<p>Mike, Thanks for the suggestion. I was just in Costco when my DD face-timed me and as I was standing by that popcorn, she was saying how much she can’t wait to have it for Christmas! So ordered when I saw your post, she will be extremely excited!!! Thanks again! 
:-)</p>
<p>good. glad i could help!</p>
<p>Finals survival package just sent off. All food. Sustaining type of things for finals week that he can grab late at night or between class. I wanted him to have decent meals handy so he did not have to “think” about food, or schedule meal times. It is hard to find things I can mail that are healthy-ish.</p>
<p>I finally decided to send a little box today too. I got some treats from the candy shop, some Hannukah gelt (chocolate money) since he won’t be here for most of Hannukah. I will have to be more efficient next time and think of it earlier. Love the ideas here. Doesn’t shipping cost a fortune?</p>
<p>The largest Priority Mail flat rate box costs a little over $16 with delivery confirmation when purchased at the post office or $15 if you print the label online. The medium-sized boxes are free and the USPS employees have free priority mail shipping tape. Otherwise, those with eBay accounts can get discounts on FedEx and UPS shipping.</p>
<p>For those who live close to Alabama, consider requesting some of the free regional [flat] rate boxes instead of the normal flat rate boxes to save some money. Regional rate boxes are not available at the post office, but your mail carrier will deliver them the next day if you order them online.</p>
<p>Before my daughter came home for Thanksgiving I made a 12 days of christmas box in which she had to open a gift every day till she came home. I hid it in the car when we took her back( to save on shipping) and gave it to her. She was told not to open till December 1st. On Sunday she called and was so happy and thanked me for doing this. Each gift is things that she likes or has to do with what is going on. Just before finials she will get a box of Lucky charms (her favorite) with a card that says… here is a little luck for you.</p>
<p>most of the time, unless you are shipping bricks or gold, it is cheaper NOT to use the flat rate boxes. i have compared several times, and it has always been cheaper to use a non-flat rate box.</p>
<p>would be nice if this ever offered savings.</p>
<p>fedex has always been cheapest for me from California but then they started that nonsense of sharing shipping with the USPS so if you used Paty and they ended up using USPS the grand mixups occurred and packages ended up in Never-never- Land. Unless you are doing overnight shipping, you have no control. So I do use flat rate and compensate but filling extra space with things like peanut butter, a can of something or ??? I also use it because packages via UPS or FedEx typically take five days but priority often makes it in three, which matters if I’ve been baking. But I agree, it isn’t cheap.</p>
<p>For the finals care package, I opted to purchase the care packages from Alabama (I can’t remember it was from residential or another department.) Does anyone know when these will be deivered to their dorm rooms?</p>
<p>kjcphmom,</p>
<p>I did the same. DS got an e-mail directing him where to pick up his package. (I think he said Ridgecrest East.)</p>
<p>NRDMOM, that explains a cryptic Facebook post telling students to go to Ridgecrest East to pick up their care packages.</p>
<p>I use flat rate boxes because I ship a lot of heavy items across the country. As USPS’s zone pricing tops out at 8 zones, I could ship items from Alaska or Hawaii and pay the same price as I do shipping from Washington. </p>
<p>I’m surprised at the number of companies that try mailing packages to PO Boxes using UPS/FedEx. This has happened to me 3 times this year. Luckily this last time, UPS noticed the error and automatically routed my package to Paty.</p>
<p>My care package for DS arrived yesterday and the joy in is voice over the phone was worth all the effort. I typically send flat rate USPS too. You can either do priority or express (but I’ve found to T-town from No. Va, it doesn’t make much differerence for the price). The great news for this option is you can pick a few boxes up at the PO, have them handy. When you’re ready to ship, go on line at USPS.gov, you can purchase the postage from your computer and schedule a pick up from your house for your mailman to take it. Yippee…you don’t even have to leave the house and stand it lines…</p>
<p>I packed three of his favorite homemade treats in an airtight container (suggested it was enough to share with his friends…to which he said NO WAY, I’ve had these in forever), a stress football, a slinky, lots of gum, beef jerky, protein bars and Pomogrante juice (his favorite that he won’t purchase him self because he says his budget doesn’t allow it =-).</p>
<p>Best of luck to all the kiddos for finals next week and to each and all a wonderful holiday season with lots of great memories! RTR.</p>
<p>My DD still does not have her popcorn from Costco…FedEx says will arrive Friday. 10 days!!!(they said it would take 5 on website) UGH, not happy and poor DD did not get her fun treat. She is heading home on Friday, so most likely it will have to stay at the post office. 
Oh well, will fill her up with treats when she is home, cannot wait!!!</p>
<p>josie - idk when you ordered. i ordered the day i posted. i sent one to both of my daughters. one arrived last friday and the other arrived monday.</p>
<p>sorry yours didn’t get there when you wanted it to. i hate it when that happens.</p>
<p>I ordered on the 4th and it was supposed to arrive on Monday. Oh well, it happens.</p>
<p>This site is what you want:
[College</a> Care Packages at Care Package Cafe](<a href=“http://www.carepackagecafe.com/]College”>http://www.carepackagecafe.com/)</p>
<p>Works every time.</p>
<p>DD could not be bothered to go pick up her dozen Georgetown cupcakes the day they arrived so will not be getting another care package anytime soon.</p>
<p>sorry your kid was a bum. : /</p>
<p>Thanks, me too Live and learn.</p>