How much does it cost you to send packages? How do you reduce shipping costs?

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Hi Everyone, 

 

This past week I sent several small gifts to other states here in the U.S for my friends. 

 

1 package was fairly small, about the size of a mini tablet but did not weigh much at all.  However the post office charged me around $9 which surprised me!  I was expecting to be charged maybe $3-4

 

Another package I sent was in a flat but larger soft package.

The package had only 2 medium T-shirts that were very light in weight.

 

But the post office charged me around $16  

I was very disappointed.

But I paid the amount so that my friends could receive the gifts.

 

But are these prices normal for shipping items?

I have little experience in recent years mailing packages.

 

If prices are this high for shipping where you live, 

have you find ways to reduce the costs?

 

I would appreciate any advice, thanks! 

I just was not expecting to pay this much for shipping small items. 

[cme]

Bro. Neil, this is everywhere.  No matter how small the package you pay a steep fee.

 

The house always wins.

[SUNRAY]

2 hours ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

 

have you find ways to reduce the costs?

Brother Neil..I don't know if you could use stamps for your packages, or give the shipper the stamps to pay for the postage, but there are people who buy a huge amount of stamps from the United States Post Office at a significant discount and then sell those stamps to others at a discount making a small profit. In our congregation here in Florida a pioneer sister provjdes 100 stamps at a cost of $18! Those who write letters for the territory buy stamps from her and since she is homebound and a pioneer she benefits and the friends benefit! 

[computerwiz]

3 hours ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

But are these prices normal for shipping items?

 

Yep!  Without reduced rates provided by a company (like eBay or WhatNot), you can expect at least $8 per package.  That has been my experience...

[Parale]

1 hour ago, SUNRAY said:

In our congregation here in Florida a pioneer sister provjdes 100 stamps at a cost of $18!

 

FWIW if they are current/recent US Forever stamps, and the sister is not subsidising the cost, then I understand that, at those prices, they will be counterfeit / fake.

 

This has been discussed here, it is not unknown.

 

I believe we also had a letter warning us about counterfeit stamps from the Governing Body during Covid. 

 

https://jwtalk.net/topic/57680-bogus-postage-stamps-united-states

 

https://jwtalk.net/topic/50821-fraudulent-stamps/

 

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/counterfeit-postage

 

[Parale]

4 hours ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

If prices are this high for shipping where you live, 

have you find ways to reduce the costs?

 

Firstly by always factoring in postage costs when gift buying.

 

Secondly by being familiar with the postage sizes and prices.

 

Thirdly for anything more than a standard letter, but the postage via the official Royal Mail website to benefit from slightly cheaper 'online' prices

 

Fourthly for those standard letters by buying 'Forever'-style stamps before prices go up (and ideally as long ago as possible! lol)

 

For the Royal Mail in the UK the standard postage costs depends on both the size and the weight.

 

Obviously adding additional services - such as quicker speed, tracking, and signatures - cost more, but the foundation of those costs is the size and the weight of the package.

 

Here in the UK, generally the cheapest way to send a 'package' is by sending it as a 'large letter' .... I've bought cheap light-weight cardboard posting boxes that are purpose designed to fit the dimensions of a 'large letter' (approx 1 inch thick, 14 inches long, and 10 inches width) and therefore allow me to pack the gift/s cost efficiently

 

 

 

 

Below are prices if stamps are bought 'over-the-counter':

Edited 4 hours ago by Parale

[SUNRAY]

4 hours ago, Parale said:

they will be counterfeit / fake.

These are not fake stamps..The elder leading FS yesterday for letter writing explained what I related here to the group. I don't know personally the original brother who bought the large amount of forever stamps from the post office..but it is legit, and many in our zoom group buy them.

[SUNRAY]

4 hours ago, Parale said:

 

FWIW if they are current/recent US Forever stamps, and the sister is not subsidising the cost, then I understand that, at those prices, they will be counterfeit / fake.

 

This has been discussed here, it is not unknown.

 

I believe we also had a letter warning us about counterfeit stamps from the Governing Body during Covid. 

 

https://jwtalk.net/topic/57680-bogus-postage-stamps-united-states

 

https://jwtalk.net/topic/50821-fraudulent-stamps/

 

https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/counterfeit-postage

 

Thank you! I will ask the elder!