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Postage Stamps

OldGuy

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The bad news is that the price keeps going up.

The good news is that you don't need them much any more.

I always get forever stamps, then try to find them when I need one.
 
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DaveNV

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Buy Forever Stamps at Costco, and the current price won’t matter.

Dave
 

WVBaker

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Could be just keeping up with the costs of inflation or a simple case of supply and demand.
 

WVBaker

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Supply and demand would be raising the price to cool demand. In this case they raise the price to offset people using stamps less. Which causes even less people to use stamps.

Touche. :thumbup:
 

amycurl

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Yes, it's because Congress decided in 2006 to make the USPS pre-fund their retiree benefits (unlike any other public or private entity in the US.) Some may say that this change was specifically designed to make the USPS less competitive than their for-profit counterparts. Some say it was designed to undercut the USPS's employees, the vast number of which are unionized. What everyone can agree on is that it was devastating to the USPS financial model, for no particular gain/positive impact on retirees.
 

b2bailey

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The amount of USPS employee labor provided to Amazon is staggering. A good friend works for post office.
 

Brett

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Yes, it's because Congress decided in 2006 to make the USPS pre-fund their retiree benefits (unlike any other public or private entity in the US.) Some may say that this change was specifically designed to make the USPS less competitive than their for-profit counterparts. Some say it was designed to undercut the USPS's employees, the vast number of which are unionized. What everyone can agree on is that it was devastating to the USPS financial model, for no particular gain/positive impact on retirees.

actually the Postal Service USPS has to "fund" their retiree benefits like all other private entity for-profit US businesses that have a defined benefit pension plan, it's a legal requirement -- unlike the military and social security which is a "pay as you go" plan. For comparison the United Parcel Service (UPS) fully funds retiree benefit plans but now has a 401k which is different, 401k plans are always "fully funded' and 'pre-funded'. And UPS grants stock options to management and discounted corporate stock to employees.
Amazon (like most companies) doesn't offer retirement pensions, only 401k plans and stock options but if they had a retirement pension then it too would have to fully funded or 'pre-funded" like the Post Office.
 
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Brett

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The USPS doesn’t have a pension fund. It’s TSP ( Thrift Savings Plan) is just a basic 401k. No employee hired after 1983 is a pensioner.


then the USPS Post Office is now exactly like UPS and Amazon (without the stock options)
( but with certain statutory mandates !)
 

vacationhopeful

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I have been going to my local post office daily to get my mail for decades now. I recently have seen the reduction in people mailing packages or even having PO Boxes. I also have seen a poorer attitide service level by the post office staff, too. And the parking lot have fewer cars every time I come to the Post Office.

I have been attibuting this to our new postmaster. Most of the regular counter staff transfered to other post offices after her arrival. The replacement staff is marginally skilled ... to where the postmaster has to work the counter with her chosen and younger staff.

But the real harm ... fewer businesses are coming in to this post office. I guess I will have to drive down the road and look up a clerk who used to work at my post office. She transfer out due to the new postmaster management and attitude.

Is it my local postmaster or the overall reduction in usage of the US Postal Service?
 

Luanne

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I have been going to my local post office daily to get my mail for decades now. I recently have seen the reduction in people mailing packages or even having PO Boxes. I also have seen a poorer attitide service level by the post office staff, too. And the parking lot have fewer cars every time I come to the Post Office.

I have been attibuting this to our new postmaster. Most of the regular counter staff transfered to other post offices after her arrival. The replacement staff is marginally skilled ... to where the postmaster has to work the counter with her chosen and younger staff.

But the real harm ... fewer businesses are coming in to this post office. I guess I will have to drive down the road and look up a clerk who used to work at my post office. She transfer out due to the new postmaster management and attitude.

Is it my local postmaster or the overall reduction in usage of the US Postal Service?
At my local post office there are still long lines many times during the day.
 

DaveNV

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My post office has the same staff they've had for years. Pleasant enough folks, and there is always a line. I find I don't use them as much to mail things larger than envelopes, because the price to send something is off the charts. I had to pay return shipping on an item I was returning to the manufacturer for a refund last year, and it cost me more in postage than the item itself cost. That was a wakeup call!

Dave
 

dioxide45

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At my local post office there are still long lines many times during the day.
That is because they have closed branches. The problem is that most people are just going in to ship packages and it takes forever. Did you know you can actually ship a package using PayPal, without someone actually having to buy something from you through PayPal? No lines and you get a discount on the shipping cost. You just need a printer to print the label. You can also do the same thing on USPS.com, just no discount.
 

dioxide45

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Buy Forever Stamps at Costco, and the current price won’t matter.

Dave
To be fair, you can buy the same forever stamps at the post office for the same price...
 

DaveNV

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To be fair, you can buy the same forever stamps at the post office for the same price...

I think they're a couple dollars cheaper at Costco. (I haven't checked lately, but I think they're a shade cheaper than the face value.)

Dave
 

Luanne

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That is because they have closed branches. The problem is that most people are just going in to ship packages and it takes forever. Did you know you can actually ship a package using PayPal, without someone actually having to buy something from you through PayPal? No lines and you get a discount on the shipping cost. You just need a printer to print the label. You can also do the same thing on USPS.com, just no discount.
Nope, no branches closed in our city.
 

artringwald

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USPS stays busy delivering catalogs that we no longer want. Every so often I try https://www.catalogchoice.org/ to get rid of them, but they keep on coming. Viking Cruise Lines is the worst. We get junk mail from them every week.
 

DaveNV

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USPS stays busy delivering catalogs that we no longer want. Every so often I try https://www.catalogchoice.org/ to get rid of them, but they keep on coming. Viking Cruise Lines is the worst. We get junk mail from them every week.

The junk mail that comes addressed to me is bad enough, but I get junk mail that is addressed to my deceased parents at my address. They never lived in my house, and in fact, didn't even live in my state! How does that work?

Dave
 

pedro47

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We received junk mail from Viking Cruise Lines and AARP weekly. Any suggestions how to stop this ?

We have never sail on Viking and do not plan on sail on Viking.
 

chriskre

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I had to pay return shipping on an item I was returning to the manufacturer for a refund last year, and it cost me more in postage than the item itself cost. That was a wakeup call!

Dave

Use www.paypal.com/shipnow for discounted shipping rates with tracking included.
Much cheaper than going to the counter.

Just print out the label and tape it on the package and drop it in the post office
in the box for packages, schedule a pickup with your carrier or just hand it to
any mail truck you see.
 

kwelty

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The USPS doesn’t have a pension fund. It’s TSP ( Thrift Savings Plan) is just a basic 401k. No employee hired after 1983 is a pensioner.

There is a pension plan, just not as much. Now, the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), pays just 1 percent for each year worked but the pensioner gets Social Security and a 401K plan (TSP) that is partially funded by the Postal Service as well.
 
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