How to mail / ship clothing the cheapest using USPS

 

Looking for tips on how to mail / ship cothing the cheapest using USPS?  Well you have come to the right place.  In this article, I go through my methods for shipping clothing through the United States Post Office ( USPS }. 

 

Before we get to far into this article, it is important to note that you must have a scale on hand to be able to determine what your cheapest mailing option is going to be.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't have a postal scale?  You can purchase them only fairly cheap on eBay or Amazon  click here to some some examples.

 

Now that you have a scale, you are going to need the propper shipping supplies in the form of Poly mailer bags.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since clothing is not breakable poly mailer bags are great for mailing clothing through USPS.   Here are some of the benefits of using poly mailer bags.

 

• Light weight which makes it by far the cheapest method.

• Water proof

• Durable

• Self adhesive

• Various colors 

• Various sizes 

 

 

What size ploy bag best fits my needs?

From the multiple sizes available, I currently use the 15 x 19 inch bags for smaller shirts and I use my new favorite,19 x 24 inch bags for larger articles of clothing. These larger shipping bagsmake it easy to fit a fit full length coat and even fairly large boxes. If, for some reason, you end up "butchering" a box while trying to pack/ship it you can use these poly shipping bags to strengthen and enhance the appearance of the package

 

How to choose which USPS shipping method to use

I have created a simple flow chart that you can use to choose the cheapest method for shipping your clothing.  This shipping flow chart can be used for any package.   

 

The information you need to select the cheapest shipping method is the weight of the clothing after it has been packaged.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flow chart

 

First class mail - Cheapest for clothing 13 oz & under

 

Priority mail - Cheapest shipping for clothing over 13 oz, but under 2 lbs.

 

Parcel select - Cheapest for shipping clothing over 2lbs.

 

The flow chart essentially says if your article of clothing is 13 oz or under then your cheapest method for shipping USPS will be first class mail.   If your clothing weighs more than 13 oz, but less than 2 lbs you can no longer use first class so your best option is going to be priority because usually priority is cheaper than parcel select under 2 lbs.   If your package is over 2lbs your cheapest rate is going to be parcel select.

 

Other helpful shipping tips.

• When looking for the cheapest shipping options, always take your packaging into consideration.

• If you are concered about water getting into your package you can always double wrap with two poly bags.  I like doing this for overseas shipping.

• You get what you pay for.  Not all poly bags are created equal.  Some of the cheapest poly bags you can see right through, and I wouldn't recommend them.

• Always back upyour poly bag adhesive strip with some tape just in case.

 

Thanks for reading my guide on how to mail / ship clothing the cheapest using USPS guide.

Thanks for taking the time to read my guide.  I hope this will help you find the cheapest shipping for your item!