Procrastination is my middle name

Because of this, I'm a very unlikely candidate for getting anything out on time when it comes to shipping packages. Even if I sell something on eBay and need to get it out in a timely fashion, I'm usually sprinting into UPS to drop the package off and get it on its way.

So if one were to start planning, what would be the absolute last days you can get packages out to family, and still have them arrive on time?

Thankfully, when it comes to the holidays, my family is very small and very local. So getting presents together is usually done at the local level as well, if possible. But from time to time, we all need to ship a package out for Christmas, and with all that's been going on with the pandemic, shipping is a fragile business.

The key is getting it done as soon as possible

The rule this year: The earlier, the better. The last couple of years, Christmas was a nightmare for some, as packages were arriving well into the new year. So if one were to start planning, what would be the absolute last days you can get packages out to family, and still have them arrive on time?

According to ShipStation.com, the biggest shipping companies, including the USPS, are all in the same zip code (pun fully intended) as far as when you need to have packages out.

  • UPS doesn't give a cutoff date this year but implies cross-country shipping takes about a week, so likely no later than December 17th.
  • FedEx suggests you should have your presents on the road by December 14th.
  • The US Post Office suggests the same date of December 17th.

But let's be real here...

Does it matter to you how soon before Christmas your presents arrive? Because if you ship them by say, the first week of December, or maybe even as late as the 10th, how bad can that be? Although, things are likely to be a little wonky this year, with Christmas falling on a Sunday. Cross your fingers.

Presents are meant to sit under the tree for a few days anyway. So maybe this year, you just take that one piece of stress cake off your holiday plate. Or, you can continue to be a Last Minute Larry or Lana. Your choice. Either way, Happy Holidays!

We all love to watch kittens destroy Christmas trees, so here you go!

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