Broke Folks Postage Control Swap #7

Will you be doing a USA only this time, too?

@Kristipye - Thanks for reminding me! This is meant to be USA only - I'll be making an international one hopefully in the next few weeks. I found it best to space them out a bit.

Dashboard is crammed, so watching for now. Will join! :)

I'm so glad! I love these!

I don't have a postage scale. Can anyone give ideas on what to send that equals 1 oz for 44 cents? (i.e. 2 sticker sheets, 1 postcard, several 4x6 sheets of paper)

@ArtyBeth3 Inclduing a business-size envelope:
4 sheets of 8x11 paper is usually just under 1 ounce (no heavy paper).
4 postcards.
Four 4x6 photos
The best thing though, would be to take it to your post office, and if it's over, remove something.
:-)

@ArtyBeth3 I'm pretty sure that our wonderful host has eliminated the "must be under one ounce" rule. Other than the possibility of having postage due, it's not the huge issue it was when I hosted, lol. You can't be rated down for going over the one ounce.

If you wanted to give me a few examples (of actual things you have), I could weigh them on my scale so you have some exact answers. Send me a PM if you would like me to do that. It might be an educational lesson for me, as well, lol!

Thanks @darbyflats - Right, you cannot be penalized for sending something over an ounce - I can say that some things I've been able to send are postage stamps, fabric scraps, post cards, note cards, flower seeds, tea, stickers, recipes, etc.

Also - something I do is take the open envies to the PO and have them weigh it for me. They're usually pretty nice about it - I get a lot of strange looks, but they do it regardless. lol

sticker flakes are a good idea too ! you can get the disney and pixar ones for like a dollar off of ebay and save them for future swaps. Also all the kawaii stores sell even cute ones !

I meant cuter urgh cant spell lol

@area51ufo1 - Thanks for sharing your idea!

@angelstar Thank you so much for the info on what things weigh! That totally helps!!

so doing this one

@mizvicky - glad to hear it! :)

Got my envies all decorated - just waiting for parter assignments. I'm so excited to do this swap!

Other suggestions that don't weigh that much is postage stamps, homemade address labels if you have a computer to do that, postcard, stickers, brads for scrapbooking, tea bags, etc. You can definitely put a few of these things in 1 envelope for 44 cents. I am joining this again. It was fun last time to see what people can get in one envelope.

well, this is my first one of these and thinking of what I have that can fit in an envelope.....must think must think....I'm sure something will come into this brain of mine LOL

@tigeralayna - I walk around my house sometimes trying to figure it out. lol

Oh! I should put out a reminder. Things that make postage go up: Items like pens/pencils, keychains, etc. Also, sending something more than 1/4 inch thick causes the postage to go up as well.

I don't have a scale, but I would think that items such as these would also work...

Used postage stamps, personalized trade slips, mini size post-it notes or flags, clipped images or words to use in collages, light weight rulers, narrow strips of stickers, pre-cut shapes (can't think of proper term for them), small bags of confetti or glitter, narrow pieces of ribbon or lace, small bag of seed beads, mini zip-lock bags, very tiny buttons, interestingly shaped or colored paper clips (Staple's has a bunch), blank address labels to use when addressing homemade cards or post cards, etc.

Hope that helps someone. :)

Thanks @craftytweetie !

yeah remember if it is at all lumpy or just a bit thick it will cost another twenty cents.

I find that when I send a tea bag or anything with a little bit of bulk to it . . . the Post Office will charge me an additional 20 cents. They say it is because the envelope then requires special handling. I thought a tea bag would pass, but I guess not. Is my Post Office being picky . . . or is that the rule?!

That's weird @Sylvia4647 because I've definitely sent tea without any extra postage required. I've been able to send 2 tea bags and 2 packages of seeds in one envie without any problems.

My post office if like yours Sylvia, they charge if you burp the wrong way. I can get mail from other people and I say no way I couldn't get that to go for 44cents but they did. By the way I just had a letter returned from me yesterday and it was posted 07 Dec. 2009. no kidding.

If your post office is overly picky about postage, I wonder what would happen if you just put a stamp on the envelope yourself and mail it? I wonder if it would go thru ok, or if it would arrive with postage due? Hmmmmm....

@CraftyTweetie - I'm sure it would go through. A friend of mine got a completely empty envie the other day but it was perfectly sealed.

Herbal tea happens to be one of the items that I have listed in my profile. So . . . I recieve tea bags frequently . . . along with a note from the post office indicating that I am required to pay the extra postage. The post office tells me that this rule became effective with the last postage increase.

Wow--all my partners seem so interesting. This is my first swap-bot swap but it seems like they do a good job partnering. I already had a pile of stuff ready. Now I'll just sort according to interest and will probably mail today.

