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Our local news (Pittsburgh, PA area) just announced the postal system is having an increase 'probably' in August, to 58 cents from 55 cents for first class. They did not mention if the additional ounce stamp will also increase. It was 15 cents in 2020 and jumped to 20 cents in 2021. Postal hours may decrease as well. I'm so frustrated with the postal system as it is: it took 2 and 1/2 weeks for one my Easter cards to travel about 15 miles from my house. I have a card ministry and used to be able to count on my cards being delivered locally within 3 days... since the pandemic, some delivery days take over a week. I understand the cut backs due to closing and staff issues for 2020, but it is continuing even though most areas are now opening back up. .
When my husband and I got married 23 years ago, my mom and I had to buy 55 cent stamps to accommodate the extra weight and thickness of our invitations. Well, we had 3 extra stamps and I kept them and I was tickled this year when I could use them as first-class stamps! Guess I better use the last two before the next increase!
I was just at the post office where I mailed a special card to my son. A large padded priority envelope was quoted at $7.95 but the increase pushed it to $8.55. That is a substantial increase.
Our local news (Pittsburgh, PA area) just announced the postal system is having an increase 'probably' in August, to 58 cents from 55 cents for first class. They did not mention if the additional ounce stamp will also increase. It was 15 cents in 2020 and jumped to 20 cents in 2021. Postal hours may decrease as well. I'm so frustrated with the postal system as it is: it took 2 and 1/2 weeks for one my Easter cards to travel about 15 miles from my house. I have a card ministry and used to be able to count on my cards being delivered locally within 3 days... since the pandemic, some delivery days take over a week. I understand the cut backs due to closing and staff issues for 2020, but it is continuing even though most areas are now opening back up. .
You can thank DeJoy for all the upheaval with the postal service. He's done a horrible job and needs to be replaced. The post office is a service, not a business, and the postal service would be solvent if they didn't have to prefund retirement health benefits for workers who haven't even been born yet. Which the government then dips their hands into and robs it. AND, it's the ONLY government agency that is required to do so. https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/fi...2010_4_002.htm
The following 11 users liked this post by dancingpurplecat:
I clicked on the Amazon link for a roll of 100 forever stamps. The seller is charging $69.90.
No thank you.
But to the OP, thank YOU for alerting us to the upcoming hike in postage rates. Sometimes I feel like the USPS should pay us card makers for keeping them afloat. 😜
In early 2000s', small priority mail box was $4 something, and it was actually a box which fit lots of crafting supplies... now, the box is so small and close to $8 and I wonder.. will this REALLY small box gets even smaller?? Is it even possible to make a smaller box...? These days, I have to mail my crafting supplies in their MEDIUM size box... but for about last 6 weeks, believe it or not, the speed of mailing between westcoast and Hawaii got amazingly better, better than before pandemic! lol Even from Florida.. still not great from other parts of US, though.. Just mumbling here, since "USPS" topic came up...lol.....
There seems to be no rhyme or reason. L live in northern Illinois. Last Monday I mailed a padded envelope to CA and to Fl. CA got theirs on Thursday. Fl on the following Monday. Tuesday I mailed regular envelopes, one in town and one two towns over. The one two towns over received it the same day ( I was so confused when they texted to thank me, I thought maybe I had already sent a card!) and the one in town has not received it yet.
__________________ lori b. my gallery
"if you judge people, you have no time to love them."
I am using an online postage program now called Stamps.com. I get a little discount-but it costs like 20 a month. You re-load your postage bank as desired. I dont post tons of packages normally, but I love the conveniences of generating my own labels-and now they have UPS too. In fact the other day I was about to do a medium Priority box for 15 plus and the system flagged me I could use UPS for 8.41 Big savings During the pandemic it was great. I just had to drop stuff off. No lines.
I don't do the labels. I print out on copy paper and tape it down. (just cant cover the bar codes) -I print 2 so I have proof of the address etc in case it gets lost.
I guess I am getting better basic mail service bc I am in a large city.
A friend who works for the PO said the packages are by far now their major business vs mail. She was happy they got rid of a mail sorting machine to give them more room for packages. With as many as get lost I am still impressed with how many get where they are going every day.
I agree. I have said for years the Congress needs to get their hands OUT of the PO's pocket. All our stations have 6-20 windows and there is never more than 2-3 of them working. Makes for bad lines, esp at Christmas.
We do seem to have cheaper mail than other countries.
__________________ Margot
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