<p>From HI, it’s **nearly ALWAYS **cheaper to use the flat rate priority mail boxes. I tend to ship heavy stuff and from HI to CA or pretty much anywhere else, it is often 1/2 or less the price than if I shipped it regular priority rate. When it’s light things like t-shirts or hats, that’s about the only time it’s cheaper not to use priority rate.</p>
<p>For magazines, calendars and other things, I have saved LOTS of money with the priority flat rate boxes. It’s important to compare if priority shipping is pretty inexpensive for you–it isn’t for us from HI.</p>
<p>I keep flat rate boxes (one for each of three kids) open on the floor of the closet and fill them throughout the month. Target sale items and dollar shelf selections end up filling the box, for the most part. </p>
<p>At a glance, one soon-to-be-sent October box contains: </p>
<p>Halloween - puffy stickers, grow-a-monster capsules, two pairs of socks, boxer shorts with skeletons on them, candy corn dots, and haunted house doormat. (All dollar items except for the boxers and maybe the dots.) </p>
<p>Non-Halloween items - sticky notepad and Barbie notepad from a MacDonalds kid meal (both free), gummy vitamins, Tums, couple EasyMacs, purple tee shirt, and some not-inexpensive bobby pins from Anthropologie. </p>
<p>Still some empty space to be filled - and this is just the medium flat rate box. Amazing how much can fit in the box - and how heavy it can get when completely filled.</p>
<p>Dropping the items in throughout the month keeps it from seeming as though I’ve spent as much as I have.</p>
<p>Traditionally at this time of the year, I send D a cold/flu care package that has vitamin c, airborne, ricola throat lozengers, pain reliever, multi-symptom medicine, kleenex etc. etc. She always makes fun of me for doing it – and always uses it up before Xmas.</p>
<p>I’m packing one large flat-rate boxes for D to be shipped tomorrow: peanut butter, apples, apple cutter, eye drops, shampoo, new toothbrush head, chocolates, a pack of individually wrapped Hershey brownies (Costco Business carries weird stuff, even moonpies), cough drops, socks, and, of course, the ink cartridges DD asked to send.</p>
<p>Ohh…I just did the alice.com order! How cool! No shipping! Ordered her toiletries, gum and candy and some cleaning products. Way easy! Thanks for the suggestions/link!</p>
<p>I just ordered the 2 Gallon Boo! Party Pack you mentioned from The Popcorn Factory. My son mentioned yesterday that he got a notice of a package last week, was so excited, and it turned out to be a photo of him from a University reception He was disappointed. </p>
<p>He’ll be excited; Halloween is his favorite holiday ~ thanks for the idea :)</p>
<p>I send lots of care packages to my D and have used the flat rate boxes at the post office often. They are a great deal when the box is very heavy (cans of soup add on weight quickly).
But I have invested in a small scale to weigh each package before sealing a box to see what shipping method will be best. The site [ShipGooder:</a> Courier Rate Search, Shipping Rate Search for FedEx, DHL and the United States Postal Service](<a href=“Agen Judi Slot Online Gacor Pragmatic Play Terbesar di Indonesia”>http://shipgooder.com/) compares the various rates of USPS and FedEx, allowing me to choose the cheapest way. Then I use a flat rate box only if it is the best option.</p>
<p>A small scale is a great idea. I’m addicted to the fixed rate Priority Mail boxes but I’m sure I’ve overpaid at times. (It is really nice the way those boxes can scoot from Ohio to Texas in two days.)</p>
<p>I’ve been using FedEx Ground and packages from Texas to Missouri have been arriving in 2 days. Compare the price to see whether it’s cheaper than the flat rate box. I also got the helpful news on this site that if you’re a USAA member you can get a discount with FedEx. It’s a win-win!</p>
<p>I’ve shipped both ways - flat rate and using my own box. The large flat rate box was a real money saver when I sent DS his Game Cube and other items that we couldn’t fit into his suitcase when he moved up north to go to school. Yesterday, I sent him some wool socks (along with some other items) I found on sale at our local trail shop. Didn’t use the flat rate box, though. It was cheaper to just pack the stuff in a box I had at home. You just have to weigh the contents to figure out which is the cheapest way to get the stuff to them.</p>
<p>DS’s favorite thing to get is a card from me with some extra spending money in it. I always get a quick call saying, “Thanks for the card” whenever money is involved. He waits until our usual Sunday call to say thanks for the boxed items. Go figure.</p>
<p>b.e.susan, I too am a USAA member who has been enjoying a FedEx discount for business shipments for years but never thought of using their ground service for personal packages. Do they provide a home pickup? How do you order a pickup for ground?</p>
<p>I’ve just shipped off homemade cookies, toasted corn, a knit hat, some socks, Halloween decorations, a magazine with an article about him in it and a whole bunch of gummy wrist bands called Boo Bands as packing filler. This is from Canada to NYC, so I used Express Post US. They say 3 days, so we’ll see.</p>
<p>This thread is great for me to find out what services are out there to use for shipping/delivering care packages in NYC. I had just known about Harry and David and Popcorn Factory, but now will check out Fresh Direct and Net Grocer.</p>
<p>worrywart – I’ve never tried pick-up so I don’t know if they do it for ground. I just stop by a FedEx Office store (used to be called Kinko’s/Fed Ex) and send it from there. By the way, FedEx Ground works for shipping to a college because it’s staffed like a business (even if you address it to a box #). FedEx Ground is more expensive if it’s a home delivery, but shipments to colleges are considered “business.”</p>
<p>khsstitches,
thank you so much for the California Suncakes idea. I ordered 2 doz for my vegetarian daughter and I just finished one and they are quite deliscious. i think she will like them and they are nutrisious as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestion of netgrocer! My dd came home last weekend but took a bus back to school, so she couldn’t bring back things like a case of water, other heavy items. She doesn’t have a car at school either, so getting stuff like that can be problematic. I used netgrocer and sent a couple cases of water, bottles of juice, a few snacks. I ordered it Tuesday and it got there Friday. Very happy with it and I will use it again!</p>
He was disappointed. </p>