How I learned to love the post office, REALLY!

It's been a while, ok, a really long while since I wrote something but this is really a potentially significant piece of information for those needing parcel delivery while you are traveling.

Getting and sending shipments while traveling can often get complicated.  The solution?  USPS!  The often maligned postal service is doing a fantastic job with smaller parcels and can handle packages up to 70 pounds.  Delivery to me has been nearly perfect.  These days, a vendor that uses USPS takes priority over one that does not.  Delivery has been in 2 days almost always... In fact, I can't remember where it hasn't. 

Shipping is a breeze when I use the USPS online site ( http://www.USPS.com ) It does everything including printing the shipping label on your printer.  A local post office may even have free boxes  or large padded envelopes for you to use for shipping your parcel through them. 

A short service story about how good the USPS has become.  I sold an item on eBay and shipped it about noon on a Saturday Priority Mail from Wisconsin to New York City.  My customer had his item on Monday!!  WOW!

A couple of tips are in order. 

First, if you are shipping Priority Mail, there are two choices for  the service you want to use: flat rate or use you own box.  Check the pricing for use your own box option first as it can be significantly cheaper (%50 or more) than the standard flat rate service.

The second tip comes from the blog of Traveling With Kevin and Ruth. 

Getting shipments from Amazon while traveling can be complicated as you can't select a carrier during checkout process.  BUT, here is the trick:  In the shipping address enter P. O. Box General Delivery and the location of the local post office and the package will be there in a couple of days or so.  I have personally used this trick while not traveling as I MUCH prefer USPS to UPS (UPS can be awful)  and so I 'select' USPS  for my items from Amazon.  So far it has worked every time.

I checked with my local post office whether it would be a problem to use this addressing scheme for receiving packages from Amazon at home.  They did not seem to know the answer initially but they are glad to have the business and told me to go ahead.  Did I say I was loving my post office these days?? REALLY!