Postage Costs
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
Canada
December 11, 2015 11:29pm CST
My son and his wife and children live in France while I live in Canada. Because of this, I send packages overseas at Christmas time. Every year I tell myself that next year I'll just send him the money, as I have to pay almost as much on postage as I do on the presents. I know it's best to get something personal from us to them, but it's ridiculous to waste so much money on postage. They could use the extra money to get something to make their Christmas more special. Heck, I could use the money to pay some bills!
But I've done it again and gone and bought them something. Now tomorrow I'll be lugging my gifts to the post office and forking out the money to pay to send them overseas. I know the girls will be happy, but next year I'm going to be smarter about how I spend the money.
That's what I said last year, too.
23 people like this
28 responses
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
Now that's what I'd most like to do. I'm saving up for it.
4 people like this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
12 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 - thats what i wish for you this Christmas - that you get to be the PRESENT arriving next year!!
4 people like this
@JudyEv (342342)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Dec 15
Postage in Australia has gone up several times lately and is set to go up again in the New Year. It is getting prohibitive to send even small, light items overseas. For the last couple of years we've been able to buy stuff online and have it sent to Damian and his wife in Ireland. Once we had a bird table delivered from a hardware store near them. Amazon is often a good option too.
5 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
I've done Amazon before but sometimes it's hard to find exactly what you want.
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15512)
• United Kingdom
12 Dec 15
Thats more or less what i said to do.
go on a site in the recipients country then that'd avoid the big postage costs...sensible
4 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
When the girls are in their teens, I will probably do that. It's too hard to know what kids that age like.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
1 Jan 16
@vandana7 Right now they send me handmade cards with pop-ups. There are lots of other presents they send, too, but I love the handmade ones the best. I sent them some handmade things this Christmas, too, along with the pajamas. I will probably continue to do that even if I send money instead of clothes.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
12 Dec 15
And you will do the same thing next year and the year after and that year after...
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
12 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 We are creatures of habit after all!
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
@AbbyGreenhill I should save money to hand deliver their parcels -- if only I could!
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
I know. They do find getting something in the mail fun.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
12 Dec 15
I sell on ebay, and I have noticed that it costs a ton to send to Canada. Sometimes as much as when I ship overseas. Canada must have huge postal prices.
3 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
Yes, it's more expensive than the US, and our dollar is low right now so sending from across the border is pricey, too.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
12 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 I thought so. That stinks.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 I cannot dispute that, but it still amounts to a considerable outlay at one time.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
But keeping up the connections is worth it in the end. You can't put a price on that.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
@Asylum I guess we can send out internet cards, but it's not the same.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61101)
• United States
12 Dec 15
lol You have a grandma's heart and I would be buying presents too and the cost be darned. ( I am not going to set off the naughty word filter again)
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
You're funny! Now you've got me wondering which word you wanted to type -- okay, now I get it! Yes, I sent off my parcel yesterday. Now I'm trying to forget how much the postage cost.
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
I usually get them pajamas. They can't get the warm kind where they live and their house is on the cool side. Of course I add some homemade things to the box.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (140166)
• Roseburg, Oregon
12 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 Than you should not quit doing that.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
@jstory07 I will reassess it each year but as long as the girls are young enough, I'll probably keep sending them.
@garymarsh6 (23412)
• United Kingdom
12 Dec 15
Postage costs are so unreasonable from the UK I stopped posting abroad now but I do order stuff on Ebay or Amazon. com and have it delivered from them to my friends in the USA. Last year my nephew wanted a coat. We got the coat for him but the postage was £100 or $154. My wife was flying out to Australia two months later so took it out with her then. It was hardly that he was going to use it then because it was their summer! So there is a thought perhaps you might think about amazon or ebay? FR
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
So far my Amazon purchases to France haven't been successful.
@sallypup (61771)
• Centralia, Washington
12 Dec 15
Sentimentality. She's Queen for the season for sure. I just spent over a hundred dollars, between copying and postage, on giving out my annual Christmas Tale to about 34 people. The anticipation and eager ripping open of the packages or envelope is priceless.
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
I've had that intention -- to send out a seasonal story with a few poems, too, but it does get pricey. I'm sure those who get your tale will be delighted.
@sallypup (61771)
• Centralia, Washington
12 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 This year my hubby wrote a fantastic seasonal short story about a previous epoch in our family history. I love how he and I play off each other when it comes to writing. I also seek out special holiday paper for the cover. It really pops the Tale awake. I mailed two to Canada this year.
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
@sallypup Should I be checking all my neighbours' mailboxes?
1 person likes this
@Gabugs (1895)
• United States
29 Dec 15
You are absolutely right in making this decision @sheilamarie78
Now think about it this way for change: You might be giving them momentary happiness. But what about the happiness you could create by gifting them what they always wanted? And what about they [girls] merrily doing their own shopping for the gift from you?
After not being too successful in choosing gifts for my 4 grandchildren, I simply make cash gifts. The eldest, enjoys seeing her money grow in her college fund account and is proud of it.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
30 Dec 15
It's wonderful she's making such good use of your gifts.
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
1 Jan 16
@Gabugs I hope she achieves her dream. That's a noble profession. You must be proud of her.
1 person likes this
@Gabugs (1895)
• United States
30 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 Oh yes, she's pretty careful about spending money and will not spend it frivolously.
Currently, Amy is busy with the college application process. Her dream is to become a Pediatrician and she's on the look out for scholarships in reputable colleges.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15512)
• United Kingdom
12 Dec 15
maybe buy things from a french site and that would cut out the majority of the postage.
I expect many things you can buy in canada are available in france.
2 people like this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
12 Dec 15
Actually a lot of things aren't. In the past I've sent English language books from the UK, which cut the cost.
@Shellyann36 (11384)
• United States
22 Dec 15
How old are your grandchildren? Once my kids hit middle school they might ask for one thing in particular but they always wanted cash or gift cards for particular stores. I shudder to think how much it costs to send packages overseas!
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5955)
• Greece
14 Dec 15
I also live in a different country to my children, I am in Greece and they are in England. We do our present giving when we visit one another. When my grandchildren were small I sent money and left the parents to buy the gifts. That worked out better for us too.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
12 Dec 15
I would probably have sent them money also but do understand how tempting it is to send something personal. I've not had to ship anything in quite a while and I've never shipped anything overseas so I have no clue how much it costs but I can imagine that it is quite expensive.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
17 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 Oh wow, that is expensive! I had no idea.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (83157)
• United States
12 Dec 15
I'm sure everyone is excited when your package arrives and they have gifts to open. I understand the expense involved sending the packages ...it's crazy how much it costs. I'm already complaining that our postage for one stamp is 49 cents
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
Our stamp is about a dollar. I forget. To the US it's more than a dollar.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (83157)
• United States
14 Dec 15
@Sheilamarie78 wow a dollar for a stamp is expensive, Guess I won't complain about my 49 cents
1 person likes this
@Sheilamarie78 (2586)
• Canada
14 Dec 15
Yes I would, but it's not possible and I have two others as well.
1 person likes this
