Holiday shipping deadlines loom

Look at the calendar. The holidays are fast approaching and if you don't get your packages into the mail soon, they are not going to be there in time.

Regina Pugh, the owner of the UPS store on South Mac Dill Avenue in Tampa, says some people know the drill.

"Then we have the new person who has never shipped," Pugh told FOX 13. "They have moved here from New York or New Jersey, and they have never shipped and they're not sure what to do, and they come in, 'What do we do?'"

Here's what she tells them: Wrap things that are not fragile in peanuts. There should be about an inch of packing between the item and the box.

Cushion items that are fragile in peanuts, then wrap them in bubble wrap. There should be about two inches between the item and the box.

You might want to insure them as well. Insurance is probably less expensive than you may think.

Finally, make sure you keep track of the date. To get the best deal on cost, get your package into the mail by the following dates. Procrastination can double or even triple the price.

Here are the dates you have to mail by in order for your UPS packages to get to Grandma's by Christmas:

• Military / APO: December 10
• West Coast: December 14
• East Coast and Midwest: December 18
• Southeast: December 19
• Last minute / overnight (but it is going to cost you): December 22

For other shippers' deadlines and more holiday stories, click on over to our 2012 Holiday Guide: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/category/251035/tampa-bay-holiday-guide-2012