I always wind up forgetting some of my shipping supplies when I go to the post office, and then I wind up having to buy something from them that seems to be quite over-priced and also under-quality. This usually makes me pretty annoyed, and I tend to be annoyed at the post office anyway. I don’t want to come across as one of those people that always need to have something a certain way, but there are definitely two places on this planet that will wipe the smile off of your face: the DMV and the post office. No matter how resolved you are to go in there and keep your head high you always wind up leaving with leaky-gut symptoms. Thankfully, the post office right by house is usually amazing. Unless a certain lady is on duty, and then not so much. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her in a while…
Here is a list of packaging and shipping supplies you may want to consider keeping on hand in your car for those days when, spur of the moment, you throw the box for your grandma in the back seat so you don’t keep forgetting to send it:
- Address book. Unless you have all of your addresses in your phone, like a lot of people, consider keeping an address book in your glovebox. You don’t have to put the names down, for safety purposes, but you should be able to tell who the address belongs to by what letter it’s filed under and then the city and state. This might not seem like it belongs under “shipping supplies” but, believe me, if you don’t have the address that baby isn’t going anywhere.
- This might seem pretty obvious but I guess it’s not, because I always forget it. I have taken to keeping a roll of packaging tape in my glovebox so that I don’t have to keep spending upwards of 4 dollars on a new, crappy roll at the post office.
- Black Sharpie. Yes, even these should be considered as shipping supplies. A Sharpie is a good way to make sure the address is big and bold, and that it can be written on just about anything and still show up. And they fit nicely in a center console.
- I keep a book of stamps in my glovebox and I also keep one or two in my wallet. The time that I didn’t I accidently put my letter in the letter box without any postage and I had to call to have somebody come fish it out.