Money hacks The best ways to send Christmas parcels on time

For Royal Mail parcels within the UK, these are: 17 December for second class and second-class signed for; 20 December for first class and first-class signed for; 19 December for Tracked 48; 22 December for Tracked 24; 23 December for special delivery guaranteed.

- Rupert Jones

If you are sending gifts to friends or family abroad, the deadlines differ by the country and the delivery option you want to use.

For Royal Mail, check the Post Office website to find out the recommended last posting dates. For Spain and New Zealand it is 8 December, the US is 12 December, and for France and Ireland, it is 15 December. For Australia, it was Friday (5 December).

Meanwhile, the courier price comparison site Parcel2Go has listed the UK and international deadlines for many of the leading courier companies on its website.

There are dozens of parcel delivery and courier companies, from household names to smaller players, and a dizzying array of options: standard, signed for, next day, tracked, guaranteed, etc. The options may include dropping your parcel at a local shop, leaving it in a locker for collection or having a courier come and collect it.

Martin Lewis’s Money Saving Expert website says there are lots of variables, but for a small item weighing less than 1kg “Royal Mail usually wins”.

However, for items heavier than that, it reckons courier comparison websites are usually cheapest. The largest is thought to be Parcel2Go, and others include ParcelHero, ParcelCompare, Parcel Monkey and Worldwide Parcel Services.

A good first step is to consult the prices on Royal Mail’s website. For a small parcel weighing up to 2kg, standard second class would cost £3.50 or £3.99. The first figure is the online price and the second is what you will pay at a post office. The equivalent standard first-class prices are £4.40 (online) and £5.09 (post office).