As we all work to save every penny we can, the postal service will be raising the prices of their first class mail stamp an additional two cents. The new price of the stamps, which are currently $.42, will move up to $.44 starting on May 11, 2009.

The US Postal Service sited the reason for the price increase was due to the cost increases of production costs. The forever-stampprice of stamps is not allowed, by law, to rise more quickly that the US consumer price index, which is the method of calculation for inflation.

If you are interested in pre-purchasing stamps at the current price of $.42, you can still purchase the “Forever Stamps” and not need to purchase additional two-cent stamps when the price change takes affect. The “Forever Stamps” were brought into circulation in 2007 and since then have sold by the billions. The theory behind the “Forever Stamp” is that consumers can essentially lock in a lower price by pre-buying the stamps and in the event of an increase in price, the stamps will still be honored. Every time the stamp prices increases, the cost of the “Forever Stamp” will also increase.

Consumers still have about three months to stock up on the stamps at the current $.42 price tag. If you can work it into your budget, it may be worth it to purchase a book of the “Forever Stamps” once a week and stock up now to save money in the long run. While many consumers have opted to start paying bills and writing correspondence via the internet, there will always be a need to have stamps on hand. If you send out holiday cards, the cost of stamps may be on the rise again by the time we make it to December, so you can truly save yourself some bucks later by purchasing your stamps now.

Mark the date on your calendar now so you don’t forget. Take a good luck at how many stamps you use on average in a year. Include your annual holiday cards, party invitations, letters to family and friends and any bills you still pay by mail. Take several trips to the post office during the next three months and buy a book when you can afford it. Tuck the stamps away somewhere safe, but not so safe that you can’t find them. If you keep a good supply of stamps and keep up with impending price increases, you will continue to save money over the years as the cost of stamps no doubt continue to rise.



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