Last month I mailed boxes of birthday-cookies to Alia and to Paul. I was floored by how much it cost. Normally, the only packages I mail are at book-rate -- usually because I sold school supplies or old textbooks on ebay. And those rates are plenty pricey enough.
Because of the cost of checking baggage on a plane, and because of the restrictions on carry-ons, I decided we'd mail a package of kombucha to Sacramento so that Maggie and I would have some while there. We hadn't been able to locate a store that sells kombucha that we'd have access to. $19.75 to mail three bottles of kombucha. $19.75. Good grief. I think I may have to locate a UPS drop-spot. Or give up on the dream of sending care packages to Paul. And never choose a gift for Alia unless it can be shipped via Media Mail.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
If you can fit whatever into the one size Priority box, any weight is $13-something. Whatever you can fit into the box. They actually ahve two sizes of Prioty boxes, but I can't remember what the other one costs, except that it's more.
ReplyDeleteI recently mailed a coloring book, crayons, and a matchbox car to my friend's son in Arizona, and it was $9.75. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteUhh.... didn't those bottle fit in the mid-size flat-rate box? $10.35.
ReplyDeleteBoooooo! on your local post office for not telling you the options!
I really think the PO has been raising prices on regular post to encourage use of the priority boxes. (There are 4 sizes, I think, from $4.95 up to the $13 one Fay mentioned. And the boxes are free.)
Thanks for the heads up on those flat-rate boxes, Fay and EC. That's still pretty expensive for mailing something like Meghan's coloring book, but at least I would know how many cookies I could cram into one.
ReplyDeleteUPS isn't any cheaper unless your box is huge, in many situations it's even more expensive for smaller items :(
ReplyDeleteI've used the postal service flat rate boxes many times, the smallest one is a pretty good deal if you are shipping something that is small but heavy. My mom just sent my dd a blanket via parcel post, it got here quickly and was a lot cheaper than any of the other options.
I've started ordering gifts and having them shipped directly to the recipient, it's a lot cheaper than buying something local and shipping it.
Kim,so you're saying the postage is cheaper if Amazon sends something to a granddaughter than if I buy it and send it? Hmmm. That's something to look into. Wouldn't work so well for home-made cookies going to a kid at college, but definitely something to consider for when we can afford to give somebody a treat or a gift.
ReplyDeleteGood to know. Thanks!