You might think, "I only mail three things a year. Who cares if it's 73 cents or 76 cents?" Fair point. But here's the thing: stamps are like the canary in the coal mine for everyday inflation. When stamps go up, it's a tiny, tangible reminder that everything costs a little more. Remember when a stamp cost 41 cents back in 2007? That was the year the first iPhone came out. Now, a stamp costs almost double, and your phone bill probably did too.
Think about Grandma. She still sends you a card every birthday with a crisp $5 bill inside. That stamp she buys? It's now 76 cents plus tax, so she's really sending you $5.76 plus her love. That's a sweet deal for you, but a bigger bite out of her fixed budget. For millions of retirees, small businesses, and folks who pay rent by check, a stamp price hike is a real, monthly annoyance.
The "I swear I just bought these" story
Here's a little story. Last February, my friend Mark needed to mail a tax form. He grabbed a book of 20 stamps he'd bought the year before for $11.60 (58 cents each). He walked to the mailbox, licked one, stuck it on the envelope—and then noticed the post office sign: "New rates: 60 cents." He had to add a 2-cent stamp on top. He stood there like a cartoon character, fishing two pennies out of his pocket. That's the moment stamps stop feeling like a mundane errand and start feeling like a tiny, laughing villain in your day.
Royal Mail price hike: cost of first class stamps to rise 12% from
The good news? Forever stamps are your shield. If you buy a Forever stamp today—even at the new 76-cent rate—it will always cover the cost of mailing a standard letter, no matter when the price goes up next. So if you see a price hike coming (like the one in January 2026), the smart move is to buy a whole book right now. You lock in the lower price, and you can use them for years. It's like time-traveling with your wallet.
