The holidays are here, and if you’re among the millions of other Americans that shop online, you’ll probably be expecting a package delivery (or many deliveries) sometime in the next month.

The U.S. Postal Service alone estimates that it will deliver 850 million packages this year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Other delivery services forecast similarly high volumes of shipping.

It may seem obvious, but when it comes to shipping on time for Christmas, earlier is better — and could save you money.

Standard ground shipping, the least expensive option, requires you to ship or order a package up to 10 days in advance to be confident it will arrive by Christmas Eve.

Priority shipping with shorter turnaround can get a package to its destination sooner, but can cost significantly more. Christmas being on a Monday this year makes it even more challenging to get packages delivered before the weekend.

“Don’t be alarmed if delivery runs a day or two late due to volume,” said Lisa Stiern, owner of Goin’ Postal in Warrenton.

The cutoff for three-day shipping to arrive before Christmas is Dec. 20 for the Postal Service, Dec. 18 for UPS and Dec. 19 for FedEx.

Even faster shipping can be had for a premium price, but customers should check if there will be an extra charge if the delivery is on a Saturday. The absolute last day to get an overnight package shipped before Christmas is Dec. 22.

Package security

Police officials in Warrenton and Wright City say package theft isn’t much of an issue in the area. But for any residents who are nervous about packages being dropped off on their front porch, officials offered a few pieces of advice to minimize the possibility of theft.

Requesting a signature when the package is delivered is a good practice, but could mean that the package delivery will be delayed if no one is home, or you might have to go pick it up.

Try to schedule the timing of the delivery for a day or time that you will be home. Or, if possible, have packages delivered to your workplace where you’ll be during the day.

Additionally, the Postal Service suggests having packages delivered to a trusted neighbor who is home during the day. Major shipping services usually also offer options for customers to leave special delivery instructions, such as leaving the package at your back door.

And if you’re the one doing the shipping, make sure your item is packaged in a sturdy container and cushioned appropriately so it arrives in one piece.