May 11th - Stamps go up to $.44

[dv8grl]

Grr...
They can't blame gas prices anymore., so why the increase?

I really need to start paying more bills online.....

[pepperpot]

stock up on forever stamps......;)

[speedygirl]

stock up on forever stamps......;)

Good idea. We got a ton of those when they first came out. I've cut down on stamp use by online bill pay.

[atprm]

grrrrrrrrr and there is NO mention of this at our post offices either!!

this is just NUTS!!

it would be different if they actually IMPROVED SERVICE!! Instead, they are raising the cost to mail stuff, cutting out at least 1 day of delivery AND have crappier / ruder service!

what a bunch of monkeyschit.

[Jenefer3]

*sigh yet another thing to pay more money on. I'm going to have to remember that because the store I go to to buy the stamps has this one cashier who charges tax on the stamps and I always have to argue with him that no, there is no tax on stamps. Don't want to yell at him when the price is just because of the cost going up.

[Anniston]

If 40% of people on the street pay all their bills online, only send e-cards, and don't magazine subscribe, the postal workers still have to stop to put junk in their boxes.

The technology forces the USPS to increase their costs. I don't know the statistics on any of it, but I suspect that one day all "snail mail" will be privatized, or the USPS will charge over a dollar for a letter due to low demand.

[azwup05]

As a carrier I comprehend the publics frustration because I get to face my customers every day. But with privitazation, what is left of the security will go out all together. There are too people that still rely on that, and there are still carriers that take the job seriously. We need restructuring and accountability put back in place. Once we go private, anyone will be able to access your mailbox. Yes, there are thieves in the postal service, but they are everywhere. There is still waste that needs to be cut, and so forth. I have never been so job scared in my life, even with a "no lay-off" clause. Because I know nothing lasts forever. But remember, the USPS is one of the largest employers in the world, and if we go under we would be flooding the unemployment lines too.

[Mary Jo]

The grocery stores here don't charge tax on stamps but they do add 50 cents to a book of stamps as a handling fee.

[Jevonna]

grrrrrrrrr and there is NO mention of this at our post offices either!!

this is just NUTS!!

it would be different if they actually IMPROVED SERVICE!! Instead, they are raising the cost to mail stuff, cutting out at least 1 day of delivery AND have crappier / ruder service!

what a bunch of monkeyschit.

Guess my husband is a monkeyschit and walks 13 miles every day with

50 lbs. in his mail bag.:headshake

[msmom79]

I think its sad that its going up agian-the boxes from them just went up to i paid $10.50 here just a few days ago,for a normal swap box-wow-but then gas is going up agian too.something is gonna have to happen soon,this country is in a mess(not blamming anyone!)

[YankeeMary]

I think 44 cents is pretty reasonable to mail a letter from one side of the country to the other. I don't like the increase but at least its a lot less then other increases such as gasoline, milk, bread, eggs, etc...

[Renrut]

I just buy forever stamps so I don't have to worry about it.

[ilikefree]

I think 44 cents is pretty reasonable to mail a letter from one side of the country to the other. I don't like the increase but at least its a lot less then other increases such as gasoline, milk, bread, eggs, etc...

That's what I've been telling people here who complain about the increases too, especially my older relatives who don't own a computer. We have relation in Texas (we're in Ohio) and I always tell them that you can't hand-deliver their birthday cards, etc. to them any cheaper than that. I'm like you, I don't really like the increase either, but I can't complain because they do all my delivery for only 42 cents.

[atprm]

Guess my husband is a monkeyschit and walks 13 miles every day with

50 lbs. in his mail bag.:headshake

are you from my area? if you aren't, then it didn't apply to you did it?? :rolleyes:

[atprm]

for the crappy service that is given, the fact that even if you send with DC "it is not guaranteed arrival" (which I have been personally told 4 times by 4 different city postmasters), the fact you MUST buy insurance if you want even a letter to be guaranteed delivery...

UPS is just as cheap -- and they guarantee delivery without added costs.

So yeah, the costs are going up, it's getting more expensive -- they are actually now on the level with their competitors -- there are no advantages over having mail delivered (if it ever arrives) vs sending with a different carrier.

I think the USPS is overrated -- especially now that they are considering cutting a day out in the middle of the week!

[freeby4me]

I agree with atprm, the service is getting worse but prices keep going up. What used to take 3 or 4 days to mail is now taking up to 8 days.

It does seem like a bad cycle though, the prices get raised and more people pay online which means the PO gets less money.

[pepperpot]

I think for amount of mail that gets delivered accurately, they're not doing so bad......what percentage actually doesn't make it on time or to the correct address? Probably very low.

I've had 'bad' mail-carriers but I've had much more good carriers than bad....it's always the bad that one remembers.

As for the rate for a letter/stamp...I still think it's reasonable but I'm not looking to increase my expenses any more neither.