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Delivery dates before December 25th that you need to know.

Delivery dates before December 25th that you need to know.

A man unpacks a gift from a cardboard box on a rustic wooden table.

This holiday season, be the early bird and not the early worm. (Getty Images) (ASIFE via Getty Images)

I’m a huge procrastinator when it comes to buying holiday gifts. You’ll usually find me at Target or TJMaxx around 7pm the night before my family’s annual Christmas party doing some last minute shopping – oops. Luckily, I never have to mail gifts using the US Postal Service, UPS or FedEx because I live so close to my family, but if you do (and you’re also known for racing against the clock), remember these dates. to make sure your packages and holiday cards arrive on time.

Christmas is still over a month away, but it’s coming sooner than you think if you’re not prepared. Don’t worry: if you plan to do all your holiday shopping during Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday, you’ll still have plenty of time to send those gifts and have them delivered by December 24th. But if you end up procrastinating and shopping only for yourself while saving big, well, here’s your cheat sheet.

I have rounded up delivery times on holidays for USPS, UPS And FedEx so you don’t have to. (I recommend making a note to yourself and sticking it on your refrigerator as a reminder.) Also, keep in mind that while these are the last days to mail packages and cards, inclement weather may affect whether your gifts arrive on time , so I suggest sending your Christmas gifts well before the due date.

The carrier you choose will depend on what’s available where you live and how quickly you need your package delivered. For example, FedEx is the only option that offers same-day delivery, while some rural areas may only have access to a post office and the nearest FedEx or UPS is over an hour away.

If you’re short on time and have one nearby, you might want to stick with UPS or FedEx because they’re open later than USPS—branches typically close around 4 p.m. The other two options are open longer and some branches remain open. open until 19:00 or later.

As for prices, it all depends on the urgency and what you are sending. Let’s say you need to ship an average package from Kentucky to Wisconsin and receive it within three days. You’ll pay about $19 at USPS using one of their boxes, about $19 at UPS with your own packaging, and about $25 at FedEx with your own packaging.

  • Land advantage: December 18 (December 16 for Alaska and Hawaii). Your package may arrive within from two to five working days with this option.

  • First Class Mail: December 18 (same date for Alaska and Hawaii). Available for envelopes and postcards only. First Class Mail means your card can be delivered to from one to five working days.

  • Priority Mail: December 19 (same date for Alaska and Hawaii). This flat rate shipping option ensures your packages and cards arrive on time. one to three working days.

  • Priority Express Mail: December 21 (December 20 for Alaska and Hawaii). You can use this option if you need your gifts to be delivered to two working days max and it comes at a fixed price.

  • Earth: Go to Calculate time and cost for evaluation, but expect between one and five working daysdepending on how far your package needs to be delivered. For example, a UPS estimator reports that a small package departing from Kentucky to Wisconsin on December 20th will take only two business days and will arrive by the end of the day on December 24th. However, if you are shipping to California, it will need to be shipped by December 18th to ensure it arrives on time.

  • 3-day selection: December 19. Expect your package to arrive within three business days.

  • 2nd day of broadcast: December 20. Your package should arrive within two days.

  • Next day on air: December 23. UPS says it’s guaranteed to deliver your package the day after it’s shipped, with your choice of morning, noon or evening delivery. This option comes with free shipping.

  • Land economy: December 13th. Delivery may take from from two to seven working days – the longest of all delivery options.

  • Earth: December 17. Gifts must arrive within from one to five working days.

  • Express Economy: December 19. If you have a few days to spare, Express Saver Delivery can deliver your packages right to your doorstep. within three working days.

  • 2 pm and 2 am: December 20. By choosing any of these options, your gifts should be delivered within two business days. If you need them to arrive in the morning, select the 2 AM option.

  • First, priority or standard night: December 23. Depending on the option you choose, your items will be delivered. next business day early morning (First), late morning (Priority) or afternoon (Standard).

  • Same day: December 24. You can schedule packages to be picked up and delivered to your destination at any time. same day. Plan ahead for this as it needs to be planned in advance.

If you already know you’ll be shopping in the final hours but want to skip the mediocre gifts, check out some of the best subscription boxes we found instead. Or make it simpler with one of these gift cards or ours favorite last minute gifts.

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