Here are a few tips to saving costs on shipping. Many of them are free or inexpensive.

1. First of all did you know that the Post Office will send free box to send priority mail. These boxes can only be used for priority mail. The address below is the ebay shipping center. If you look at the bottom of the page you will see a list of ten things. In the eighth, there is a link with the words order free. You can click and order free boxes. They shipped to house in a week to ten days. Remember order ahead as you need them.


http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/shipping.html

2. Flat rate boxes. If you have heavier items you can put them in a flat rate priority box. The box measure 11" x 8 1/2" x 5 1/2". This is not huge but the weight limit is 75 pounds. You put shoes, metal items, heavy books. rocks. The costs in only $8.10. You can also ship to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The trip might take a few extra days but it beats any of the other methods. I used these boxes at least twice this week.

3. Recycle boxes and packing materials from items received. Don't throw anything out unless have no choices. The bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, newspaper can be used again. I have noticed that as the number of packages going out has increase I am using almost 100% of the packing materials.

4. Remember when you hated getting junk mail. I have changed my attitude. I use the flyer all the time instead of newspaper. I have considered using different middle initials to increase my junk mail volume. You could get 26 different set of junk mail.

5. Look for free newspapers that are expired or out of date. Maybe have  a few of your friend save their Sunday papers. Every little bit helps.

6. Use shopping bags for packing material. I had a big pile of plastic grocery bags sitting under the sink and I was never using them as fast as I got them. I ship plants so I like a light material that will support but not put weight on the plants.

7. You ever have a space in the box and afraid that you would increase the weight too much with newspaper. ziplock bags filled with air will hold items in place without adding a lot of weight. That little fraction of an ounce push the weigh up the next pound. The higher weight can really change the costs for example going from $4.05 to $5.25 because the zip code charges have kicked in.

I hope that I have saved you some money. I had to learn the more expensive way. I was buying little box at $2 each when I could have gotten them from the Post Office for free. You can also get them directly from the post office web site. It requires a careful search of the web site and free registration to order boxes. They have limits on the number you can order a day. I think most ebays will not have needs that excess those limits.