Time to stock up on stamps

[4651feeder]

can someone explain to me who still uses the post office more than 6 times a year and why?

Somehow electronic transfer$ to the kids for birthdays and Christmas just hasn't caught on here. Between cards for celebrations and a couple scheduled premiums that will not accept means other than mailed payment, this household probably sends first class mail at least 4X that.

 

[patience0830]

Exactly. Weekend delivery should be done away with completely.

Hey there, mutton chop. I'm only home weekends and I like to see my packages.

Lighten up, Frances.

 

[Benp]

are there countries that have private postal services?

I see it as a necessary evil, would be nice to be privatized but can it ever really be?

The government would to have to admit defeat first and admit that the private sector would do a better job, and I just don't see that ever happening.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Lol. People still use stamps? What else ya'll still use: land line phones, rolodex, digital watches, hub caps, TV guide, Phone books, checkbooks?

 

[Benp]

It's honestly not price, it's convenience. If a stamps were free, it wouldn't change the fact I do nearly everything I used to do with physical envelopes via the Internet now.

Take my light bill for example. (Electric bill for non-hillbillies) I used to make out a check, pull off the perforated section of the bill, stuff it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, and walk it out to the mailbox. Now I get the email with the amount due, click "pay now" and am done. Seriously if a stamp was free, I wouldn't go back to paying by mail.

What about postcards and thank you notes? I don't do those, but it's a nice idea. A part of me would like to do those, but it seems like a lot of work.

 

[1911ly]

The last stamps we bought were forever stamps before my wife pasted away over 7 years ago. I might have mailed 2 or 3 letters since. I usually Fedex documents and important checks. 99.9% of my bills are paid electronically.

I have shipped a lot of packages over seas in the last 7 years. those don't use stamps. I have a book of stamps that will probably last me a life time.

Kut, land lines seem so last century. I have a phone line that comes with my cable. I haven't plugged a phone in it for 6 pr 7 years. I have been throwing away the new phone books for years. Checks are 3-4 a year. Usually for giving my daughter money for something.

 

[JettaKnight]

Exactly. Weekend delivery should be done away with completely.

I was thinking they tried, but Congress blocked them. Maybe I'm wrong.


I found out they're saving money by not having anyone at the post offices - there were fifteen people waiting at 2:45.

Normally, if I ship, I use online, but there's no option for sending a parcel via first class mail online.

 

[M67]

I don't see the big deal. I use the post office regularly. I can't drive to Oregon or California or Illinois or wherever my letter is going for 49 cents anyway. They can increase them to 70 cents and I still can't drive there for that price. All it will do is make slower lines cause the 85 year olds saying "back in the day......"

 

[BehindBlueI's]

What about postcards and thank you notes? I don't do those, but it's a nice idea. A part of me would like to do those, but it seems like a lot of work.

Ha, I don't do those either. I use text messaging and cell phone photos as the modern equivalent.

What about [STRIKE] if[/STRIKE] when the banks have us hooked and begin charging for the service

Then I'll re-evaulate. The reason I use 12 stamps a year is the mortgage on my rental property was sold to a company that requires you to autopay to get free electronic transactions. I don't trust them for reasons that are beyond the scope of this conversation. Hence I still mail out 12 checks a year.

 

[Benp]

Lol. People still use stamps? What else ya'll still use: land line phones, rolodex, digital watches, hub caps, TV guide, Phone books, checkbooks?

I only use two of the things on this list, well, three with the stamps.
Update! I have wheel covers and not hub caps, so I'm back down to 2 again!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Lol. People still use stamps? What else ya'll still use: land line phones, rolodex, digital watches, hub caps, TV guide, Phone books, checkbooks?

Wait, what's replaced digital watches? Smart phone thingies?

 

[BugI02]

Ha, I don't do those either. I use text messaging and cell phone photos as the modern equivalent.



Then I'll re-evaulate. The reason I use 12 stamps a year is the mortgage on my rental property was sold to a company that requires you to autopay to get free electronic transactions. I don't trust them for reasons that are beyond the scope of this conversation. Hence I still mail out 12 checks a year.

I hear you. My insurance company won't allow an electronic payment initiated by me, they want to reach into the account and pay themselves when they think they should. No one has that level of permission. So I pay them with Amex and pay Amex electronically

I'm not a very trusting soul outside my circle

 

[BugI02]

Those old guys are called "Fossils". And they can be a pain to deal with at times.

Yeah, but quite often they've got the goods

 

[AmmoManAaron]

can someone explain to me who still uses the post office more than 6 times a year and why?

Several reasons:

1.) Sending out payment for items from online auction sites. PayPal doesn't work for most gun stuff and I don't like to support them anyway. So, a personal check or money order goes out USPS.

2.) First Class packages - it's the cheapest way to ship small lightweight items. Think eBay and GunBroker...guns screws, firing pins, grips, powder bushings, and other such things. I ordered some MEC powder bushings from Brownell's because their prices were as good as anywhere else, but their shipping was like $4 (way better than the competition). That was just this past week and they came via USPS in a padded envelope. I wish more companies would ship USPS like that and save me a few $$$ on each order. When I've almost purchased from other companies, say $20 worth of small parts and pieces, and I discovered the shipping was going to be like $14, I cancelled the order and shopped elsewhere. I don't like being gouged on shipping.

3.) The flat rate boxes are by FAR the cheapest AND easiest way to ship projectiles (which are very heavy). Most of the projectiles I've received in the past year came that way. I've shipped some that way too. Also, RCBS or Lee die boxes fit perfectly in the small flat rate box and because dies aren't exactly light, the $7 for the small flat rate was the cheapest way to go.

USPS is a good option for things that aren't ORM-D. UPS and/or FedEx ship my ORM-D packages (ammo).

 

[Kutnupe14]

Wait, what's replaced digital watches? Smart phone thingies?

You know what I mean when I say digital watches. The ones that were around when "Member's Only" jackets were still in style. You know the look, Eastland boat shoes, acid wash jeans, polo, MB jacket, a Sony walkman, and a digital watch. The height of 80s fashion. You can still see some of the adherants today in the wild........... on their way to the post office for stamps.

 

[hoosierdoc]

You know what I mean when I say digital watches. The ones that were around when "Member's Only" jackets were still in style. You know the look, Eastland boat shoes, acid wash jeans, polo, MB jacket, a Sony walkman, and a digital watch. The height of 80s fashion. You can still see some of the adherants today in the wild........... on their way to the post office for stamps.

I wondered where that was going, then... ZING!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

You know what I mean when I say digital watches.

Not really. I guess you're talking about the Swatch watch or something along those lines.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Not really. I guess you're talking about the Swatch watch or something along those lines.

Really? You had the regular ones, but if you were a big spender, you got one with a calculator. And old school Swatches weren't digital. They actually had hands.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Really? You had the regular ones, but if you were a big spender, you got one with a calculator. And old school Swatches weren't digital. They actually had hands.

Really. Member's Only jackets also weren't a thing I was aware of until well after the fact, am I'm still not real sure what Eastland boat shoes are.

To me a digital watch is one that doesn't have springs and gears. I just thought you meant they were old fashioned because of the smart watch doo-dads that hook up to your smart phone, or that fewer people wear a watch in general because the smart phone has the time.

 

[Thor]

Thor dusts off his Members Only jacket and looks at his analog watch...never really got that whole digital thing. I did know some engineers who bought digital calculators, they had a red LCD readout and could add, subtract, multiply and divide...could even do percentages I think. Cost about $400 back in the day and were built out of machined aluminum slabs.

Now where did I put that slide rule...