After another year of record losses for the U.S. Postal Service, sending letters and packages is going to get even more expensive in 2013.
On Jan. 27, the cost of a standard postage stamp will increase by a penny to 46 cents, while a postcard stamp will also go up by one cent to 33 cents. To send 2013 mail at 2012 prices, shoppers can stock up on Forever stamps before the price change takes place.
But with the agency facing a record deficit of $15.9 billion, other postage increases will take a bigger hit to your wallet. Shipping costs will rise by an average of 4%, while the cost of using popular priority mail flat-rate boxes and envelopes will go up by as much as 9%.
Consumers looking to avoid the increases will have a hard time: both Federal Express (FDX) and the United Parcel Service (UPS) have also announced 2013 rate hikes that average about 5%.
