It's Christmas morning and your favorite aunt in Kansas gives you a call.
You say, "So, do you like it?"
"Like what?" she asks strangely.
"Ummm … the weather," she says nervously. Don't you love white Christmases?!?"
"It's 50 degree here and raining," she says. "Is it snowing there?"
Don't let this conversation happen to you. While the weather outside it getting frightful and you're checking you're lists twice, don't allow the holiday shipping deadlines creep up on you. They're coming quicker than you think.
Below is just a sampling of the deadlines the U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx have this year. The best advice we can give you is to stop what you're doing, go out and finish your holiday shopping and get those gifts sent! Don't ruin Christmas and embarrass yourself again this year.
U.S. Postal Service
Within the United States
w Parcel Post – Dec. 15
w Letters and cards – Dec. 20
w Priority Mail – same as letters
w Express Mail – Dec. 22
Military mail
w Letters and cards – Dec. 11 (deadline has passed for 093 ZIP)
w Priority Mail – same as letters
w Express Mail – Dec. 18
w Parcel Post – Deadline has passed
International mail
w Letters and cards – Dec. 11 (Dec. 4 for Africa, Central America and South America)
w Priority Mail – same as letters
w Express Mail – Dec. 12 for Africa, Central America and South America; Dec. 17 for Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East; Dec. 18 for Canada
w Global Express Guaranteed – Dec. 19 (Dec. 20 for Canada)
For additional details, check out www.usps.com.
UPS
The UPS says to plan on five days for most ground shipping and to consult your local UPS Store to determine the best dates for on-time delivery is shipping internationally or to military areas.
Other deadlines are as follows:
w UPS 3-Day Select – Dec. 19
w UPS 2nd Day Air – Dec. 20
w UPS Next Day Air – Dec. 21 (additional pricing applies on Dec. 22)
For additional details, check out www.ups.com
FedEx
w Ground, Home Delivery – Dec. 17
w Express Saver – Dec. 19
w 2Day – Dec. 20
w Standard Overnight – Dec. 22
w Same Day – Dec. 25
For additional details, including international shipping deadlines, head to www.fedex.com.