but does anyone recommend the ups pick up method? Is it complicated. Do I have to weigh it myself? Sure would like to avoid two kids in the post office.
If you're mailing by Priority Mail or Express Mail, you can print the USPS labels online using your computer and schedule a free pickup of your packages when your mailman delivers your mail tomorrow. You do have to weigh the packages yourself, but that's easy - just use your bathroom scale. Then go online, print the labels and tape them on your boxes. It's simple...
and the best way to avoid the Post Office!
The post office has one price boxes - you can actually go to USPS.com and order the boxes on-line and they will bring them to your house. The boxes are free and come in different sizes. You just pack them up at home and drop them at the post office and pay a flat fee for delivery.
This is now the only way my sister and I ship things to each other and we send 3 to 4 boxes to each other every year.
I am way pro-USPS and try to support them as much as I can, especially in light of the financial crisis they are facing. :)
I hear ya on that! I do a lot of mailing for my husband's business, but I was falling behind sometimes because I was dreading the lines at the post office with 2-4 kids (depending on the day and time). So we got an account with stamps.com. I use my kitchen scale to weigh our packages (which are usually a thick 10X13 envelope), and print the postage at home. If we are just sending first class I can drop them in a big blue post office mail box or take them in and just drop them off at the counter. If we send anything priority I can go online and schedule a pick-up at the house. You don't need a stamps.com account to schedule a pick-up if you are sending something priority or with flat rate boxes.
Go to a UPS store instead of the post office. Way shorter lines, Way easier to deal with!
We use FedEx and FedEx ground.
That said, we use it a lot for our company business and it is no trouble to schedule a pick up. I also take packages in to the FedEx Kinko's locations quite often and it is not crowded.
The FedEx ground, especially, is not as pricey as you would think. Sometimes it is cheaper that the slow poke rate at the USPS.
Good Luck.
I also do what Everley suggested : )
Does your post office have an automated kiosk? That's how I've been managing to get my packages shipped--even with 3 kids under age 5, it is much better than standing in the line waiting for a disgruntled federal employee to offer the same service with half the efficiency :)
