NEW YORK -- If you're looking for a deal on holiday shipping, your mail carrier might be able to deliver.
The U.S. Postal Service offers several boxes and envelopes at fixed prices ranging from $4.80 to $16.50, regardless of weight or destination.
You can even go online to have your mail carrier drop off and pick up the boxes at your house. Print the postage at home and you'll also get a 3.5 percent discount on priority or express mail.
"It's just like having a post office at your fingertips," said George Flood, a spokesman for the agency.
In fact, a recent test by Consumer Reports found shipping with the post office was generally a better deal than using FedEx or UPS for local and long-distance shipping.
That's because the post office already has a vast delivery network in place that operates regardless of any additional business.
"If you're shipping to a small town in the middle of nowhere, you know the post office is delivering there. With FedEx or UPS, you have to pay for a truck and gas for the driver to get there," said Mark Perton, executive editor of ConsumerReports.org.
Flat-rate boxes and envelopes travel fairly quickly, too; priority mail is delivered in two to three days and express mail is guaranteed overnight.
In contrast, FedEx and UPS charge based on weight and distance, so costs can add up.
The test by Consumer Reports, for example, found big differences when shipping a book for next-day delivery from Yonkers, N.Y., to Oregon.
The Postal Service charged $16.50 for a flat-rate envelope, while UPS charged $62.87 and FedEx charged $54.57.
If you're not using a flat-rate box or envelope, however, mailing packages through FedEx or UPS might be slightly cheaper between certain cities.