‘Timing would be the biggest tip’: Dates to know for holiday shipping

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The busy holiday season is here, and planning ahead can save you time and money as you scramble to ship all your packages in time for Christmas.

The Mail Box Center team in Spokane Valley is already seeing more people come in with packages to ship, and some are worried they’ve already missed important deadlines. Kaleena Greer owns the shipping, packing and mail shop. While she says, people haven’t missed important deadlines yet, she is encouraging people to plan ahead.

“Timing would be the biggest tip,” she said. “We want to make sure that it gets there for also the least amount of money, so by Dec. 17 ensures we can still get it ground which means we aren’t going to break the bank.”

She calls Dec. 17 Super Saturday and says this is the date to jot down. If life gets in the way, and you miss this cutoff, Greer says Dec. 21 is the cutoff for East Coast shipping. Dec. 22 and 23 can suffice for West Coast shipping. However, if you wait to ship after on these later dates, you could battle snowstorm delays, higher prices for air travel other unexpected holiday hiccups.

If you’re trying to save money, Greer suggests re-using boxes you have laying around the house. However, you need to make sure to cover up the old label on it. If you don’t, there’s a chance the package could end up back on your porch instead of at its final destination.

Lastly, make sure all your items are protected before sealing them to send. If you are shipping something fragile, make sure to use bubble wrap or packing pellets with a two-inch diameter in the box. If you shake the box and can hear it moving, you need more padding. Shs says to try “doing a little bit of test” and asking, “Can it shift? If so, add some more.”

You can purchase all your packing needs at The Mail Box Center, as well as last-minute gifts and cards. If you bring in an unsealed package, the team will also make sure you have the proper packing materials in place to protect your gift.

“If you don’t have any packaging material, you can just bring it in, and we will do it all for you,” Greer concluded. “We have all the supplies here, and we are packaging literally nonstop all throughout the holiday season.”

You can learn more about the shop and see store hours by clicking HERE.

COPYRIGHT 2022 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.