While care packages are a tradition, few people may realize just how much their loved ones appreciated them especially when everything arrives on time and intact.  Take college students, for example.  What could be better than free food?  According to a survey conducted by The UPS Store®

and Mail Boxes Etc. ®, 67% of college students fine what they want most is a taste of home delivered to their mailbox.  Here are some tips to create the perfect care package for that special someone away at school:

1.    Pack it up – Send home baked sweets, such as cookies, alongside hearty snacks, like trail mix.  Pack items securely in airtight decorative tins or disposable plastic ware.  You can even send a cake by placing the cake in a tin and packing the frosting separately.  Include a card, presents and decorations for an instant birthday
celebration.

2.    Wrap for success – Ensure baked goods are cool before packing.  When shipping multiple items, pack the heaviest ones on the bottom and make sure all items are tightly sealed.  Never leave air pockets in containers.  Fill any gaps with bubble cushioning or packing peanuts, so the goodies look as good on arrival as they did when they left the oven.

3.    Be the dorm favorite – More than 70% of students surveyed wanted to share their care packages with friends and roommates, so pack a little extra.  Consider sending treats for special occasions, like Halloween, or to celebrate milestones like the end of midterms.

Don’t have time to pack it?  Bring it in to us, we are Certified Packaging Experts and can pack it, as well as ship it.  Even though loved ones may be miles away, it’s easy to show you care with a package expertly packed and shipped by The UPS Store.

Shipping luggage ahead of time is smart for air travelers. Not only can it reduce stress at the airport, it can actually save travelers money. See what different airlines are charging for checked baggage.  The best part of shipping your luggage in advance? Your bags are waiting for you at your destination. 
  
Helpful Packing Tips: 
 ·         To reduce weight and cost skip the suitcase, and pack your clothes in and other items directly in our new luggage box or a sturdy box.
·         No room for surfboards, bikes, golf clubs, fishing rods, extra reading materials or snorkel gear? Ship these types of items straight to your vacation destination.
·         Be sure to notify the place you will be staying that you are expecting a package. That way, you can arrange to have them sign for the package even if it arrives before you do. 

The UPS Store, has teamed up with AAA to offer valuable discounts to AAA members through AAA’s Show Your Card & Save program.  AAA members that visit The UPS Store can save 15 percent off the full retail price of eligible services and products, while saving 5 percent on UPS shipping costs.

Learn about how UPS works at the How Things Work website. UPS delivers billions of packages each year, at the rate of over 14 million packages every weekday, and it all starts when we prepare that special label with the distictive bar codes.