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*Farmgirl Barter™:  Postage  |
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candismom
True Blue Farmgirl
560 Posts
Elizabeth
560 Posts |
 Posted - May 21 2007 : 10:25:15 AM
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I was wondering if anyone esle is feeling the postage crunch? I have to cut back. I mailed a few RAOK this morning and it was 37.00 I spend 57.00 last week on Raok last week.I was trying to send something to everyone on both list but it is adding up. I feel so bad that I missing someone.
Hugs,
Elizabeth
www.athomewithelizabeth.blogspot.com
My shop www.theclothesline.etsy.com
I sell Crabapple Hill Studio and other Patterns. Pluse lots of other handmade items.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22944 Posts
22944 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 10:31:35 AM
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Wow Elizabeth! That is quite a feat! I am none to happy with the postage increase myself. I am not sure why they keep raising it! Soon no one is going to mail anything anymore because it will be too expensive! I know that I love to get hand written letters in the mail and to send them, but with postage going up so much, it is hard to justify sending letters when an email is free! I have quite a few stamps left over from before the increase. I guess I will have to go buy a book of penny stamps as well now.
Alee |
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Aunt George
True Blue Farmgirl
1476 Posts
Georgann
Midlothian
VA
1476 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 10:36:29 AM
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Oh, Elizabeth, you are doing too much dear!!
I spent about 25 on postage last week, and really can't afford to do that much longer either...so be sure not to send anything priority, just regular mail or even bookrate....farmgirls don't mind!!!
I am going to have to cut back to the first class and bookrate from here on too!! It is hard to keep costs down, so if anyone gets anything from me, I hope you don't mind if it isn't fancy wrapped!! LOL
Perhaps we farmgirls can agree on the cheapest possible postage on everything!!????!!!
G
http://auntgeorgeshouse.blogspot.com/index.html
http://auntgeorge.etsy.com
Thanks for checking out my apron and sewing musings! |
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simpler1773
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Ricki
Ashland
Wisconsin
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 10:42:38 AM
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Yup, I spent $70 on RAOK last week, but that was a couple of weeks worth. I'm just keeping my eyes open for lighter weight things now.
~Ricki~
You can't pour anything out of an empty vessel, take care of yourself! |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 10:53:05 AM
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| What is RAOK? |
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Mikki
True Blue Farmgirl
1510 Posts
Mikki
Austin
Indiana
USA
1510 Posts |
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Vintage Redhead
True Blue Farmgirl
233 Posts
Kaylyn
Saint Charles
IL
USA
233 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 11:14:00 AM
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I personally find these postage increases to be a bunch of *HOOEY* of the highest order. I mean, really: how much of the average everyday mail is junkmail? It just burns my toast that the junkmailers get "bulk rate" discounts to fill my box with nonsense that I neither requested nor want...and I then have to pay to have carted away and recycled!...but the average Jane like you and I get stuck paying full-price for our postage.
I applaud you wonderful women who keep the art of the personal, handwritten letter / gift alive and kicking. I'm annoyed that for doing so, you are penalized and kicked in the purse. ~ Kaylyn
~ Kaylyn ~ (Living in Suburbia with a FARMGIRL Heart!)
My Cause: http://nickspavilion.blogspot.com/
My Life: http://vintageredhead.blogspot.com |
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Reepicheep
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
78 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 12:00:41 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Vintage Redhead
I personally find these postage increases to be a bunch of *HOOEY* of the highest order.
Reading this made me laugh. We just took a tour of a local post office last week with my son's homeschool stamp club. One of the parents asked the lady giving the tour why postage just increased and the lady stated that she honestly didn't know because the postal service has been "in the black" for the last several years. It does indeed seem to be a bunch of hooey!
http://naturalpaths.blogspot.com/
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Kathie
True Blue Farmgirl
2436 Posts
Kathie
Thonotosassa
Florida
USA
2436 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 12:08:23 PM
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it's nuts .. i don't get it.. the simplest things that weigh nothing at all.. are getting out of hand to mail!
i dropped off two smidgie little things Thursday to mail in a small manilla envelope.. Georgann.. THOSE two small things.. & a couple pieces of paper!! nearly $5.00 .. that's crazy.. you know there was no weight to that envelope!
They are getting out of control..
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
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Nance in France
True Blue Farmgirl
1438 Posts
Nancy
St. Laurent de la Salanque
France
1438 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 12:23:15 PM
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| I feel your pain, girlfriends. That is one BIG reason I did not join in the RAOK, especially being here in France for the summer, where it costs over $1.00 just to mail a card to the US. When you think that the government is "borrowing" from Social Security (ours!) and other programs to fund various and sundry things including the heartache in Iraq, it makes perfect sense to me that they decide to, yet again, squeeze a few more cents from everyone. And something I read once made me laugh; send a message to the big corporations to stop sending us junk in the mail by using their postage-paid envelopes to mail them anything......a pizza coupon, a blade of grass, or just nothing at all, an empty envelope! They have to pay, for once!! Maybe that would get somebody's attention. Nance |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 12:24:50 PM
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| I waited in line the day after the increase took effect at this small town post office for about 30 minutes behind a lady who only wanted to mail a package and insure it. The clerk was punching the computer and getting nowhere and kept saying "Everythings changed! Everythings changed!" The computer wouldn't let him insure her package and she kept insisting that she had always insured them before. He would say, "It won't let me and I don't KNOW why." She said "PLEASE PURSUE THIS!!" By this time there were about 10 people in line behind me, and she never did get what she wanted. So it's not just the rates going up, rules have changed too. I thought that clerk was about ready to blow his stack, his face was red and he was sweating. I think I"ll try and buy my stamps online from now on - maybe a little less frustrating (and less scary!). |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 1:17:29 PM
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I have to make a post office run this afternoon...and beleive me..I am sure looking for lighter weight things than I usually do. It stinks. Still a good deal if you are sending just a letter..but I rarely send JUST a letter.
