To put it simply, don't wait too long.

Part of the hustle and bustle of the holidays is getting those packages shipped off in time. Due to COVID, I'm sure the number of shipments has grown significantly. After all, many people will not be hand-delivering those presents this year. Typically when I shop, I try to knock out the presents that need to be mailed first before focusing on the people I will see on Christmas Day.

I'll admit, it seems a little mad to order a gift online only to open it when it arrives, wrap it and then send it off again. This year, I tried to bribe my brother to wrap his kids' gifts so I could just ship them directly to him. But then I realized that would include him wrapping his own gift and that's just not the spirit of Christmas, now is it?

If you're using the United States Postal Service to deliver your precious presents, you might want to get those in ASAP, just to be safe.

USPS posted some holiday shipping deadlines on their website and unless you want to "extend" the Christmas fun into the new year, you should probably check them out. These are the dates packages must be received in order for them to arrive by Christmas Day. If you really want to play it safe, no matter what service you choose, get it in by December 15. This will not only give you a buffer if there are any hiccups, but it will also save you money.

Holiday Shipping Deadlines:

USPS Retail Ground Service - December 15
First-Class Mail Service - December 18
Priority Mail Service - December 19
Priority Mail Service - December 23

That last one makes me sweat a little bit. I can only imagine the line at the post office and the price. Only Santa Claus can get things delivered in a shorter time span.

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