Ten Dollars Saved is Ten Dollars Earned

You know that old wise saying of Benjamin Franklin, "A penny save is a penny earned?"  SAVING MONEY is exactly what has me SO excited today but we are not talking pennies here.  Face it, if you want to get your art out there and sell your art than you have to get the whole shipping thing figured out.  A few posts ago I shared about UHaul Mirror boxes (only $4.60) and how great they are for shipping larger pieces and today I want to talk about postage costs.

About 2 weeks ago I had the privilege of selling a rather large 24 x 36 inch painting to a couple that needed it shipped to Reno, Nevada.  I first went online and checked both UPS and USPS online shipping calculators and found that UPS quoted a few dollars under the price of the USPS.  I was skeptical but decided to take my box into a UPS office and see just what it would cost me.  With $500 insurance, UPS actually came out more expensive and then to top it off the employee claimed to be able to see the USPS rates there on this computer and  I would have to pay in the neighborhood of $240 if I used them.  What a bold faced lie that was! 

We loaded the box back in the car and drove straight to the neighborhood post office where I paid a total of $31.15 + $6.80 for insurance to ship my box.  Once again, I received confirmation that USPS is the best route for shipping for me and my business.

This week I found something so exciting that I decided I would share it with you.  It is a website called "Pirateship.com".  I know that shipping is always a confusing topic when it comes to larger boxes.  This sight gives you commercial pricing like that which is offered on EBAY and ETSY shops but you can benefit as an individual by openning a free account.  No fees involved and you can immediately realize the savings.  I have mailed 2 packages this week using Pirateship.com and am just ecstatic.

I decided to show you the comparison prices of Pirateship.com and that of the USPS Click and Ship quotes.  I entered in all the exact same information for my box into Pirateship.com and received a quote for $21.76.  That is a savings on just one shipment of $9.39.  No more standing in line at the post office for me.  I feel that I am one step closer to the time that I will have some many shipments a week leaving my studio that I will  have to declare an actually SHIPPING DAY.