15 Tips for Food Storage Shopping: Tip #9 - Shipping and Handling

Tip 9: SHIPPING AND HANDLING CHARGES

Companies that sell food storage and other emergency preparedness products offer a wide range of shipping and handling policies. Some suppliers charge according to the weight of the order, while others have established more of a flat rate, or a range of flat rates that depend upon the cost of your order. The distance the order must travel can also affect the shipping rate—especially if you happen to live in Alaska, Hawaii, or Puerto Rico.

A reasonable flat-rate system is a good thing to look for, as it will allow you to add more items to your order without the shipping rates becoming prohibitive. Pay close attention to product prices with companies that offer flat shipping rates. If the shipping costs are reasonable, but the product price is high, then it really isn’t a good deal. Some companies offer free shipping as an introductory offer, and others for orders above a certain amount, such as $100.00. Just remember that someone has to pay the shipping for these orders—and that person is you. So consider the total cost when placing your orders.

Emergency Essentials offers both a Low-Price Guarantee and excellent flat-rate shipping to the contiguous 48 states: · $6.00 for orders up to $60.00 · $9.00 for orders between $60.00 and $120.00 · $12.00 for all orders above $120.00 You can see that this is a competitive shipping policy, and a terrific bargain —especially when placing a large order such as a year supply of food or a huge order for a school or hospital kitchen.

This is definitely a factor to consider when you’re choosing a company to order from, especially if you’re ordering heavy items such as pails of beans or wheat! If you take shipping costs into account when comparing prices between suppliers, it will help you Replace the best value for your money.