With the economy so bad and all, something we do not need is a price increase in products. And, for the most part, with the exception of gasoline (the oil companies are pretty up front about increases, on a regular basis no less) everyone else is keeping prices the same. Of course there is one small issue, the packages are getting smaller. I'm sure you noticed.
Now, we've seen bread prices stay the same, but loaves of bread drop from one pound loaves to twelve ounce loaves. We've seen lotion prices stay the same, but containers drop a couple of ounces. I think you get the idea! But, that's private enterprise and they are trying to stay alive. So, what's the next step? Hey, if it works for free enterprise, shouldn't it work for the government too????? Great idea!
So where is this headed? I had to mail a package to one of my grandsons, and Deb's been on me for awhile to get it done. She'd even put the things into a large box some boots came in. As I finally figured I'd procrastinated about as long as is possible, I went out to the shop to grab a smaller box to see if I could save a few bucks on shipping. Now I've got just about every conceivable sized box, bubble wrap, shredded cardboard, and other packing materials available. So, I judiciously surveyed the inventory to ensure I went with as small a box as possible.
I looked around, and my eye landed on a middle sized flat rate box from the post office. Now we've all seen the adds from USPS and that for a fixed rate you can ship anywhere in the US if it "fits in the box." So, immediately grabbed a new box and figured that was the best way to go. However, next to it is a middle sized flat rate box my father-in-law used to mail a package our way early this year. Hmmmmm!!!!! As I look at the two, the older one "appears" to be slightly larger than the new one.
Well, I am in the shop, and there are at least five or six tape measures in the shop, so I grabbed one and started measuring the new box: 12 1/8 X 13 5/8 X 2 3/4. Then I measure the old box: 12 1/8 X 13 7/8 X 3 1/2. Isn't that interesting? A little quick computation on the old cell phone calculator and I come up with 588 cubic inches on the old flat rate box and 454 cubic inches on the new flat rate box. Gee, I must have missed when the USPS told us they were making the boxes slightly smaller. Still the same rate, just can't quite squeeze as much in as you used to.
Well, if we figure a middle sized flat rate box ships for $10.70, and then divide that by the two different cubes, it comes up to be 1.819 cents/cubic inch to ship the old box and 2.356 cents/cubic inch to ship the new middle sized flat rate box. By my calculations that's a 29% increase.
Of course, the President announced a three year freeze on military pay a couple of months ago, and then today heard he was freezing government except for military. So as I'm understanding this, the post office sneaked in a 29% increase on us the unsuspecting public, but our social security and retirement is going to remain the same for three years. Thought there was a slogan out there somewhere about, "...government for the people." Well, since this blog is about being on the road bend over, we'll "DRIVE" the idea home just one more time!!!!!
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