"There are worse things in the world," Mobley said.

"It's just one more thing (increasing in cost)," said Cathy Hesselgesser, of the West Atlantic City section of Egg Harbor Township. "It really only makes a difference if you pay a lot of bills through the mail. Thank-
fully, I don't anymore."

But the post office also has introduced a way for people to save money when the price goes up - the Forever stamp, which remains valid for first-class postage regardless of any increases.

With the rate increase approaching, sales of the Forever stamp reached 64 million per day in April, postal officials said.

Forever stamps currently sell for 41 cents, but can be used after the rate increase without any additional postage. However, when the rate goes up, so does the price of Forever stamps.

Unlike the Forever stamps, other 41-cent stamps will require additional postage under the new rates, and postal officials said they printed an additional 1.5 billion 1-cent stamps in anticipation of the demand.

Also, for the first time the agency has stamps available at the new rate before the change takes effect.

A set of five 42-cent stamps honoring pioneering journalists went on sale in April, as did a set of four stamps featuring the American flag flying at different times of day.

A 42-cent stamp featuring singer and actor Frank Sinatra will be released Tuesday.

The increase comes just a week after the post office announced it had a loss of $700 million in the second quarter of the fiscal year, blamed largely on declining mail volume and rising fuel prices.

While the charge for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises to 42 cents, the price of each added ounce will remain 17 cents, so a two-ounce letter will go up a penny to 59 cents.

The cost to mail a postcard will also go up a penny, to 27 cents.

Postage rates last went up in May 2007, with a first-class stamp jumping 2 cents to the current 41-cent rate. That change came under the old law governing the post office, while the current boost uses the simpler procedures of the new one.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

To e-mail Regina Schaffer at The Press:

RSchaffer@pressofac.com

Other rates set for Monday:

n Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.

n Money Orders up to $500, $1.05, unchanged.

n Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.

n First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.

n First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.

n Priority mail flat-rate envelope, $4.75, up 25 cents.

n Express mail flat-rate envelope, $16.50, up 25 cents.