Starting on Monday, it will cost 44¢ to send a letter. So just like last time, this is a good time to stock up on Forever stamps (also like before, Costco is selling 100 stamps for $41.75).
This time around, the price increase is 2¢, putting the return on investment at 4.5%. Better yet, the Forever stamps I’m currently using were purchased at the 41¢ rate, meaning that I’m saving 6.8%.
But I’m going to need a lot of stamps to make up for what my 401(k) has been doing lately.
Tag Archives: Postage
A Winning Investment Strategy
Back in April, shortly before the most recent rate increase for first class postage, I took advantage of the opportunity and stocked up on “Forever” stamps at the 41-cent price.
The rate went up to 42 cents on May 10. Since then, I figure I’ve probably used about 200 of them. That’s a savings of $2 on an $82 investment. Granted, 2.4% doesn’t seem like much, but that’s pretty fantastic compared to the return on my 401k during the same period.
Last Call for Stamps!
As I’ve noted before, postage rates go up on Monday. That means Saturday is your last chance to hoard Forever stamps at the current price.
A few days ago I mailed a package at the postal counter and decided to buy a few 1-penny stamps because I’m not going to use up all my (non-Forever) 41-cent stamps before the deadline. The fellow working behind the counter had to check three or four places before he finding them. This surprised me; certainly with the rate change coming, people would be stocking up on the Forever stamps and those would be the difficult ones to find.
What I learned from the guy is that the way it usually plays out is that after the rates go up, people overestimate how many of the “make-up” stamps they need and over buy. Consequently, for a few weeks after the rate increase, it’s the “extra” stamps that are scarce.
That’s certainly consistent with what happened to me following the previous increase.
Stamp Out Postage
If you haven’t heard already, the price of stamps is going up another penny on May 12. That means this would be a perfect time to run out and buy a bunch of “Forever” stamps. Partly so you can defer the price increase, partly so you don’t have to mess around with adding a bunch of additional 1 cent stamps. If you’re feeling particularly thrifty, you could go and buy enough forever stamps to last you for the next several price increases (though you might first want to take a guess at your likely stamp usage and figure out if you might be better off putting the money into a CD instead).
On Saturday I discovered that Costco (aka Price Club) is currently selling forever stamps for less than what the Post Office charges. Costco’s price for 100 stamps is $40.75, which means you’re saving a quarter. Not enough of a savings to make it worthwhile trying to resell them yourself. Also not enough of a savings for it to make sense for you to ask me to buy them on your behalf.
Of course, I do realize that certain of you (and by “certain of you” I mean, at the very least, Marauder) don’t see that as a problem; because I’m such a nice guy, you’re pretty doggone certain that I’ll pay the postage to mail you the stamps. What’s more, a certain percentage of you (and by “a certain percentage”, I mean, at a minimum, that portion of my readership which consists of the aforementioned Marauder) figure you don’t even need to worry about the postage for mailing me a check because I’m such a nice guy, I’m planning to send you the stamps at my own expense and wouldn’t dream of asking you to pay for them.
Certain of you (and by now you should recognize the pattern) are dreaming. I am a terrific guy. But I’m not that nice. You can make your own doggone trip to the post office.
Stamp Quest
I guess everyone knows by now that postage rates went up on January 8. From various news reports, there was evidently a run on one and two cent stamps during the days leading up to the new rate going into effect.
As luck would have it, the rate change caught me with a half roll of 37 cent stamps and several pre-stamped postcards. A day or two after the rate increase went into effect, I managed to buy a dozen two cents stamps, but the post office didn’t have any penny stamps. No big deal, or so I thought.
Two weeks later, I found myself at the post office in the evening and decided to at least get a few postcard stamps from the machine. Even two weeks into the new rates, the only stamps the machine had – for letters or postcards – were the old demoninations. The displays in the machine had notes next to them saying that the stamps required additional postage and even listed how much. But there was no way to buy the additional postage!
Finally, in a stroke of what I briefly mistook for genius, I visited the Post Office web site and learned that I could buy the stamps online, and for the same price you’d pay at the post office. Only thing is, if you buy stamps online, they charge you for postage!
I’ve been buying stamps by mail for the past several years – just fill out a form, write a check, and stick it in the outgoing mail, the stamps are delivered a few days later. No waiting in line and no extra charge. Not even postage.
So I got clever again. I sent in a Stamps by Mail form, but instead of ordering any of the stamps listed (all at the old rates), I wrote in an order for the stamps I needed. While I was at it, I also ordered ten 24 cent stamps for my next batch of postcards.
The stamps arrived today. But instead of my 24 cent stamps, they sent 23 cent stamps and an equal number of 1 cent stamps.
Evidently the Post Office can’t find the new stamps either!