Refund Approved But Scheduled To Be Mailed Dec 6 Instead of Direct Deposit - Will I Get It Before December Bills?

Filed my taxes about two months ago and I'm still waiting on my refund. I keep checking the IRS website and today I finally got an update. The refund status page now shows: Refund Status Return Received Refund Approved Refund Sent Your tax refund is scheduled to be mailed by December 7, 2024. If you do not receive the refund by January 4, 2025, please contact us again. We are unable to take any action until then. Please Note: For refund information, please continue to check here, or visit IRS.gov/Refunds. Updates to refund status are made no more than once a day. I'm getting really anxious about this because I have some bills coming due around that time. My transcript still just shows "processing" but no direct deposit date yet. Does this mean they're mailing me a check instead of direct deposit? And is there any way to figure out exactly when it might come? I was really hoping to have this money before December! Has anyone else had their refund mailed instead of direct deposited even though you requested direct deposit?