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Guest blog post writer Laurie Castillo, founder of the Momtrepreneur Planner shares her best tips on how to have a stress-free holiday season. Make a plan now to buy early, find all the key shopping dates, local deals, and enjoy the moment.
“My order didn’t arrive!” We’ve all experienced that horrible situation. A miserable outcome for any customer, and as a small business owner with 2 online shops, I can tell you that it is just as heartbreaking for the shop as well! But with the high demand on e-commerce companies and the impacted mail and parcel carrier services, this is very likely going to be our reality for this upcoming holiday season, so it’s more crucial than ever for us to prepare!
But how do we plan for this unprecedented 2020 holiday season, and what should we expect? Here I will share with you a few dates and deadlines to remember, as well as a few tips and tricks to plan and prepare for a stress-free holiday gift-buying season!
Make Your List and Check It Twice
The key to kicking off a stress-free holiday season is planning it on paper first! This includes your holiday gift list (and budget), as well as any special family get together dates and festivities. This will allow you to jot down all the things you will need (including ingredients for those yummy dishes you have to make, and those small gifts you always seem to forget til the last minute – like neighbor and teacher gifts – you’re welcome!). So now is the time to get this done! Make that list and don’t forget to check it twice!!
Special 2020 Sales Dates & Holiday Dates to Remember
Now that your list is made, it’s time to check the dates! Catch the best sales, get the best deals & know the absolute latest delivery dates you have, to make it for these special occasions!
November 26: Thanksgiving Day
November 27: Black Friday
November 28: Small Business Saturday
November 30: Cyber Monday
December 1: Giving Tuesday
December 10-18: Hanukkah
December 14: Green Monday
December 18: Free Shipping Friday
December 19: Super Saturday
December 24: Christmas Eve
December 25: Christmas Day
December 26-January 1: Kwanzaa
Think Small, Win Big!
Another BIG thing we want to consider this holiday season, is to shop SMALL!! Small businesses have been hit the hardest by the impacts of this pandemic, and this is a great way to show your support. So shop local and shop small, and help support a small business (and the family it supports) however best you can! You’ll win big with unique & specialty gifts & by knowing that you helped a small business in need this holiday season!
Know the Time Frames!
Wherever you shop from though, know the shops time frames! This is extremely important to make sure your holiday gifts arrive on time. Many businesses, especially small businesses, have separate processing and shipping times. The PROCESSING TIME is the time it takes to actually make or prepare your products for shipment. The SHIPPING TIME is the transit time it takes for the mail or parcel carrier service to get your order from the shop to your doorstep. Make sure you know the difference!
2020 Holiday Shipping Cutoff Dates and Delivery Deadlines by Carrier
Ultimately, the shipping cutoff dates are the most important dates to note when purchasing your gifts for this holiday season, but the key truly is to shop as early as possible to ensure shipment well before these dates! The following are the shipping cutoff dates for receiving orders before Christmas Day, December 25th, 2020.
USPS 2020 HOLIDAY SHIPPING CUTOFF DATES
USPS Retail Ground Ship by Wednesday, December 16th
USPS Media Mail Ship by Wednesday, December 16th
USPS First Class Mail Ship by Monday, December 21st
USPS Priority Mail Ship by Monday, December 21st
USPS Priority Mail Express Ship by Tuesday, December 22nd
FEDEX 2020 HOLIDAY SHIPPING CUTOFF DATES
FedEx Smart Post Ship by Wednesday, December 9th
FedEx Ground Delivery Ship by Tuesday, December 15th
FedEx Home Delivery Ship by Tuesday, December 15th
FedEx Express Saver Ship by Monday, December 21st
FedEx 2-Day Services Ship by Tuesday, December 22nd
FedEx Overnight Services Ship by Wednesday, December 23rd
UPS 2020 HOLIDAY SHIPPING CUTTOFF DATES
UPS Ground Ship by Wednesday, December 16th
UPS 3-Day Select Ship by Saturday, December 19th *
UPS 2-Day Air Services Ship by Friday, December 18th *
UPS Next Day Air Services Ship by Friday, December 18th *
*Due to shipment modifications for the 2020 holiday season, all select & air services must be scheduled in advance from normal time frames
Final Thoughts…
To beat that dreaded holiday crunch this year, especially in the midst of all of this craziness the pandemic has left us with, and ensure yourself the best and most stress-free holiday as possible, it’s important to take note & remember these key points. So to recap, don’t forget…
- Plan it all on paper first
- Catch the sales & know your holiday dates
- Shop local and shop small as best as you can
- Know the shop time frames
- Know the shipping cutoff dates and deadlines
- And most importantly, shop as early as you can this year!
From me to you, wishing you the best (and most stress-free) 2020 holiday season!
