Avoid Late Presents And Cards: Here Are Maine’s Hard And Fast Holiday Shipping Deadlines

It seems that each holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's, time flies by at lightning speed. We know that the rush to get everything done can be insane.

If you are someone who sends out holiday packages or cards, then there are some important dates you're going to want to keep in mind, in order to make sure those special items make it to their destinations in time.

Folks mailing out packages through the United States Postal Service are going to want to be aware of the dates 12/17, 12/28, and 12/20.

First Class and Ground Advantage items need to be sent by December 17th. You can also send things Priority on 12/18 and Priority Mail Express on 12/20.

Read More: Here's How To Keep Yourself And Your Stuff Safe This Holiday

If you're shipping through FedEx, there are several options, even on the day of, to choose from, if you're willing to pay the price.

For FedEx users, if you're sending Economy Ground, it needs to go out by December 15th, and Express Ground by December 17th.

But if you plan to ship by 2 Day or 2 Day AM, you have a little more time. Those packages will still get there in time if they're postmarked by the 22nd of December.

Or, for a little extra, you can go with FedEx First Overnight, Priority Overnight, or Standard Overnight and send it out on December 23rd, to get it there in time for Christmas.

FedEx even has a Same-Day option for those who really procrastinate!

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Those sending holiday gifts via UPS also have some later options for slightly higher price points.

Their 3 Day Select due date is 12/19, while their 2nd Day Air is 12/22. They also have a Next Day Air option that you can send out on December 23rd.

They do have a handy-dandy cost calculator right on their website if you want to figure out how much you're going to pay in advance of showing up at your local drop-off spot.

Read More: Discover How Much Maine Splurges Per Person on the Holidays

So, whether you're an advanced planner or a last-minute shipper, at least you're not armed with the dates and deadlines you need to make sure that you have a fighting chance of winning this holiday season.