How to Ship Packages and Save Money: The Top Tips to Know

Online shopping has exploded in popularity in recent years.

For instance, eBay now has 25 million people around the world selling items in every niche under the sun. And one thing’s for sure:

Every single one of them would love to spend less on shipping! After all, excessive shipping costs eat into precious profits. Knowing how to ship packages at less expense would make a mighty business difference.

Of course, it isn’t only online sellers that benefit from shipping-related savings. In difficult financial times, few people can afford to overspend on anything unnecessarily.

Thankfully, sending packages around the country and/or globe doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Plenty of clever hacks exist that can save you money.

We’ve done some digging, compiled our findings, and put them all together into the coming post.

Looking to ship more and spend less?

Read on to discover 9 essential tips for shipping your stuff on a budget.

1. Stockpile and Recycle Packing Materials

Packing materials are a primary expense involved with shipping.

Everything from the cardboard boxes to the bubble-wrap and packing peanuts cost money. Alas, it’s unavoidable when you’re sending precious cargo around the country.

Sure, for one-off packages, the price of these vital items is unlikely to break the bank.

But it’s a different story for big-time sellers who ship at scale. The cost of constantly buying new packing supplies can soon add up. The more you spend, the lower your margins will be.

That’s why hoarding, re-purposing, and recycling old packing supplies can be so helpful. It’s better for the environment and your bank balance!

Everyday people can leverage the same approach too.

Who knows when you’ll need to send a package somewhere? Having the resources ready and available to use is no bad thing. It saves you the hassle and expense of purchasing them.

In the habit of buying things online? Make the effort to set the packaging aside. It’ll save you time and money down the line.

2. Avoid Buying the Boxes

In the habit of buying the cardboard boxes to ship things in?

Well, stop it!

You’re definitely not alone in doing so. Heck, the cardboard box manufacturing industry is worth $66 billion in the US. That represents an enormous demand for cardboard boxes!

But you might be spending money unnecessarily.

It’s 100% guaranteed that someone, somewhere, will have boxes laying around for you to use. Check your basement, ask your neighbors, speak to the grocery store down the road.

They’ll almost certainly have used cardboard boxes that you can take off their hands.

They might even be pleased to see the back of them!

Again, it’s different if you’re running a business. You might want purpose-built branded boxes for the items being sold and shipped. All the same, it’s worth thinking twice about your suppliers.

Could you barter down the price? Would another supplier offer a better deal and bigger discounts on bulk purchases? Asking these questions might be another way to bring the price down on your packing supplies.

3. Think Longer Term

Less isn’t always more.

Many people are swayed by the budget option upfront. It makes sense! You want to save money on shipping, which makes the cheapest option more appealing.

Surely, in the bid to spend less, the best approach is to pay for the cheapest shipping option?

We understand the logic, but it’s not always the case.

The fact of the matter is that spending more at the outset can save you cash down the line. It’s all too common for packages to run into problems in transit. They might get lost, sent to the wrong address, or held up somewhere.

You’re forced to spend additional cash to sort out the issue. However, premium services that pack a heavier price tag are a) less likely to suffer such inconveniences, and b) more likely to rectify the issue at no extra cost.

Think long term and consider the investment of spending a little more at the outset.

4. Insure Yourself

This point is an extension of the last.

Paying for insurance can be unappealing when you’re trying to cut costs. But it’s a sensible decision if you’re thinking ahead and treating your shipments as in investment.

The last thing you want is for fragile and/or precious cargo to suffer in transit. Lost, damaged, or broken products are bad for business in every single way.

It costs you in terms of money and reputation.

The customer will be upset that their purchase hasn’t arrived, or that it was broken when it did. They’ll demand a refund or replacement, which will come out of your pocket.

Having coverage means you can claim back the money lost.

5. Lose Some Weight

In the business world, time is money.

But in shipping, size and weight are money. The bigger and heavier the package, the more expensive it’ll be to ship. Following that logic, doing anything in your power to reduce the size and weight involved will save you money.

In other words, be sensible when packing the box!

Use packing supplies with the best strength to weight ratio you can find. Packing peanuts are great here. They keep items safe and weigh practically nothing.

Again, the amount you save on each package might not be much. Add that up over days, weeks, months and years, though, and the effort becomes more worthwhile.

6. Pack Individual Items in the Same Package

Imagine having to ship multiple items to the same individual.

It’s better to send them all together in the same package instead of separate ones. You’ll save cash, avoid issues in transit, and provide a better service in the process.

Amazon (the online giant) is great at this.

Someone that buys 5 books, for example, in the same purchase can usually expect them to arrive at the same time and in the same box. In other words, individual items were combined into the same package.

Everybody wins.

Amazon pays less on their shipping because fewer packages are being sent. It also means fewer moving parts are in play, which reduces the possibility of expensive problems occurring. After all, there’s only one shipment to track and monitor as opposed five.

The customer enjoys getting everything in one go as well. There’s less physical packaging with which to dispose (or store) and they don’t have to wait for additional orders to arrive.

Having had a positive experience, they’re more likely to use the service again in the future.

7. Ship at the Right Time

Timing is all-important too.

Certain times of year spell trouble for shipping. Holiday season is the main one to take into account.

The sheer amount of packages being sent around the holidays creates the perfect storm for delivery delays and increased costs. You can avoid much of the trouble by being efficient and getting as many packages shipped prior to the holiday rush.

Prior preparation is key. Aim to handle orders a week in advance of any holiday season.

Of course, for businesses, this is going to be the busiest time of year anyway. With new orders coming in at all times, you might lack the luxury of shipping ahead of time.

For the average person, though, getting in early will help.

8. Use the Postal Service

For small and lightweight packages, USPS is usually your best bet.

Don’t be put off by the reputation of old. They’ve been known to lose their fair share of packages in the past. But, by all accounts, times have changed.

Likewise, few private delivery services boast the same level of coverage. You can send packages via USPS from anywhere, to anywhere, and all in reasonable time.

Again, using USPS works best for lightweight items. Anybody or business dealing in such goods will save themselves considerable sums of money this way; the prices are hard to beat.

Remember to use certified mail for important shipments as well.

How does certified mail work? Following that link will explain everything.

9. Take Your Time

Not in a hurry?

Slower shipping is another easy way to save yourself money.

That’s all well and good for individuals sending the occasional package. But what about businesses with customers expecting ever-faster delivery times?

Depending on your business model, slow delivery might still be worth considering. Slower (and cheaper) delivery is at least worth offering to customers. You never know, they might not be in a rush either! If so, they might be happy to save a few dollars on shipping in exchange for a long wait.

Exactly How to Ship Packages On a Budget

Nobody wants to spend more on shipping than they need to.

Especially if you’re in the business of selling products online!

Thankfully, though, there are all sorts of ways to cut the costs involved. You just have to know how to ship packages sensibly! Hopefully, this post has revealed exactly that.

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