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Just a note about the community boxes on the street corner-they do improve safety-no one can steal your incoming or outgoing mail, like when you pay bills. You need a key to get in or pick up packages, so it reduces theft both ways.
Leah
Actually, I heard there is quite a lot of theft with the community boxes here in Canada. We are in an apt. so we have the boxes inside our lobby, but they have been broken into at various times as well.
I'm lucky and live on the US border so most of my mailing goes out from the U.S. I'll still send my Canadian cards here though and the cost increase won't stop me.
I almost wish Canada Post would be privatized. I'd be willing to pay more for better service. We still have our own mailbox and when I called to complain that the driver (we're rural) hadn't picked up our mail, I was informed they weren't required to pick it up even though the postie is in a van and is delivering mail to the box. And somehow, the Canada Post employee didn't see the irony in that!
Guess we'll see if we end up with a new community box...
I live rurally and have never had mail delivery to my home. I go about a mile and a half to the local post office where I have a box and can also mail packages and buy stamps, etc. They are talking about closing many post offices in our state, and since there is no delivery to our home, I suppose we would have to go to the next, larger town that is about 15 miles away and have a box there, unless they close that one, too, and then it would be a 70 mile drive over a mountain pass. A community box system would be quite welcome to me, but there just aren't any around. There are some old-fashioned mailboxes, but not out as far as I live. I actually really like our P.O. as the gals there are great, friendly and you always meet and visit with folks when you go to pick up your mail.
This comment is more about "making" Christmas cards, rather than "mailing" them, but this thread came to mind a few minutes ago. My 14 yr. old DD just opened some Christmas cards. One of them had an envelope with a fancy edged flap on it. When DD saw the return address label, she said, "Ohhh, it from Aunty Holly. No wonder it's so pretty." Then she opened the envelope and let out a gasp. She said, "It's a STORE BOUGHT card!" in a horrified voice. She said, "She doesn't love us anymore!" She was sort of laughing when she said it, but she really was shocked. (Holly makes gorgeous cards and all sorts of creative thngs.) I know Holly is beyond busy, and always over-extends herself, especially during the holidays. As far as I'm concerned, she did a heck of a lot more than I did, since I didn't even send out cards this year. (gasp!!!) I just find it so funny how people look at things so totally differently. To DD, a handmade card says love. To my grandmother, a handmade card means you're being cheap. My Mom sent her a homemade card, and she made a comment about my Mom trying to save money. LMBO My Grandma isn't the only one who's ever had that opinion either. If those people only knew how much money we spend on stamping stuff, huh?! LOL
Anyway, I thought the mailing and making cards sort of went together, KWIM? ;)
If those people only knew how much money we spend on stamping stuff, huh?! LOL
Anyway, I thought the mailing and making cards sort of went together, KWIM? ;)
So true. A friend said she bought the stamps, dies, cardstock, etc to make a certain design card and it cost $60+. She only made 10 so she said people got $6 cards. ;)
Every year I seem to get less Christmas cards because of the postage.
I still send cards to everyone but am cutting down on all the swaps I join.
Chris Baxevanis
Just a note about the community boxes on the street corner-they do improve safety-no one can steal your incoming or outgoing mail, like when you pay bills. You need a key to get in or pick up packages, so it reduces theft both ways.
Leah
Not necessarily true. I know people whose mail is currently delivered to said boxes - and whose boxes have been compromised - by criminals jacking open the entire back of the boxes and thus accessing everyone's mail.
__________________ "You may not have lost all your marbles, but there's definitely a hole in the bag." Grumpy Cat
I hate having a community mail box. We bought the house we're in now about 2 and a half years ago, and that would be at the top of things I could change about it if I could. I miss knowing my mailman. And not being able to mail thick envelopes. :(
I rarely mail anything but cards. all of my bills come via email and all of my payment go out thru my bank online or automatically. i don't even write a check for church, it comes out automatically too. I wouldn't want anyone in my mailbox, but I think they would be disappointed.
__________________ lori b. my gallery
"if you judge people, you have no time to love them."
Not necessarily true. I know people whose mail is currently delivered to said boxes - and whose boxes have been compromised - by criminals jacking open the entire back of the boxes and thus accessing everyone's mail.
"You may not have lost all your marbles, but there's definitely a hole in the bag." Grumpy Cat
OMG I love your signature !!
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I have a community mail box that is over a block away. It is a nuisance to get the mail especially when the temperature is near zero or there are inches of snow on the walk way :(
Even though I need a key to open my box I still don't trust it and take all of my out going mail directly to the Post Office .
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I'm going to keep mailing my cards too, but I'm in the US, where it "only" costs 46 US cents (but soon the price will rise again) to mail a card. I only make rather flat cards that don't require a surcharge however. Mostly I mail cards to my sister's four kids, as often as I can (once or twice a month).
I have the cheapest possible cellphone plan that I can find (so it's not full-fledged) ($40 - $50 total including taxes and fees a month for two lines, no contract, 500 minutes, and free minutes between the two lines) and I have the slowest high-speed internet (1 mb per sec?) ($30 a month) and so the postage for all my cards are waaay cheaper than my cellphones and internet service!
I just bought several rolls of "Forever" stamps here in the US to have for next year. I'll save $.03 on each stamp.
__________________ I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. PhiL. 4:13
I need to buy some more Forever stamps too! A friend was just in a car accident, and I want to send her a card a day. I have only managed to be successful by resorting to store-bought (gasp!!) cards! I did manage to make one and a half cards for her - the "half" card was just a layer adhered to the inside of a store-bought card... BUT I did mail them all! I mailed today's card just about two hours ago! I'm also trying to make cards for my nephews and nieces at the same time... and failing colossally due to my slothfulness!
I have a community mail box that is over a block away. It is a nuisance to get the mail especially when the temperature is near zero or there are inches of snow on the walk way :(
Even though I need a key to open my box I still don't trust it and take all of my out going mail directly to the Post Office .
Our driveway is nearly a block long and the only thing that comes that close to the house is the trash man to the container that we have to drag out there every week. (Still better than going to the dump!) We go about 3 miles to the P.O. to get mail and send mail---no delivery here. That's even worse than going a block in zero degree weather. I won't complain as I like our postmistress and if they close our postoffice, as they are threatening to do, It will be a 15 mile jaunt to get and send mail.
Our driveway is nearly a block long and the only thing that comes that close to the house is the trash man to the container that we have to drag out there every week. (Still better than going to the dump!) We go about 3 miles to the P.O. to get mail and send mail---no delivery here. That's even worse than going a block in zero degree weather. I won't complain as I like our postmistress and if they close our postoffice, as they are threatening to do, It will be a 15 mile jaunt to get and send mail.
That's a long way to go. I really hope that they don't close your postoffice - going 15 miles would be a pain! Whatever happened to mail being a "service"? And what about the elderly or shut-ins or people who aren't as mobile as others? It's so sad.....
That's a long way to go. I really hope that they don't close your postoffice - going 15 miles would be a pain! Whatever happened to mail being a "service"? And what about the elderly or shut-ins or people who aren't as mobile as others? It's so sad.....
I agree about those that are elderly (I'm getting close!) and the shut-ins. We have quite a few where I live that can only go about once a week to the P.O. If they shut it down, then a 15 mile drive to town would be just another stop that would have to be made. We certainly pay enough, I would think, to keep the post offices open, especially when they are discontinuing home delivery.
