Stick some stamps on top of my head/I'm gonna mail myself to you
May 25, 2010 1:01 PM
I am a lazy butt and hate going out of my way to mail things. USPS ClickNShip works perfectly for my needs, but now that I'm doing BookMooch I want to use a cheaper postage method, like media mail. What can I do?
I work in a university office, so I have access to the scales, mail carriers (handing packages over a pound directly to the carrier), tape, all that. But because I am not a terrible person, I can't just go using our postage meter willynilly for my personal packages. ClickNShip has been a godsend to me in the past, but it requires that I use Priority Mail, and that's twice as much as I want to spend.
I don't like going to the post office because it's out of my way at a time when I just want to get in and get out, and I never know if it's going to take forever. It usually does.
The majority of the packages will be either $2.38 or $2.77 (media mail for packages less than one and two pounds, respectively). I've looked into services like Endicia or Stamps.com, but most of them seem to want to charge a monthly fee in addition to the postage. I'm not willing to pay $12 a month extra to mail out, say, one book a week.
And yes, I could just buy stamps, but I hate coming up with various combinations of stamps and having to go back and buy booklets all the time. (I told you I was lazy!)
Thoughts?
I work in a university office, so I have access to the scales, mail carriers (handing packages over a pound directly to the carrier), tape, all that. But because I am not a terrible person, I can't just go using our postage meter willynilly for my personal packages. ClickNShip has been a godsend to me in the past, but it requires that I use Priority Mail, and that's twice as much as I want to spend.
I don't like going to the post office because it's out of my way at a time when I just want to get in and get out, and I never know if it's going to take forever. It usually does.
The majority of the packages will be either $2.38 or $2.77 (media mail for packages less than one and two pounds, respectively). I've looked into services like Endicia or Stamps.com, but most of them seem to want to charge a monthly fee in addition to the postage. I'm not willing to pay $12 a month extra to mail out, say, one book a week.
And yes, I could just buy stamps, but I hate coming up with various combinations of stamps and having to go back and buy booklets all the time. (I told you I was lazy!)
Thoughts?
According to a previous post, you can do this through Paypal.
Personally, I order a bunch of stamps online from usps.com and just keep a lot of denominations on hand. On the plus side, I can use cute puppy stamps on my books.
posted by mrsshotglass at 1:12 PM on May 25, 2010
Personally, I order a bunch of stamps online from usps.com and just keep a lot of denominations on hand. On the plus side, I can use cute puppy stamps on my books.
posted by mrsshotglass at 1:12 PM on May 25, 2010
Have you considered using the automatic postal machine? It can print custom amounts of postage for media mail and you don't have to deal with the lines. There is a post in the archives somewhere that details how to do this but I can't find it right now.
You can also avail yourself of the free trials (there is a coupon code for Endicia that extends your trial to two months) that the postage services offer, but I understand how that would be a hassle to keep track of.
posted by calistasm at 1:36 PM on May 25, 2010
You can also avail yourself of the free trials (there is a coupon code for Endicia that extends your trial to two months) that the postage services offer, but I understand how that would be a hassle to keep track of.
posted by calistasm at 1:36 PM on May 25, 2010
Go to the automated machine and buy a bunch in the 'name your stamp' price.
posted by k8t at 1:57 PM on May 25, 2010
posted by k8t at 1:57 PM on May 25, 2010
D'oh -- thought I'd searched much better than that! (Though the USPS page itself touts a Piutney Bowes ervice that expired three years ago, so I can't be faulted too much for wanting a more current answer...)
Thank so much for the PayPal suggestion; I had no idea!
posted by Madamina at 1:57 PM on May 25, 2010
Thank so much for the PayPal suggestion; I had no idea!
posted by Madamina at 1:57 PM on May 25, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ferociouskitty at 1:12 PM on May 25, 2010