Postage 101

Wow--I've always felt like my grasp on postage was a little over the top, but never until this election did I realize that it was such a troublesome issue for so many others.

Sorry to the 'I' folks--they didn't get it right either; I just received a message letting me know that I needed to put 89 cents on my ballot. That's 2 cents extra.

Fact 1: A 'regular' stamp, that's currently 39 cents, mails one ounce. Typically, 5 sheets of regular paper and a envelope constitute one ounce.
Fact 2: Each extra ounce (that's the next five sheets per ounce) requires an 'extra ounce stamp'--that's currently 24 cents.
Fact 3: The 'extra ounce stamp' is also what it takes to mail a postcard domestically.
Fact 4: Those fancy new square cards require extra postage. That's because they fall outside the typical size parameters permitted under the First Class postage regulations.

Read more at USPS, where you can look up zip codes and download tools to print your own shipping labels.

Who needs a scale?!