Do You Still Mail Stuff? It Could Cost You More in August

I have come to the conclusion that I must be the last person on Planet Earth that actually sends people cards. Yep, cards. Don't get me started on the cost of cards either. Yes, you can find some that are $1 or $2, but the nice ones, the ones you want to send are creeping up on $8. Yep, $8 for something that is probably going to be tossed shortly after being received.

Now add a little bit more kerosene to that particular fire with the United States Postal Service (USPS) asking for approval to raise their rates. Ok, if you think about it, for the distance that a card goes from say Key West, Florida to Juneau, Alaska and it only costs you 55 cents, that is a pretty good deal.

If the USPS rate proposal increase gets approved, the cost of a first-class stamp will go from 55 cents to 58 cents. So a book of 20 stamps will cost you $11.60 instead of $11.00.

Ok, are there other rates that would increase? I am glad you asked the question, because the answer is yes.

The rates that would be affected are domestic postcard postage would go from 36 cents to 40 cents. Metered rates would go from 51 cents to 53 cents.

Just a reminder from the USPS website, The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Am I upset about the proposed increase? Will it keep me from mailing thank you notes and birthday cards? No, not at all. But before we start counting our remaining stamps in the drawer, lets see if the approval goes through.