The Scoop on Holiday Shipping 2018 + GIVEAWAY

It’s crunch time on the holiday shopping front. While I hope you all are enjoying the season regardless of where you’re at on your shopping list, today I wanted to give you the scoop on all things holiday shipping related (aka holiday shipping deadlines 2018).

I’m guessing that you, like me, are avoiding malls and shopping centers like the plague during the month of December. Why deal with parking and lines and crowds when you can shop online and have all your gifts delivered to their intended recipients with little more than a click of a button (and the entry of a credit card number) from you? Well the only thing that we have to remember as we sit in pajamas and shop is that all good things have deadlines, in this case, shipping cut off deadlines.

2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Sadly the first has already passed us by. December 14th was the last day to ship anything USPS Ground and have it arrive before Christmas. I’ve been seeing this meme all over the internet recently which always gives me a laugh when it comes to dealing with the USPS.

The next deadline is today, December 17th! Today is the last day to ship FedEx standard and have it arrive before Christmas. FedEx was also included in the meme. No one was safe.

Now for the most important date, December 18th, aka Tuesday. This is the last day to ship anything via UPS 3-Day select and have it arrive in time to go under the tree. Why is this date the most important? Because it’s the date that most online retailers use as their shipping cut off as well! So we have one more day to get those online orders placed so they’ll arrive before Christmas. But more on that in a minute.

If you miss the 18th cut off, don’t worry not all is lost. December 20th (Thursday) is the last day to ship both Priority AND 2nd Day Air. This will have your packages arriving on Monday the 24th, just in the nick of time.

Finally, December 21st is the last day to ship UPS Next Day Air. Yes, that’s this Friday but you have to account for the weekend so “next day” will actually look more like Monday the 24th. But as long as it gets there, right?!

Best Retailers for Last Minute Shipping

Ok, so we have all the important dates down but who are the retailers you can trust in a pinch? Here are some that have free 2-day shipping (aka the holy grail for all online shoppers):

• Amazon (they have really set the new standard in shipping)
• Shopbop (they use Amazon for their shipping and it is fantastic! Plus they have easy returns which is nice when you’re gifting something and aren’t certain about size or color)
• Sephora
• Ulta (they have SO MANY cute gift sets on sale right now! And plenty of their options come in gift ready packaging)
• ASOS (another retailer with a really easy return policy)
• Target

Another thing to remember if you need to snag a last minute gift is that there are retailers that will now let you order online, then pickup in store. I have some friends who swear up and down that this is the only way to shop. Some go as far to have curbside service, where you don’t even have to get out of your car! Here are the places to look for in-store pickup:

• Nordstrom (I’ve used their curbside pickup once when I needed something and was headed to the airport later that day. Seriously game changing)
• Target (I’ve also used their In Store pickup with great success. You do have to park and go into the store though…)
• Bloomingdales
• Walmart

And if you’d read through all this and just can’t take any more stressful holiday shopping, don’t worry I have you covered too! Remember last year when I shared my 5 Really Last Minute Gift Ideas? Well on Friday, I’ll be sharing five more for this year. So don’t forget to come back for quick gifts that won’t require a trip to the mall.

Need more gift ideas? Don’t forget to check out Affordable Holiday Gift Guide for Him & Her Under $100 or my Stocking Stuffers Under $25

And one final note for those of you who’ve made it this far. Every Monday Michelle, Adriele, and I put together a little blogger linkup and this week will be the final one for 2018. Start the Week Stylish is taking the next two Mondays off after a year of themed linkups. But because we appreciate all of you who enter your links week after week, we have a little giveaway for you as our way of saying ‘thank you’ for participating in 2018. I know that I haven’t been the best at leaving comments but I really do enjoy looking at the different looks and links that you share with us every Monday. I hope to see much more from you ladies in 2019!

Until next time,
Ana Luiza

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