So, you may have heard that postage rates will be going up on May 12th. You may also have heard that the post office has a new little Forever Stamp that’s good for one first class letter, or what currently costs 41 cents (it will be going up to 42 cents). What this means is that you can buy a Forever Stamp now for 41 cents, use it after May 12th, and save your a penny. This begs the question, should you stockpile forever stamps and perhaps use it to fund your retirement?
Probably not. 🙂 Historically, USPS postage rates have increased at or lower than the rate of inflation, making it a pretty poor investment. However, at those fringe periods, like right before rate hikes, it makes sense to purchase a few stamps and save yourself some cents.
I wouldn’t be saving too many of those though, just enough for several months of mailings (which can be very little if you go paperless personal finance). Put the rest in an index fund. 🙂