The Price of a Stamp

Do you even know how much a stamp costs? Sounds like a funny question but most people don't. (It's 42-cents) So it's also no surprise that most people don't care that the price of a stamp is going up 2-cents in May. So for those of you who do care, stock up on those Forever Stamps now.

I actually have a strong memory tied to stamps and the post office. My grandmother used to make such a HUGE deal about her weekly trip to the post office. She had to make sure she looked good. And it was very important to have the mail organized. She made it seem like a very special, important duty to put the stamp on the envelope. So when I was allowed to do it I felt like a big girl. Does anyone remember when stamps were 25-cents?

No one has suffered more from the advent of the internet than the post office. Most people I know don't send mail. They pay all or most of their bills online. But the USPS has a plan to deal with the changing times. The post office has been cutting costs, reducing work hours, and has asked Congress to ease requirements for advance funds for retiree benefits and to allow mail to be delivered five days a week instead of six.

I think the last part is a really smart idea. Do we really need to have mail delivered 6 days a week? If the proposal clears, mail would be delivered on Monday, Wednesday-Saturday. We already don't get mail on Sundays and supposedly Tuesday is the slowest mail day of the week.

So what do you think about mail being delivered one less day a week...or the price of a stamp going up? When was the last time you went to the post office? How often do you use stamps, if ever?