Since the post office is so busy around this time of the year, it's clear as day there will be some struggles. The post office isn't perfect, I know this for a fact. I have a great disdain for the United States Postal Service, due to their incompetence and struggles. Which can be even more stressful! But in order to avoid those struggles and mail things out with ease this holiday season, follow these tips!
Be Timely. Waiting until the last minute to order presents or ship things out can be the biggest downfall of the holiday season. If you're doing some online shopping this year to avoid the crowds make sure you order your packages in a reasonable amount of time. Waiting until the last minute to do your shopping, especially online shopping, is one of the worst things to do. You'll either have to pay a lot more for expedited shipping or your items won't show up on time at all. Some websites will post on their pages when the last day to order is to make sure you get your items on time. Best practice is to allow for two weeks for standard shipping. Also if you're going to mail packages and cards, estimating for two weeks works too. Either way if you plan for two weeks, odds are it's going to get where it needs to go sooner rather than later! If you can't make that deadline, take a look at USPS's Mail By Date deadlines. Christmas is two weeks away so if you haven't ordered your items yet get to it ASAP!
Shop Smart. If you know you're ordering something online that you're going to have to ship somewhere else, use the location of where it needs to go as the shipping address. That way it gets where it needs to go and it saves you some time and extra shipping costs. Some online retailers will even include gift messages. Specifically, Amazon offers gift wrapping and gift boxes at an extra cost, and it will be wrapped in the package. But if you need to send out a package for the holidays, try other delivery retailers like UPS or FedEx. They can be a little more expensive, but they have an overall better reputation than USPS. Also, if you are a Triple A member, UPS offers a ten percent discount on your order.
Plan Ahead. The post office is going to be busy no matter what, except when it is closed. Check your local post office to see when they open and close. The busiest times will be in the morning, during lunch breaks and in the evenings once everyone is off work. There will be very few amount of moments when it won't be crowded, especially when Christmas is getting closer. According to USPS, the busiest day at the post office is projected to be on December 19, while the busiest days for deliveries will be December 22. So to make sure you're not stuck at the post office all day, make sure your packages are all taped up, labeled and ready to go. To save a lot of time, you can order and print out a label at home, put in on your package and then just drop it off.
Patience Is Key. If you're going to wait in the long lines, relax and be patient. You're not the only one who will be annoyed and stressed. Just try to keep calm and carry on. Bring something to keep yourself occupied. Bring a book, a newspaper, or check your social media. Do something that makes you less stressed and it will help pass the time.
Be On The Lookout. Lately, lots packages have stolen from door steps. Which is a real jerk move, especially during this time of the year. Speaking from personal experience, I'm going to warn you now the United States Post Office won't do anything to help you at all if a package of yours is stolen. So we have to take matters into our own hands. It is all of our duties to make sure we keep an eye out for one another. If you know something is on the way to you, check your tracking information constantly and try to be home for the expected delivery day and time. If you're not going to be home, you can always have the post office hold your packages and you can pick them up at your convenience.
Sending and waiting for packages is one of the most annoying and unavoidable things that must be done during this time of the year. But as long as everyone keeps a positive mindset, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle this year. As long as you follow these simple tips, your post office struggles will be nonexistent.
Until tomorrow.
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