Skip to main content

Holiday Shipping Deadlines for Last-Minute Shoppers

By U.S. News & World Report

Though Santa’s delivery service is unavailable to the general public, there are select stores and shipping services that promise to get your gifts delivered by Christmas. If you’ve put off your holiday shopping and shipping until this week, you have just enough time to get items delivered by Dec. 25.

[See: 12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget.]

Time is of the essence and the earlier you order, the better. Unless otherwise noted, all shipping deadlines are for delivery by Dec. 25, and deadlines apply to shipments within the 48 contiguous U.S.

FedEx

— Wednesday, Dec. 20: Last day to select FedEx 2Day service.

— Thursday, Dec. 21: Last day to select First Overnight, Priority Overnight and Standard Overnight services.

UPS

— Wednesday, Dec. 20: Last day to select UPS 2nd Day Air for delivery on Dec. 22.

— Thursday, Dec. 21: Last day to select UPS 2nd Day Air delivery for Saturday delivery on Dec. 23. Packages must be labeled and processed for Saturday delivery, which is not available to all ZIP codes.

— Friday, Dec. 22: Last day to select UPS Next Day Air for Saturday delivery on Dec. 23.

USPS

— Wednesday, Dec. 20: Last day to ship Priority Mail. Also the last day to select First-Class Mail and Priority Mail for shipments to Alaska. For delivery to Hawaii, select Priority Mail Express.

— Thursday, Dec. 21: Last day to select Priority Mail Express for shipments to Alaska.

— Friday, Dec. 22: Last day to ship Priority Mail Express.

Amazon

Non-Prime members can still sign up for a free 30-day trial of the service and receive free two-day shipping on holiday orders.

— Friday, Dec. 22: Last day for two-day shipping. Prime member orders ship free.

— Saturday, Dec. 23: Last day for one-day shipping to select cities. Prime member orders of eligible items over $35 ship free to select cities.

— Sunday, Dec. 24: Last day to order eligible items for same-day delivery to select cities. Prime members get free same-day delivery to select cities on eligible orders of $35 or more.

— Sunday, Dec. 24 by 9:14 p.m. local time: Last day to receive free 2-hour delivery with Prime Now to select cities. Prices for this option vary by item, and not all items are eligible. Available exclusively to Prime members.

[Read: Should You Finally Get Amazon Prime?]

Target

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 11:59 p.m. CST: Last day to get free shipping and delivery by Dec. 23.

Walmart

— Saturday, Dec. 23, by 4 p.m. local time: Last day to order online and pick up in store.

Kohl’s

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 1 p.m. CST: Last day to select 1-Day shipping.

JCPenney

— Wednesday, Dec. 20: Last day to order for delivery by Dec. 25.

Barnes & Noble

— Thursday, Dec. 21, by 11:59 a.m. EST: Last day to select expedited shipping for delivery by Dec. 22. This deadline does not apply to Barnes & Noble Marketplace items, for which the holiday shipping deadline has passed.

Macy’s

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 5 p.m. EST: Last day to order via standard and premium shipping. Standard orders of $49 or more ship free.

— Friday, Dec. 22, by 12 p.m. EST: Last day to deliver via express shipping.

— Sunday, Dec. 24, by 10 a.m. local time: Last day to order for same-day delivery to select cities.

— Sunday, Dec. 24, by 12 p.m. local time: Last day to buy online and pick up in store.

Nordstrom

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 12 p.m. EST: Last day for two-business-day shipping on both gift cards and merchandise.

— Thursday, Dec. 21, by 12 p.m. EST: Last day for free standard shipping on eligible merchandise and gift cards. It’s also the last day for next-business-day shipping.

— Friday, Dec. 22, by 12 p.m. EST: Last day for $10 Saturday delivery on eligible merchandise.

Best Buy

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 10:30 a.m. CST: Last day to get delivery for most items by Dec. 22. Excludes large home delivery products.

— Sunday, Dec. 24, before 12 p.m. local time: Last day to receive same-day delivery to select cities.

— Sunday, Dec. 24, before 4 p.m. local time: Last day to order online and pick up in store. Most Best Buy stores will close at 6 p.m. local time on Dec. 24.

Bath & Body Works

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 5:59 p.m. EST: Last day to select expedited shipping.

— Thursday, Dec. 21, by 5:59 p.m. EST: Last day to select overnight shipping.

[See: 10 Signs You Shop Too Much.]

Toys ‘R Us

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 3 p.m. EST: Last day for expedited shipping.

— Wednesday, Dec. 20, by 11:59 p.m. EST: Last day for express shipping.

— Sunday, Dec. 24, by 12 p.m. EST: Last day to pick up online orders in store.

More from U.S. News

10 Money-Saving Websites to Check Before Shopping

10 Creative Ways to Cut Costs This Winter

Do’s and Don’ts of Shopping for Skin Care Products

Holiday Shipping Deadlines for Last-Minute Shoppers originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Where to take the family while they visit DC

Government shuts down after last-minute talks and Senate vote fail

How the Tax Cut Affects Investors