Sometimes just the frustrations accumulated in daily living in a pandemic are enough to almost think about "just one!" I bought my Ex an Ikea bag for Xmas and, since he didn't travel, wanted to send it to him. Indestructible, hand or shoulder carry, wipe down clean or hose down outside, and usually less than $5.00! They are the BEST.
I had heard you could buy USPS postage online, so there I went (not comfortable going into the Post Office). I didn't count the number of times a page froze when I tried to navigate to the next page, and had to start from scratch - again, yet, STILL! To begin, they wanted me to make an account, set a password, and indicate security questions. OK - after not liking my FIRST three log-in ID's, I finally got THAT done. Now, all I had to do was tell them the weight of my small package and VOILA, I would get a chart with the postage required...right? Au contraire! The ONLY way I could get a postage rate was to fill out the address of the recipient, MY address, look up the zone where it was going, , the date AND time I was going to mail it...........WAIT A MINUTE! I don't have to do that for a letter, why do I have to do it for a small first class mail package?
Because, my friends, it turns out the only way you can get postage online is to use PRIORITY MAIL.....which was going to cost me............WAIT FOR IT...................................................................................$7.40 ---------------------- for a 4 oz., $5 BAG!
And just TRY to find a chart with first class postage rates if, for SOME reason, you don't need it there in one or two days (like THAT'S going to happen, anyway)! The search provided website after website with postage rates, none of which were the USPS, and all of which showed different rates because, well, they added their percentage for "handling!"
I gave up several times and decided I could use an extra bag, but kept feeling SO guilty that I kept going back and plugging away. All tolled, I spent almost THREE hours trying to figure out postage for this d@mn 4 oz. package. Ended up costing me $4.70 from Baltimore to KY - but better than the $7.40, I guess.
Used up almost all of the outdated stamps with postage amount printed on them - and I KNOW my Ex is going to L His AO at the 14 stamps it took!
It was one of the most frustrating tasks I have had to perform lately - but the good news?
I really DIDN'T think about smoking over it! AND that tells the tale!