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Kathie
True Blue Farmgirl
2436 Posts
Kathie
Thonotosassa
Florida
USA
2436 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 1:55:41 PM
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Definatly tries to put a damper on things!!!
But.. we don't let the crummy old mail system get to us!!
Just have to come up with different things..More hankies I suppose!!
& I have SO many wood sign's sitting there wanting to be painted!!
Now is when we REALLY get Crafty girls!
In a World Where you Can Be Anything, Be Yourself.. |
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smoothiejuice
True Blue Farmgirl
6309 Posts
Jessica
Bloomington
Indiana
USA
6309 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 1:59:33 PM
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| Nance in France, a certain person I know mails all our junk mail back where it came from and all our newspapers and grocery bags. Apparently those postage paid envelopes can carry something up to $75...a tire in a box. A rock...you see where i am going? It is very fun for this person and relieves stress from work at the end of the day. I send stuff to farmgirls and other people are amused by returning junk mail. Try it you might find it satisfying. Jess |
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MariaAZ
True Blue Farmgirl
203 Posts
Phoenix
AZ
203 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 9:14:49 PM
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I'd like to play devil's advocate for a moment (and no, neither I nor anyone I know works at the post office!) Compared to the rates people in some other countries pay, we in the US have it pretty cheap (especially considering that many of our states are larger than many countries, and our domestic mail has to travel an awful long way!) If one compares the price of sending a package via USPS to, say, FedEx, it can be a pretty good savings.
As for junk mail; these companies are probably the largest consumers of postage in the country. In a way, the money they pay to send those catalogs and other things we don't want are actually helping to support the USPS. If every single junk mailer would suddenly disappear, I wonder how much more our postage would go up?
If junk mail is really getting bad for you, you can contact your local post office and they can give you the contact information to help you get off the junk mailers' lists. I've actually cut down on our junk mail considerably by contacting the companies that send the stuff and request they remove me from their mailing lists, done mostly via email. It's amazing; in a span of a few months my post office box has gone from crammed with unwanted catalogs and other junk to only the occasional solicitation.
Visit my blog at www.craftyfool.net |
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Vintage Redhead
True Blue Farmgirl
233 Posts
Kaylyn
Saint Charles
IL
USA
233 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 07:17:16 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by MariaAZ
...As for junk mail; these companies are probably the largest consumers of postage in the country...
My point exactly! Since *they* are the largest consumers of postage, *THEY* should be the parties paying the highest *rates* of postage. Those of us "...little people..." should not be forced to bear the higher cost postage when it is clearly big business that is overburdening the USPS.
quote:
Originally posted by MariaAZ
...I've actually cut down on our junk mail considerably by contacting the companies that send the stuff and request they remove me from their mailing lists, done mostly via email...
Tried and failed. All it takes is one new catalog order or one new magazine subscription and WHAM!!! your address is right back on "The List." And the good old "Opt Out" options are hooey, too. I *always* write on response cards to *NOT* add my name and address to mailing lists and always check the "Opt Out" option online. It doesn't matter. These companies are modern-day gypsies who will stop at nothing to get into your pocketbooks. ~ Kaylyn
~ Kaylyn ~ (Living in Suburbia with a FARMGIRL Heart!)
My Cause: http://nickspavilion.blogspot.com/
My Life: http://vintageredhead.blogspot.com |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 07:33:35 AM
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| I'm going to have to remember that saying....burns my toast! I'd never heard that before! I would also like to say that I've about had it with people who call on the phone trying to sell things. I know they need to make a living too, but I'm tired of it. I have called the do not call line five times to register and people are still getting through. I agree with Elizabeth, though. We can do nice things for each other just by sending a note now and then, right? Or, we can send personal e-mails to each other via this web. Susan |
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cinnamongirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1682 Posts
Carrie
Canada
1682 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 10:05:11 PM
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| For us in Canada those prices are always going up and we do not have flat rate boxes. It has to do with the measurements and weight so you have to send light items and fold as small as possible, For cards the larger the envelope the more they charge.But I thought there is no deadline for this so I thought if you did one or two a week it wouldn't be bad. |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 11:31:25 PM
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The postage rates are not only affecting personal mailings but hurting small business too. I had to go into my Etsy store tonight and raise all my shipping rates. I hate doing that!! I have been shipping my sprays by priority mail. The lowest priority rate is $4.85 -- almost the same as the cost of the 4 ounce spray. I'll definitely be rethinking that and shipping by parcel when possible. The way the rates are set up if anything weighs over 12 ounces it's almost as cheap to send by priority. Burns my toast too!
Visit my Etsy shop at http://therusticcottage.etsy.com OR www.annarosetta.com
http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - therusticcottage on May 22 2007 11:32:07 PM |
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*Farmgirl Barter™: Postage |
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Postage
