Postage (bit of a rant)

[Gwendolyn]

So...it has gone up two cents. When I bought the giant roll-o-stamps two weeks ago, did the guy at the post office say, "hey, you know, postage is going up soon. You might want to buy only what you need, or purchase some two cent stamps with this giant roll-o-stamps" ?

The answer is no, no he didn't. :disappointed:

Alas, now I have a stack of bills and thank you notes that I will need to haul down to the post office to purchase a giant roll-o-two cent stamps.

I thought my trying-to-maneuver-a-two-year-old-through-the-post-office days were at least on a long break after the five Christmas trips to the post office.

:thud:

[Vanquisher]

I had no idea this went up! GRRRR. They didn't advertise this at all. Is it just me or have the rates been climbing rater quickly the last several years? I seem to recall, in the not too distant past, 25 cent postage. Then again, maybe it was a while ago after all.

[rainbabies]

Yup, I agree that it was handled poorly. I was at the post office last Friday, two days before the increase, and the postage machine was still selling the 37 cent stamps. No new stamps to be found (unless you waited in the line 10 people deep, I suppose). I had a hard time finding out about the rate increase on the usps website. There is a link but not an entirely obvious one.



Caitlin -- you can order stamps online. There is a $1 handling fee but well worth it, IMO.

[Vanquisher]

1919: 2 cents
1932: 3 cents
1958: 4 cents
1963: 5 cents
1968: 6 cents
1971: 8 cents
1974: 10 cents
1975: 13 cents
1978: 15 cents
1981: 20 cents
1985: 22 cents
1988: 25 cents
1991: 29 cents
1995: 32 cents
1999: 33 cents
2001: 34 cents
2002: 37 cents

Seems to have jumped rather markedly, don't you think? I'm glad I pay most of my bills online. Only a very few I can't. Monopolies stink.

[Gwendolyn]

Stinks to the post office and DH! These are his bills. We have seperate bank accounts and he won't sign up for bill pay online...I think just to make me stamp and mail his stupid bills.

I think I will order the stamps online...thanks.

[SueC]

I just bought 100 37 cent stams a few weeks ago, and I pay my bill online so I'll have these damn things forever. Another thing I find annoying is that they don't make the 1 cent stamps self-adhesive. They are impossible to tear off correctly and I can't stand licking them.

[Meenah]

There is a private "mailing center" in my neighborhood and they bought back my .37 stamps!!
Luanne

[Gwendolyn]

There is a private "mailing center" in my neighborhood and they bought back my .37 stamps!!
Luanne

I might try that! Was it like a UPS or FedEx?

I must be really demented (or sleep deprived), because when I put the cute two-cent stamps with my other stamps on the envelopes, all I could think was, "I wish they coordinated better."

The great thing is...it will only be $.39 for a year, then next year it will be $.41. I am going to wait to pay bills until the make a really cool $.04 stamp.

[Gwendolyn]

So...I had a package and decided to brave the post office after all. The place was packed! They have a stamp counter so that if all you have to buy is stamps, you don't have to wait to go to the counter (why they didn't have stamps in the machine is beyond me). When I got there the counter was closed. I took number 79 and they were calling number 55. A few minutes later they opened the stamp counter and three turns later it was my turn 8)

Clearly everyone was taken by surprise.

I must say that I totally dig the two cent stamp...very pretty