Unless shipping perishable items, live animals or other stuff that needs to be delivered ASAP, you can save a lot of dollars by avoiding options such as 2-day and next day shipping as these always cost more. If a package needs to arrive before a specific date, ship it in advance so you don’t have to pay that extra rate. A good option is sending a package via Priority Mail through USPS. It’s not as expensive as next day shipping but packages can arrive within 2 to 3 days depending on how far the destination.
Save on postage costs by printing them online. The USPS website allows you to print postage and labels online at a discounted price. The discount may not be that much but when you are shipping a lot of stuff, every savings count!
Re-use and recycle packaging materials. Don’t throw your boxes away. Save the ones from the packages you receive and you can re-use them when you need to ship something. Just make sure that the boxes you are reusing are still in good shape. Also remove or cover the previous labels before reusing the boxes. The same goes for bubble wrap and packing peanuts.
Instead of shipping multiple packages to the same address, like when sending out Holiday gifts, you can save more by shipping the lot in one huge box. There is a minimum fee for every package you send and most often than not, it is cheaper to send one huge box than several individual packages.
Compare shipping rates. If you want to get the best price for shipping your packages, take time to look for the carrier that offers the cheapest rate.
Use media mail when shipping books, CDs or DVDs. This is a service offered by the USPS that is relatively cheap. However, this is not ideal if you want the package to arrive immediately as this option takes some time. But if time is not an issue and you just want cheap shipping, this is a great way to go.
Have your packages picked up. This service is usually free of charge and all you have to do is leave the package by your door and just arrange for them to come pick it up when they are in the neighborhood. This will save you gas money as well as time spent falling in line at the post office.
These tips, a bit of creativity and a lot of common sense can help you save a lot on shipping costs.