Online bill pay in my future?

For those of us who still write checks and pay bills by Snail Mail, the fact that stamp prices are going up is a pain in the behind.

On May 11, 2009 stamp prices will go up two cents to a whopping 44 cents. The Postal Service said the price increase was necessary because of rising production costs--WHAT PRODUCTION COSTS?? Under law, the price of stamps is not allowed to rise faster than the U.S. consumer price index, which measures inflation. Well when you put it that way...

Is it just me or have stamps been rising at a ridiculously high rate the past couple of years? Don't even get me started on this ridiculous economy.

It makes me wonder if constant this stamp rate increase will cause people to stop paying bills by Snail Mail altogether. I hate online bill pay. I just do. I don't know why, but I find comfort in writing checks, placing them in envelopes, writing my return address, and mailing them via the USPS. Now, I'm only 21 but being able to remember when stamps were a little under 30 cents makes me feel really old.

Needless to say I'm going out on May 10th to buy 37 books of "forever stamps." Should last me a little while.