Stamps Cost 1 Cent More Now

It’s only a penny–and it’s a cost you can count on rising every May. But that darn penny even seems like a lot these days, doesn’t it?

The cost of a first-class stamp rose to 42 cents today–a cost that is legal under a new law that regulates the post office and that makes raising the cost of a stamp legal as long as the rate is less than the rate of inflation.

Want to pay less? You should have shelled out the dough for the Forever stamp, which never ‘expires’. If you didn’t, and you still have a bunch of 41-cent stamps lying around, you’re going to have to buy a bunch of those 1-cent stamps that are normally useless–unless, of course, you get caught with last year’s stamps.

Looking for a cool stamp? Remember old blue eyes? Yep, Frank Sinatra stamps will be on sale tomorrow, so all of you Rat Pack fans can race to the post office. I know I wi–well, no, I won’t, but I do admit that that’s pretty cool.

Some online sites will be selling stamps and postage at a discount, including Stamps.com. Overall, below are some of the price changes for postage you should expect:

- Priority mail flat-rate envelope jumps a quarter to $4.75

- Money Orders up to $500 stay the same at $1.05

- Certified mail jumps a nickel to $2.70

- Large envelope, 2 ounces, jumps three cents to $1.00

- First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

- First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, seventy-two cents, up 3 cents.

- Express mail flat-rate envelope, $16.50, up 25 cents