Not all letters can be mailed for the regular 58 cent first class rate (rate as of August 2021, increasing to 60 cents in July 2022), however using two Forever stamps without knowing the actual rate is just wasting money. What to do? Use the USPS tool to easily calculate actual postage rates.
For example, a regular two-ounce letter costs 78 cents. Using “two stamps” means you are paying $1.16 (2 x 58 cents). That’s spending 49% too much!
Pick up some different value postage stamps next time you are at the post office (they carry lots of different ones). For a 78 cent letter, put on a 58 cent (or one “Forever” stamp) and a 20 cent stamp (or one “Additional Ounce” stamp), or any another combination that adds up to the same 78 cents.
Did you know that you can use older stamps, even one from decades ago, to mail letters today? Each stamp is still worth its “face value” (the amount printed on the front of the stamp, such as “8 cents”) towards the total postage cost. So you could mail a letter today with a mix of old stamps (try 4 x 8 cents, plus 6 x 4 cents, plus 2 x 1 cent = 58 cents, if you can find the room on the letter!).
Generally speaking, you can mail 4-5 pages of regular paper, plus an envelope, for the regular first class (“one stamp”) rate. Heavier paper, rigid or oversized envelopes will cost more. You can get about 10 pages of standard page weight, plus an envelope, for the two ounce rate. Every post office has a scale you can use. Next time you are there, try the different combinations of papers and envelopes that you typically use, so you can learn what weighs what.
Ok, so that’s enough about stamps!
Want to save even more money? Here’s another great tip: use grocery coupons! Browse over 1,000 grocery coupons at LOZO’s Grocery Coupons Bundler.
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