USPS rate increase

Finance
1

This is for anyone still using the USPS to mail stuff:

The cost of mailing a basic first class mail envelope will increase later this month to 58¢ from the present 55¢.

Buy your forever stamps before the post office runs short. :slightly_smiling_face:

But will the price increase actually go into effect?

The price increase, which would take effect on August 29 if approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission, comes in response to lagging mail volume, according to an agency news release.

Postal Service to raise first-class postage to 58 cents

The PRC did approve the increase in July.

3 Likes
2

This is an automatically-generated Wiki post for this new topic. Any member can edit this post and use it as a summary of the topic’s highlights.

3

Overall, this is a big whoop-dee-doo. $0.55-0.58 to send a first class letter from Hawaii to Maine is a smoking hot deal, and a relic of prior times.

Fascinatingly, the “forever stamp” may not be a great investment, since increases are limited to the rate of inflation:

4

The ChiComms come through again. They create and disseminate the Wuhan flu, all as a distraction to approve a postal increase. Shame on them. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

1 Like
5

Bought my stamps today . . . . couple of books of flag stamps, which I prefer. Prob’ly should have bought more. Still have a little time but did not want to chance low supplies during a last minute rush.

It’s good to have stamps ready to go here at home . . . . bird in the hand. The small saving is welcome, and I paid with a couple of my best credit cards as well for still more saving.

I was nearly out of stamps. Have enough now for a while. When post offices across America open on the morning of August thirtieth, I will not be there. :grinning:

6

You think the post office will run out of stamps?

7

Should’ve bought them on Ebay…

8

It sounds funny, until you remember it’s the USPS.

IIRC, their last price increase led to shortages of forever stamps in the week or two leading up to the increase … or at least reports of shortages.

2 Likes
9

While I doubt they will run out completely, it is always a possibility. Thing is, for me it was important to purchase the flag stamps I favor. I did not want to risk them running out of that particular style of stamp in the book form I wanted to buy.

I got 'em, probably a couple of years supply. Can now forget the whole thing and move on to more challenging stuff.

Have not heard a great deal about this stamp price hike in the news. It will likely be featured more there as we move closer to the end of this month.

10

It may not be widespread, but when an isolated shortage happens in your backyard, the effect on you can be no different than it being widespread.

1 Like
11

Well stated, glitch99.

And you know, a bit of “pandemic thinking” might also have crept in. Dunno about others. But these days, with regard to a great many things not just stamps, I have cast aside somewhat JIT (just in time) thinking. I am tending to maintain here at home a larger supply of many items than I did in the past. It cuts down on trips to stores, other points of supply, and similar places I no longer wish to be.

I like life better the old way. But things are as they are. You have to adapt. :slightly_frowning_face:

1 Like
12

You ain’t kidding, shin. I just learned the new (after price increase) stamps will have Mr. Whipple on them, to help justify the price, no doubt.

2 Likes
13

in 2008-2009…

1 Like
14

FYI, roll of 100 stamps totaled $54.75 shipped (no tax applied) from costco.com as of today.

2 Likes
15

My ebay search, the first listing is a roll of 100 for $45.99, and more listings in the low $40s. or 5 20-ct sheets for $41.88.

16

True, you can find them at lower cost on ebay; however, I’d rather not have to worry about possible counterfeit stamps.

2 Likes
17

Yeah, my last batch had flags with 48 stars. They were either scammers of my age, or youthful, dumb ones. :smile:

4 Likes
18

What are you people mailing? I can’t remember the last time I used a stamp.

2 Likes
19

Tax returns. Mandatory binding arbitration opt-out requests. :crazy_face:

1 Like
20

I estimated how many stamps I would use over my lifetime. The number was around 700. Then I bought that many forever stamps at a price of $0.40 cents each. I have been gradually using them up.

I am convinced that Forever Stamps are a great value. No company could offer a “forever” product because they would end up going bankrupt. There is no way to match your revenue to your expenses.

Just think, the post office will bear expenses decades into the future to deliver my mail and they only got paid for a small fraction of the actual expense.

The USPS has a bloated overpaid workforce with huge pension and healthcare costs that guarantee their rates will go up at a rate much faster than general inflation, so it is a good deal in my opinion.

It’s basically an investment that you can’t lose money on. It’s better than holding cash IMO. If you needed to liquidate the stamps you could sell them or some places like grocery stores actually let you use them like cash.

1 Like