When the last postage rate hike went into effect, the rules changed too. If your envie is over 1/4" I think, it must be mailed "package" rate, which adds a bit more postage cost to your envie. Someone mailed me an evelope with a sticker robin in it and she put 2- 44 cent stamps on it. When I got it, I was required to pay an additional 78 cents because the envie was over 1/4" thick, by a hair. So, it wasn't heavy, it was just thick, so be careful mailing "lumpy" things with just one stamp.

I went to Michaels and got some goodies yesterday. Will be putting my envies together tonight and pop them in the mail tomorrow...

Ny post office is ridiculously PICKY!!!! i have received envies that i have had to pay extra and then again i receive bulky ones with just one stamp. i have had to pay extra if i send out in a 6x9 because of the clasp!!!!! on the envie. yeah they told me it has to be hand handled and if they out it through the machine it might get caught and break the machine. i even put tape over the clasp. ridiculous.

I received my first swap-bot package today. It was clever and fun. It's fun to add a little joy to your day with a crafty package. :)

I got a really cool envie from Shannon in MN, has an owl on the envie....But I need your on line name so I can give ya a heart.

Never mind...I figured it out!

I got my first letter today for this swap. It weighed 0.6 of an ounce. Bummer!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got my first letter today for this swap. It weighed 0.6 of an ounce. Bummer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got my first envie today from Barbara and loved everything in it!! I'm definitely journaling tonight!!!!

I have to confess--all mine were over and I sent them anyway. :) I also had the postman use stamps adding up to the cost of postage versus one of those blah postage labels they print out. I'm sure he was rolling his eyes at me. :)

Haha - I went over too. I don't have a lot of "tiny" things to send, but I don't think anyone will mind. :)

This was loads of fun? When you doin' the next one!! Thanks for letting me play

I took my envies to the PO and they weighed under an ounce. I mailed them from my house on Friday and 3 came back to me for the extra 20 cents postage. They were too bulky but under an ounce! So I will remail tomorrow with the extra 20 cents. I can't believe I couldn't do this right! LOL

I have not been so lucky as some of you. My first pkg. weighed 0.6,oz. next one was 0.7oz, then 0.5 oz. and one was nice at 1.1 oz. I can't wait to see what the last one weighs.

Fri. someone mailed 3 of my envies for me, and all of them supposedly were too thick! :( I purposely was VERY careful to keep the thickness to a minimum, so I can't believe they were all too thick. I bet if I had just chanced it and mailed them from my house or a mailbox, they would have gone thru just fine. :( Oh well, at least we can't be penialized for goig over 1 stamp.

This was a fun swap to do, though, and I love everything that I've received so far, even the unusual, funny stuff, like a child's number puzzle, the type where you have to slide around the squares with numbers on till they're in numeric order. Couldn't help but chuckle when I found that in one envie. :)

Fri. someone mailed 3 of my envies for me, and all of them supposedly were too thick! :( I purposely was VERY careful to keep the thickness to a minimum, so I can't believe they were all too thick. I bet if I had just chanced it and mailed them from my house or a mailbox, they would have gone thru just fine. :( Oh well, at least we can't be penialized for goig over 1 stamp.

This was a fun swap to do, though, and I love everything that I've received so far, even the unusual, funny stuff, like a child's number puzzle, the type where you have to slide around the squares with numbers on till they're in numeric order. Couldn't help but chuckle when I found that in one envie. :)

Fri. someone mailed 3 of my envies for me, and all of them supposedly were too thick! :( I purposely was VERY careful to keep the thickness to a minimum, so I can't believe they were all too thick. I bet if I had just chanced it and mailed them from my house or a mailbox, they would have gone thru just fine. :( Oh well, at least we can't be penialized for goig over 1 stamp.

This was a fun swap to do, though, and I love everything that I've received so far, even the unusual, funny stuff, like a child's number puzzle, the type where you have to slide around the squares with numbers on till they're in numeric order. Couldn't help but chuckle when I found that in one envie. :)

Fri. someone mailed 3 of my envies for me, and all of them supposedly were too thick! :( I purposely was VERY careful to keep the thickness to a minimum, so I can't believe they were all too thick. I bet if I had just chanced it and mailed them from my house or a mailbox, they would have gone thru just fine. :( Oh well, at least we can't be penialized for goig over 1 stamp.

This was a fun swap to do, though, and I love everything that I've received so far, even the unusual, funny stuff, like a child's number puzzle, the type where you have to slide around the squares with numbers on till they're in numeric order. Couldn't help but chuckle when I found that in one envie. :)

OOOPPS! Sorry for the hiccup! :( The site was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay slow, so I didn't realize my message went thru the 1st time. (Siiiigh) It's gonna be 1 of those days I have a feeling.

I have been rated for 4 of these.. Hope the other one made it to my partner....