Postage Stamps Going to .46 Cents

[pennypinch]

The United States Postal Service is proposing that they raise the cost of postage stamps to .46 cents each. If the proposal is approved the change will go into effect on January 2nd of 2011.

This comes as the postal service is in need of climbing out of debt to the tune of $7 billion dollars.

This really doesn't suprise me any especially as even Social Security is changing over to direct deposits. Thats a huge hit on the postal services bottom line no doubt.

The thing is, this price hike is only going to make things worse. It will make more people turn to email vs snail mail and they will also be more inclined to electronic transactions.

I know I will. It just costs too much to send things in the mail these days. I pay one fee for the use of unlimited internet and email each month so why would I want to spend on stamps too!

[Rae74]

thats true but i think thats what their trying to do, get everyone to start using email instead of using mailmen. that way they dont have to pay a mailman, put gas in the mail trucks, they dont have to pay people to sort it or anything.

this means that there is going to be more and more people without a job. everything is getting so expensive now days that most of us have no choice but to not get it. personally i dont think its going to get any better either.

[beaston]

Just do what everyone else does. When December rolls around, go buy a bunch of sheets of the "Forever" stamps....I still have some from the last time they raised the prices, so that just goes to show you how much I snail mail stuff.

Oh, and a little tidbit of info if you didn't already know - all of the rural route carriers are subcontractors for the government. They work for themselves, so the post office doesn't have to pay anything in regards to health insurance, unemployment insurance, retirement, etc.

[moneysense]

The fact that Social Security going to direct deposit is really going to hit the post office where it hurts. This will cause the postal service to lose millions in revenue per year.

And I didnt know that rural carriers are considered self employed.

Oh, and another fact you may not know. Small post offices are having to make at least $100 in sales a day in order to stay open.

There are some days ours doesnt make that much and that really worries me that they may end up closed down.

[beaston]

You can buy these forever stamps online, too. $8.80 for a book, or you can get 100 for $44.

https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/sto...rchTermScope=4

[moneysense]

Thanks for pointing out that you can buy these stamps online.

Thats a good idea to buy these ahead of time. Thanks for pointing this out and providing the link.