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By Jane Tuv
'Tis the season for holiday shopping and gifting, and while hundreds of Black Friday discounts help us save on presents, holiday shipping often dents our budgets.
Many online merchants offer free shipping, but for those of us with a knack for gift wrapping and shopping in person, old-fashioned package shipping with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), UPS or FedEx, is the preferred option.
This is particularly helpful for budget shopaholics like me. Call me a savvy consumer who waits for store rewards coupons and the "biggest sales of the season" to get a maximum number of quality gifts at minimum cost. Or call me a procrastinator, for I am guilty of shipping my packages at most a week before the holidays and then paying exorbitant amounts on shipping to ensure delivery before Christmas.
This year, I did some much-needed-for-my-wounded-bank-account research, and discovered that any procrastinating frugal shopper can mail packages to his or her loved ones last minute and save a lot of money on shipping.
Check out my findings.
Most of my family and friends live within a 15-mile radius, so in order to surprise them with a box of goodies, all I have to do is hop on the train, and deliver the presents myself (my favorite option, as I love watching them eagerly unwrap gifts, especially my adorable little nieces, who squeal at the sight of something they wished for). But I do have friends in Indianapolis and a couple in Los Angeles and Seattle, so I had to find a way to ship packages from New York to those destinations on a tight budget.
Although the United States Postal Service's flat-rate boxes help the agency take the lead in many categories, their dimensions limit the types of gifts you can ship. For example, sending boots, a down jacket or an iPod docking station across the country in a flat-rate box, wouldn't be an option. Therefore, our overall winner in terms of cost, speed and flexibility is FedEx - specifically, FedEx Home Delivery, the company's residential ground service.
To Ship A 1 LB Package to Indianapolis via Ground Service
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $8.97 | $0.00 | $8.97 |
| USPS | 5 days | $4.90 | $0.70 | $5.60 |
| UPS | 2 days | $9.73 |
$0.00 | $9.73 |
To Ship A 1 LB Package to L.A. or Seattle via Ground Service
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 4 days | $9.61 | $0.00 | $9.61 |
| USPS | 7 days | $4.90 | $0.70 | $5.60 |
| UPS | 5 days | $10.44 | $0.00 | $10.44 |
To Ship A 1 LB Package to Indianapolis via Two-Day Option
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx |
2 days |
$17.81 | $0.00 | $17.81 |
| USPS Priority Small Flat-Rate Box | 2 days | $4.95 | $0.70 | $5.65 |
| USPS Priority | 2 days | $4.95 | $0.70 | $5.65 |
| UPS | 2 days | $17.81 | $0.00 | $17.81 |
To Ship A 1 LB Package to L.A. or Seattle via Two-Day Option
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $22.42 | $0.00 | $22.42 |
| USPS Priority Small Flat-Rate Box | 2 days | $4.95 | $0.70 | $5.65 |
| USPS Priority |
2 days | $4.95 | $0.70 | $5.65 |
| UPS | 2 days | $22.42 | $0.00 | $22.42 |
To Ship A 5 LB Package to Indianapolis via Ground Service
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $11.01 | $0.00 | $11.01 |
| USPS | 5 days | $10.05 | $0.70 | $10.75 |
| UPS | 2 days | $12 | $0.00 | $12 |
To Ship A 5 LB Package to L.A. or Seattle via Ground Service
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 4 days | $12.90 | $0.00 | $12.90 |
| USPS | 7 days | $12.34 | $0.70 | $13.04 |
| UPS | 5 days | $14.10 | $0.00 | $14.10 |
To Ship A 5 LB Package to Indianapolis via Two-Day Option
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $25.60 | $0.00 | $25.60 |
| USPS Medium Flat-Rate Box | 2 days | $10.35 | $0.70 | $11.05 |
| USPS Priority | 2 days | $12.70 | $0.70 | $13.40 |
| UPS |
2 days | $25.60 | $0.00 | $25.60 |
To Ship A 5 LB Package to L.A. or Seattle via Two-Day Option
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $37.52 | $0.00 | $37.52 |
| USPS Medium Flat-Rate Box | 2 days | $10.35 | $0.70 | $11.05 |
| USPS Priority | 2 days | $17.15 | $0.70 | $17.85 |
| UPS | 2 days | $37.52 | $0.00 | $37.52 |
To Ship A 10 LB Package to Indianapolis via Ground Service
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $12.19 | $0.00 | $12.19 |
| USPS | 5 days | $12.92 | $0.70 | $13.62 |
| UPS | 2 days | $13.31 | $0.00 | $13.31 |
To Ship A 10 LB Package to L.A. or Seattle via Ground Service
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 4 days | $15.99 | $0.00 | $15.99 |
| USPS | 7 days | $16.77 | $0.70 | $17.47 |
| UPS | 5 days | $17.53 | $0.00 | $17.53 |
To Ship A 10 LB Package to Indianapolis via Two-Day Option
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $36.84 | $0.00 | $36.84 |
| USPS Large Flat-Rate Box |
2 days | $13.95 | $0.70 | $14.65 |
| USPS Priority | 2 days | $20.75 | $0.70 | $21.45 |
| UPS | 2 days | $36.84 | $0.00 | $36.84 |
To Ship A 10 LB Package to L.A. or Seattle via Two-Day Option
| Shipping Method | Estimated Delivery Time | Cost | Cost to Track a Package | Total Shipping Cost |
| FedEx | 2 days | $57.51 | $0.00 | $57.51 |
| USPS Large Flat-Rate Box |
2 days | $13.95 | $0.70 | $14.65 |
| USPS Priority | 2 days | $29.95 | $0.70 | $30.65 |
| UPS | 2 days | $57.51 | $0.00 | $57.51 |
Please note: This article has been updated as of 11.23 to adjust inaccurate FedEx pricing. Sources include fedex.com including "FedEx Home Delivery" for residential ground shipping, UPS.com and usps.com, as well as customer service representatives for FedEx and UPS and a United States Post Office employee.
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UPS is a huge local employer in Louisville, KY. This makes the tie of cost an easy decision.
Thanks
When I was delivering, there were people that would not answer the door when I arrived to deliver the package. After I left a delivery attempt notice tag, they would call and say that I just drove by or didn't even get out of my truck to attempt a delivery. If that were the case, then how would they have gotten a door tag that notified them of a delivery attempt. One other thing to remember, delivery drivers are extremely busy this time of year. They don't have time to play games. The drivers are providing you with a service. For you to not answer the door or intentionally keep them waiting is extremely rude.
UPS does knock, waits for me to answer and leaves the package with me. OR if I am not home, my package is left against my door.
USPS does delivery quickly, does not charge for tracking, but if you live in an apartment complex, does not even try to leave package at your door. I have had many an argument with
USPS because they supposedly "attempted" delivery, and just left note at mailbox because they were TOO LAZY to climb 20 stairs!
Also those prices for Flat Rate boxes...they are correct, but the item has to fit into the box. That could be the difference in a flat rate cost and and oversized cost.
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