail International
December 17th: Global Express Mail
If you only need to ship to someone in the United States, here are the deadlines for domestic Christmas delivery:
Parcel Post: December 14th
First Class: December 20th
Priority Mail: December 21st
Express Mail: December 22nd
image By Umberto Brayj [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons