Keep down the costs of sending Christmas presents in the post with our top tips — plus win £50,000 in our raffle – The Sun

SENDING Christmas presents by post this year? On average it costs £15.85 for a medium-sized parcel to go first class with Royal Mail.

So I asked Mike Ryan, head of shipping and courier firm Pack & Send, for tips on how to send and spend less this year.

1) SAVE THE DATE: Have presents ready to send sooner rather than later.

Mike says: “Shipping services are hectic around the festive period, and if you leave it too late you may end up having to pay for next-day or same-day delivery to make sure it gets to a loved one on time.”

My tip: To send a parcel up to 2kg in weight can cost on average £26.94 for guaranteed next-day delivery with Royal Mail. Try sending your parcels second class this week, from £5.10.

SAVING: £21.84
2) ALL WRAPPED UP: It’s important to get the packaging right.

Mike says: “Around Christmas time, it’s likely any post you send is more valuable than usual, so ensure it’s wrapped safely.”

My tip: You can get 50 foam packing sheets on Amazon for £11.95 but, to save your dosh, head to Hobbycraft where you can get five meters of bubble wrap for £2. Save further cash by using an empty shoe box rather than paying £4.49 at Ryman for a small parcel box.
SAVE: £9.95 on bubble wrap
3) RETURN TO SENDER: Addressing your parcels correctly is vital, if you’re unsure about what to write on the parcel — or where to write it — you can check out the guidelines at Royalmail.com.
My tip: Include a return-to-sender address so that, if your parcel cannot be delivered, it can be sent back to you. But it’s always best to ensure you address your parcels correctly, otherwise you could end up paying £15.85 to resend by first class.
4) SAVE ON SENDING: To avoid forking out on postage, try to get your presents sorted earlier in the year so that you can give them to loved ones when you next see them

• All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.

Deal of the day

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SAVE 25 per cent when you buy six or more bottles of wine at Asda, including Moet & Chandon Imperial brut.

SAVE: 25 per cent

Cheap treat

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SAVE on your stuffing balls with half-price Paxo sage & onion stuffing mix at Tesco – grab a box for 70p, down from £1.40.

SAVE: 70p

Top swap

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LOOK after your skin this winter with Aldi Caviar Day Cream, £6.99. It’s a great alternative to the Mario Badescu version, £15.60 on BeautyBay.com.

SAVE: £8.61

Shop and save

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GET your midweek boost with Nescafe Azera Americano instant coffee, £2.75, down from £4.60 at Sainsbury’s.

SAVE: £1.85

Your paper could be worth £50,000

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EVERY CODE YOU ENTER IS A TICKET: ONE lucky reader is in line for a bumper early Christmas present – thanks to our £50,000 Sun Raffle.

Every month YOU could win the super cash giveaway in our Sun Raffle just for reading this paper.

Entering could not be easier – simply download the Sun Savers app or sign up at sunsavers.co.uk.

Then, opt in to each month’s Sun Raffle by clicking “Yes!” when prompted and start collecting the codes printed daily inside the paper – scanning in the app or entering online.

Saturday November 9’s code is on Page 20.

The next big giveaway is on Saturday, November 30 – perfect for making it a Christmas to remember.

With every code you enter you will earn a Raffle ticket into that month’s £50,000 Raffle.

There is no limit to how many tickets you can collect per month, so make sure to enter as many codes as you can to give yourself the best chance of winning. Remember, you have got to be in it to win it.

Not already a Sun Savers member? Join Sun Savers today.

It only takes a minute to sign up – just search “Sun Savers” in the app store and then download the app, or head to sunsavers.co.uk. To get started, all you need to do is enter a few details.

– T&Cs apply. For full T&Cs see sunsavers.co.uk.

Fancy a free fiver?

YOU can get FREE cash with super Sun Savers just for buying your favourite paper.

Our brilliant new rewards club will pay back our most loyal readers.

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Just pick up the paper each day to collect your Sun Savers codes and we will GIVE YOU £5 when you have ­collected 28.

This isn’t a one-off and there is no limit to how much cash you can save.

For every 28 codes you enter, we will give you a fiver. So over the course of a year, that could add up to £65.

We are keeping it super-simple. You don’t have to enter codes from consecutive days, so don’t worry if you forget a day or two.

THAT’S QUALITY

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STOCKING FILLER

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WHAT A CORKER

Aldi slashes the price of Prosecco to £4 so you can stock up for Christmas

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Morrisons shopper bags massive £19 box of food for £3 – how you can too

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Download our easy Sun Savers app and quickly scan your code using your smartphone. Or go online and enter your code at sunsavers.co.uk.

To get you on your way, join today and we will put a bonus £1 in your Sun Savers wallet tomorrow. And the good news doesn’t stop with free cash.

With Sun Savers, we give you the best hacks, deals and tips to save money every single day.

TO JOIN: Don’t worry, folks — joining takes just 30 seconds, in three steps.

• PRICES correct at time of going to press. Deals/offers subject to availability.

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