It's nearly the holiday season in 2020. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to be able to have my usual Christmas Eve party with my extended family this year, which means I need to figure out a way to still distribute the presents I want to give. Every year there are a few cousins I don't see in person, but this year none of us will be gathering together. So...how do you make sure someone gets a present when you can't get together?
DROP-OFFS
There might be a variety of reasons beyond a pandemic that prevents you from conducting a normal visit or family event. If you live close, you can still arrange a time to drop off a gift. I'm already plotting out a map for a day's drive around my area dropping off Christmas cookies to my extended family.
Things to consider when dropping off a gift: will your recipient be home at the time, and is a visit expected? Can you safely leave the gift--does it risk be stolen or ruined by the elements (e.g.; a plant that could freeze)? If your recipient lives in a gated community or apartment building with secure access, will you be able to get in? Is there parking nearby, or adequate mass transit to get you there and back? Do you need to plan for tolls, parking fees, or bus tickets? Does it make more sense to drop off a gift at your recipient's work or another location instead of the home? And finally, a fun one: is there something interesting you can do nearby? My last stop for delivering Christmas cookies this year is near a zoo!
MAILING OPTIONS
I prefer to mail packages through the post office--I find their services the most cost-effective and reliable. Other people prefer UPS, Fedex, or another shipping company. Regardless of how you send a gift, you need to remember a few things.
First, what are the delivery estimates? Every late November or early December, USPS posts a list of dates which are the last days to send packages for guaranteed delivery by December 25, based on factors like whether the package is going overseas or whether you choose expedited shipping. For packages staying in the same country, I like to send at least a week beforehand, but you can find overnight shipping services with all the package delivery companies--it'll just cost a lot more. If you're sending to another country, especially one in another hemisphere, you'll need to allow more time for things to get to their destinations.
Second, will the present survive the trip? Delicate items need to be packed carefully, with bubble wrap or newspaper or something similar to cushion them on their journeys. Perishable items need to get where they're going before they spoil--some shipping companies allow a few pounds of dry ice in shipments; check their websites for specifics. And make sure you've properly sealed the shipping box! It would be awful if the box popped open during transit.
Third, are the shipping charges within your budget? Planning ahead is helpful here. As long as the gift isn't something that will spoil for a while, if you have it ready several days before you want your recipient to get it, you can send it the slowest (that is, the cheapest) option. If you don't want a surprise amount when it comes time to pay, then flat rate boxes are your friends--and often cheaper than sending the same item priced by weight. Shipping companies offer various insurance plans, too; consider if you want those when mailing. Some are included automatically, some are extra. Either way, keep your receipt and tracking number until you know the gift has arrived safely.
Fourth, is it allowed? Some areas don't allow certain items in the mail. Alcohol is the go-to example; you can't mail it to specific states or countries. When sending agricultural items like home-grown fruits and vegetables or seeds (homegrown or storebought), you'll need to check if there are restrictions meant to curb invasive species and pests. Restrictions like this are more commonly an issue when sending packages from one country to another, but they can also exist within the same country, especially if the country covers a wide geographical area.
And finally, make sure you've written the address clearly. If you're concerned about your handwriting, you can type the address, print it out, and tape that paper to the package; or ask someone with neater handwriting to write it for you (also good if you want it to be a surprise and don't want your recipient to recognize your handwriting). If you're worried about the address getting smeared or otherwise rendered illegible, you can also put a slip of paper inside the box with the address. If the shipping company ends up having to open the package to look for clues of where it goes, your paper will be right there to help the gift get back on track.
COMBINED AND COORDINATED EFFORTS
My brother and I live two thousand miles apart, not exactly an easy drive. But my sister-in-law came up with a convenient way to save on shipping costs: buy online, pick up in store. If they want to get us something, they find it at a business that has an online store, pay for online, and arrange for pick up at the location near me, specifying my name as the pick up person. Then I just go to the pick up desk and collect it. Super easy! In another instance, I moved out of state, and as a going-away present was given a zoo membership in the new state. The family who gave it to me bought it through the zoo's website and printed out the proof of purchase, which I took with me to the zoo on my first visit, and then was given a membership card.
The business doesn't necessarily have to be huge for this to work. Once, my brother wanted to get our dad a gift card to his favorite restaurant, which only has one location run by a husband and wife. I live near it, he's two thousand miles away. My brother called the restaurant, explained the situation, paid for the gift card via credit card over the phone, and I picked it up the next time I was in the area. Considering other restaurants in the past have wanted to charge shipping costs nearly equal to the gift card itself, having the local person pick it up is far more cost-effective! And with the ability to pay over the phone or online, there's no need to remember to pay anyone back. If you're not sure whether paying over the phone or online is an option, call the business and ask. You'd be surprised how much can be done remotely--my best friend was able to pay the adoption fee for a kitten in an animal shelter across the country over the phone, and her friend picked up the cat that day.
You can also coordinate within the same area. In a few weeks when I deliver Christmas cookies, my first stop is a cousin's house. There, I will leave cookies not only for him and his family, but also his dad and his sister, who both live quite a ways away in opposite directions. Going to both their houses would add three to four hours to my day! But he'll see them at Christmas, so he's happy to hang on to those presents for them. In return, I'm going to collect Christmas cookies he and his family have made, and deliver both sets to the rest of my stops that day. And that third family member who lives too far away to pack in to the drive? Both sets of Christmas cookies will fill out a flat rate box easily; they'll get mailed together.
DIRECT FROM THE SOURCE
If you find the perfect gift in a storefront and plan to give it to someone who lives hundreds or thousands of miles away, why not simply have it sent directly from the store to your recipient? It's going to be mailed anyway, so why mail it twice? You can usually specify that you don't want an invoice sent (seeing how much you spent can make recipients feel uncomfortable) and sometimes pay a bit extra for gift wrapping, too. Just be sure to warn your recipient that a package is arriving!
This is especially a great option for gift recipients in other countries. It can take a while for a package to cross oceans and continents. If you're looking for a gift for someone far away, check local businesses to see if you can shorten the shipping time by purchasing from a store the next town over instead of half a world away.
A word of caution when ordering online: make sure you're purchasing from a legitimate and trusted website, and that your financial information is secure. A product might be an unusually low price on a website you've never heard of because it's being sold on a scam website, or isn't as advertised (e.g.; maybe it's a doll-size dress instead of an adult-sized one). Check your credit card, bank, Paypal, or similar statements for unauthorized use often, and report any instances of fraud.
Whatever your plans this holiday season, have fun and stay safe! Here's hoping that this time next year will be far less stressful.
