That bites... http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/24/news/economy/postal_hike.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes U.S. Postal Service set to raise stamp prices by at least 10% in early 2005, reports the WSJ. November 24, 2004: 6:30 AM EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Postal Service is set to ask early next year for a rise in postage stamp prices of at least 10 percent, said a newspaper report Wednesday. The increase -- expected to take effect in early 2006 -- would be the fourth round of price hikes in recent years and lead to a first-class stamp costing at least 41 cents, up from its current 37 cents, the Wall Street Journal said. The USPS was already planning to file for an increase next year, but the requested rise will probably be in the double digits because Congressional passage of proposed legislation overhauling the postal system is unlikely, the paper said. The postal bill would enable the post office to benefit from about $3 billion a year in pension-fund savings and streamline the rate-setting process, which can last for nearly a year, the newspaper reported. A new rate rise could also drive customers to pay bills via the Internet and to use competitors such as United Parcel Service Inc. (Research), the world's largest package carrier, to send packages, according to the Journal.
Even as a business, I RARELY mail anything. Bill paying, correspondence...all online. It's rare if I have outgoing mail.
needless to say, we still have to use the postal service quite a bit in my business...however, most of that cost is passed on directly to the client.
IMO, Mail is going the pay-phone route. Less and less people use it, which leads to the constant raising of rates. I personally think in ten years, local pay-phone and mail will be "free" to use, and the government will just add the cost to everyone's taxes.
You know why it costs so much to mail something? "Because the mail never stops. It just keeps coming and coming and coming, there's never a let-up. It's relentless. Every day it piles up more and more and more! And you gotta get it out but the more you get it out the more it keeps coming in. And then the bar code reader breaks and it's Publisher's Clearing House day!" Yeah! I got 2 of them in in 2 posts about 2 minutes apart.<-- Look at them deuces!
Even if it goes to 41 cents, I'll still be saving because I don't send as much snail mail as I did when it was a dime or two less to send mail. I honestly don't know what I send via snail mail regularly. I've probably used 5 stamps this year. Whooptie doo.
how much does it cost to mail something? i want to mail some junk to people. how much does that cost per ounce? i think i will be shipping it regular mail, not fedex or first class.
1. Why don't they just go $.50 and maybe stash some away so they don't have to raise it every other year. 2.A significant amount of mail is just bulk mail advertizing that constitutes a major portion of the weight transferred but gets a significantly reduced rate per piece. It's like the mailman just brings trash that goes straight to the landfill via your house. I don't know how the economics work but that's seems like a business the federal government ought not be in. Surley they could use less people for less hours and less equipment if they didn't have to move all that bulk weight. 3. Want to cut costs? Why not end Saturday delivery?
Maybe they could hire more workers with this increase. Has anyone gone into a post office where the line hasn't been out the door?
