Instead of cramming all your gifts into the 12.25-inch x 12.25-inch x 6-inch large Priority Mail flat-rate box from USPS, you can spend just a few dollars more to send a box that's significantly bigger.
It's interesting to notice that Priority Mail prices for shipping larger than 5-pound packages are less than $2 more than the flat rate for a large Priority Mail box - usually $19.95 - even though our box has about twice the volume.
The prices for three-day delivery increase significantly at UPS and FedEx, with the former listing prices three or four times higher for small boxes, about 50% to 125% more for medium boxes, and two to three times higher for the largest boxes. The takeaway on three-day shipping? If you have access to a US Post Office and you're willing to wait in line, you'll save quite a bit using Priority Mail to get your packages where they need to go in about half a week.
