Postal Rate Increase Coming and How to Save

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

29 Jan 2009 11:57 AM

In May of this year, there will another price increase in the cost of the first class stamp. This means that it will cost more to mail a standard letter, bill payment, invitation, etc. The Office of the Postal System has not yet announced exactly how much that increase will be, however I have some guesses. Because there are regulations on how much an increase can be based on current inflation, it is unlikely that the increase will be more than two cents, changing the rate from 42 cents for a first class stamp to 44 cents or less.

Personally I still think that this is a great price to be able to send mail anywhere in the country. It costs more to dry one load of laundry in a clothes dryer.

Still, just like any other area in frugal living, there are ways to save. Here is how you can save on postage even with the postal rate increase.

Invest in some forever stamps. Forever stamps are purchased at the current postal rate, but they can be used "forever," even if the postal rate increases now or in the future. Not only will this save you a bit of postage, it will save you the time and money it takes to stand in line to order a bunch of 1 cent stamps whenever there is an increase. I wouldn't advice going crazy with the forever stamps, since the return on investment wouldn't be as high as other investment opportunities, buying a few books or a roll might make good sense.

Sending more online mail can reduce your postal cost. Most bills can now be paid online, you can send e-mail letters, and you can even send invitations online. I still like getting actual personal mail, but paying bills online makes sense to me.

Hope this helps!

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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dms1987 (21) 29 Jan 2009 01:44 PM

You have good tips, as usual. Thanks for having this blog!

Mary Ann Romans (26886) 30 Jan 2009 01:13 PM

Thanks for reading! I really appreciate your comments!