People appreciate stamps for different reasons, with some people collecting them and others simply using them.
When it comes to the value of stamps, however, people recognize that they continue to go up in value. It is especially important for those who only mail a letter every once in a while. Just like playing the stock market, buying stamps at a low price and using them when they are a higher price can be a money saver.
If that logic sounds good to you, then it’s time for you to stock up for Christmas cards for 2019.
The new year promises to see some significant rate hikes as far as stamps are concerned. People who understand the value of a stamp are already stocking up on forever stamps, which continue to hold their value, even after the price hike takes place.
The expected rate changes are due to take place on January 27, 2019. Of course, this isn’t guaranteed to happen but it is possible.
The first class stamp will go up five cents to 55 cents. The good news is, you will pay less as an extra fee for every extra ounce. It is decreasing to $0.15.
If you don’t think that the five-cent bump is a major increase, you better think again. The post office hasn’t seen that big of a price increase since 1991.
You can also expect a 3.9% increase in priority mail and express prices. In other words, if you were spending $35 to ship a package, you will spend $36.50, more or less.
Not everything is on its way up in 2019. If you are mailing a flat first class envelope, you will still pay one dollar for the 1st ounce and $0.15 for each additional ounce. Postcards are also staying at $0.35.
You will probably do best if you use an online postage printing vendor if you mail packages for your home business or if you ship packages for any reason regularly.
You can save a nickel on metered mail with stamps from those websites. It is still a slight hike from what it was before and the reduction in extra charges is also going to decrease.
This could be a lot to take in so let’s try to simplify things. After January 27, you will pay more for sending a typical letter so it’s a good time to stock up on forever stamps.
You may actually end up saving money with the lower rates for extra ounces if you are sending out larger envelopes, such as wedding invitations.
If you want to be thrifty, the best thing you can do is probably use metered mail from an online service. It will allow you to ship packages for discounted prices.