Postage Rate Increase Jan 22

Jeffery · #1 01/20/12, 12:31 PM

Just a reminder...

First Class letters go up .1 cent to .45 cents January 22nd.
Of course, Forever Stamps don't need the extra penny.

www.usps.com
.

arabian knight · #2 01/20/12, 12:47 PM

Yuppers time to buy more Forever stamps NOW.

copperkid3 · #3 01/20/12, 01:04 PM

So I'm good for the next 3-5 years!!!

mountainwmn · #4 01/20/12, 01:59 PM

Just so you all know....all stamps are now forever stamps. Except the specialty stamps. Like 2cents or postcard stamps.

Jeffery · #5 01/20/12, 02:44 PM

At .44 cents or .45 cents it's a real bargain!
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Michael W. Smith · #6 01/20/12, 03:45 PM

I've been buying a book or roll of stamps about every month since they started talking about a rate increase. I just bought 3 more rolls yesterday.

I have at least 10 rolls - I should be good for a while!!

You don't think that extra penny is much of a change - but it's a 3% increase!

Wayne02 · #7 01/20/12, 04:05 PM

Thanks for the heads-up, Jeffery. I need to order some more.

emdeengee · #8 01/20/12, 04:46 PM

We are at 59 cents. Have had forever stamps forever. ha!

Ken Scharabok · #9 01/20/12, 05:14 PM

Good forever stamps are a good deal only depending on your alternate use for the money.

Alice In TX/MO · #10 01/22/12, 07:39 AM

It's a good use for me! Bought out the last of their inventory on Saturday morning.

beccachow · #11 01/22/12, 08:21 AM

Seriously, they wonder why no one wants to use snail mail any longer?!

Harry Chickpea · #12 01/22/12, 10:12 AM

"You don't think that extra penny is much of a change - but it's a 3% increase! "

2.2% around here...

Still, if postage goes up at the rate of inflation or more, and banks are not giving decent returns on savings, those stamps could be a way of keeping your money from becoming lost due to inflation.

Charleen · #13 01/22/12, 10:28 AM

Not just first class letters, but postage costs for all of the Flat Rate Priority Mails are going up too.

Remember to take this into consideration if you need to change rates on your website sales, or people buying things from you here on the Barter Board.

Flat rate env 5.15
Flat rate padded env 5.30
Legal flat rate env 5.30
small flat rate box 5.35
med flat rate box 11.35
large flat rate box 15.45
apo/fpo/dpo LFRBS 13.45

Danaus29 · #14 01/22/12, 02:35 PM

At 45 cents it's still a bargain. I can't drive across town to pay my electric bill or internet bill for 45 cents. Won't use the 'net for bill pay because IME it's less secure. Mail tampering is a federal offence but stealing your identity off the 'net is a lucrative business.

romysbaskets · #15 01/22/12, 05:41 PM

When the post office changed their minimum bubble mailer cost to $1.71, it affected me a great deal. I send out a lot of little things. This recent change of a penny is, normal I suppose. That bubble mailer increase meant that the items I could send for .65 or so, now cost $1.71 and that affects some people being able to seed trade or send out things they would like to share. I know I send out a lot less than I did in small mailers. I try to print the postage for boxes as you save by doing that. Oh I would say for anyone to always get the forever stamps, helps out with the changes from year to year.

Ken Scharabok · #16 01/23/12, 12:49 PM

While USPS is a quasi-governmental agency, they are not independent. That have to request rates from a Board of Governors, then Congress.

Gary in ohio · #17 01/23/12, 06:40 PM

electronic email stamp prices remain the same price. With the exception of packages, I cant think of a time when I have to paper mail anything.

poppy · #18 01/23/12, 07:40 PM

The Postal Service is billions in the hole and, like anything connected to government, their solution is always to raise rates. The result is even less volume resulting in bigger losses. The have been talking about cutting expenses by eliminating 1 delivery day per week, closing unprofitable post offices, and cutting management since at least 1980, but it never seems to happen.

Belfrybat · #19 01/24/12, 04:45 PM

I send most of my Prayer Beads via Paypal, and the postage has gone down by 11 cents! 2 oz. padded envelope is now $1.64 instead of $1.75. That doesn't make sense, but I'll gladly take it!

Ken Scharabok · #20 01/24/12, 06:55 PM

"The have been talking about cutting expenses by eliminating 1 delivery day per week, closing unprofitable post offices, and cutting management since at least 1980, but it never seems to happen."

Make them a totally independent agency and see what happens. Congress has dictated six-day a week deliery, a congressional person will say, "Sure, close any Post Office you want, as long as it is not in my district." Cutting management, they have actually been doing so, as well as downsizing their workforce.

USPS has stopped any construction projects. Upgrades are being held back.

First-class mailing centers are being cut, thus larger volume at remaining ones mean a longer delivery time.