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How much of that .73 cents goes to the actual cost to deliver that mail - and how much goes to pay (current and future) retired postal workers pensions and benefits ? Serious question.
I don’t know. How much of the taxes you pay that go to fund the police department go to pensions, how much of the school taxes that you pay go to pensions and benefits? Probably a lot in all of those cases. The postal workers today do not get nearly the same kind of benefits that they got 30 years ago though. Most of them are part time now, and I don’t know that they get any pension or benefits.
I live in Canada and our rates are $1.07 for a stamp within Canada, $1.30 to the US and $2.71 overseas.
We recently travelled to the US and I mailed 4 packages to friends in the US for the cost of what it would have been to send one package from Canada. They were all delivered within 48 hours. Really impressed.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,576 posts, read 81,167,557 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
"Junk" mail is what keeps the costs down.
And, what is "junk"? I ask that question seriously. The mailings from your favorite charity? The "Let Me List Your House" card from local real estate agents (I'll give you that one)? A mass mailing from your college? Supermarket ads? Something from an organization you belong to (I get a couple a month from Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl along with several emails from the former)?
At least 95% of our mail is junk mail, and it goes into the recycling bin outside, doesn't even come into the house. I suppose some people must be actually buying that stuff or they would stop sending it. Of course, if they did stop, USPS would go out of business quickly.
And, what is "junk"? I ask that question seriously. The mailings from your favorite charity? The "Let Me List Your House" card from local real estate agents (I'll give you that one)? A mass mailing from your college? Supermarket ads? Something from an organization you belong to (I get a couple a month from Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl along with several emails from the former)?
Junk mail is any mail I have no need for and/or didn't ask for.
My charities have my email address. As does my college and any organizations I belong to.
When I'm going to list my home, it won't be with a random person who sent a post card.
Supermarket ads are redundant. At least the store I shop at, I log into the app, see what coupons/sales are going on, add it to my loyalty card and I'm done. No need for a paper flyer.
Your last point "an organization you belong to" would not qualify. I'm assuming when you signed up you had the option to receive a periodic magazine or something.
The most useful thing the USPS has done is create the informed delivery app. Sometimes I don't touch my mail for days or weeks. I monitor what mail I'm receiving on my daily email and will only go to my mailbox when I get something I'm waiting for. Everything else, directly to the recycle bin.
At least 95% of our mail is junk mail, and it goes into the recycling bin outside, doesn't even come into the house. I suppose some people must be actually buying that stuff or they would stop sending it. Of course, if they did stop, USPS would go out of business quickly.
Same here. Once in while, USPS is the last delivery leg for a Fedex delivery, but other than that, sometimes many months go by during which I don't receive a single piece of real mail. Frankly, the USPS could do away with residential delivery entirely and it wouldn't impact me.
Junk mail is any mail I have no need for and/or didn't ask for.
My charities have my email address. As does my college and any organizations I belong to.
When I'm going to list my home, it won't be with a random person who sent a post card.
Supermarket ads are redundant. At least the store I shop at, I log into the app, see what coupons/sales are going on, add it to my loyalty card and I'm done. No need for a paper flyer.
Your last point "an organization you belong to" would not qualify. I'm assuming when you signed up you had the option to receive a periodic magazine or something.
The most useful thing the USPS has done is create the informed delivery app. Sometimes I don't touch my mail for days or weeks. I monitor what mail I'm receiving on my daily email and will only go to my mailbox when I get something I'm waiting for. Everything else, directly to the recycle bin.
I find it much much easier to look through the printed circular for what’s on sale or has a coupon than to scroll through 1000 coupons on the website.
I still get regular mail. We opened a new bank account and the debit card was mailed. same with my honeys credit card replacement when he lost his. I get mail order prescriptions that come via USPS. Our motor vehicle office sends our registration renewal form via mail. My car insurance forms and card are sent via mail. I get important mail every week.
So nothing new. Why bother fussing about something like this that has no way of being changed? A desire to get people alarmed over something with no possible resolution?
What's the alternative: deliver each piece of mail personally across the country for dozens or hundreds of dollars in gas each time, not to mention the time involved? Don't look at increases over time - which parallel everything - but look at the bottom line and bargain it still is.
For me, its electronic bill pay. Nearly all the postage I buy, is for my company...to send payments to suppliers/vendors.
I'm going to pursue more electronic payments to avoid having to use the USPS as much.
I find it much much easier to look through the printed circular for what’s on sale or has a coupon than to scroll through 1000 coupons on the website.
I still get regular mail. We opened a new bank account and the debit card was mailed. same with my honeys credit card replacement when he lost his. I get mail order prescriptions that come via USPS. Our motor vehicle office sends our registration renewal form via mail. My car insurance forms and card are sent via mail. I get important mail every week.
Most supermarkets have apps and don't send out circulars anymore..even coupons are digital.
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