Does anyone else ever use the little bubble mailers?  Being of a compulsive nature, sometimes I have someone I'm mailing letters back and forth with and find myself compelled to send them a little something more.  If I can't afford to mail a regular box, I sometimes use the little 6 inch by 9 inch bubble packs.  I have a postal scale so I can moniter the weight of what I send.  Yesterday I sent a bubble pack that contained a letter, a granola bar, a couple of Slim Jims, a pack of Eclipse gum, 2 Kool-Aid drink mixes, a pack of fruit gummies, some Lifesaver mints, and a 4th of July decoration.  I was able to use the little green customs form and it was just under $2 for postage.  I see this as a nice option for anyone with limited funds, or a way to spread the support a little further.

I love bubble mailers and use them in all sizes!  They are great for mailing socks, towels, sheets, baby wipes, pads of paper...almost anything that mostly flat, not too heavy, has no sharp edges, and isn't rigid.  (If it's rigid and has sharp edges, it can punch a hole through the wrap.)  And yes, I use the little ones to send a letter and a few little treats sometimes, too.

I use the bubble mailers all the time.

I wish I had a postal scale.

Hey, Sarah - I got one for Christmas from my sister-in-law, the one who hooked me on the website.  Just put it on your birthday or holiday wish list!  Maybe someone will come through for you. I actually have two scales.  My old one I had bought many moons ago at a garage sale when I was doing a different type of project.  My new one is really a cooking scale, and digital - SO much easier to use and more accurate.  I don't think it was terribly expensive, and it certainly has been helpful.  It only goes up to five pounds, but that's fine for me since most of what I ship I send in the FRBs.  Since the postage regulations keep changing, it's not a problem that it only gives me the weight, as I can look up the cost elsewhere.  I printed off a chart of the prices per ounce on first class mail and keep it by the scale.  Back to the bubble mailers - one of the things I like best about them is that they are so lightweight.  I'd much rather pay for the weight of goodies than the weight of a box that's going to be tossed.

I use the small bubble envelopes around the holidays to that I can send lots of support.

I have never seen the little green customs forms.  Do you think I could use the regular white customs forms instead?  The bubble mailers are a great idea for those in-between mailings.

PA Dutch:

I have never seen the little green customs forms.  Do you think I could use the regular white customs forms instead?  The bubble mailers are a great idea for those in-between mailings.

 

My post office can be quite a pain over which form to use. Since the green form is very short and you don't have to write a big inventory it doesn't take long to complete at the post office. My post office folks will process the entire package then hand it to me with the form to finish off to the side of the line. When I'm done I don't have to get back into the line (postage is paid and all) I just hand the completed things to them. Good luck.

Thanks, Mom

I order all my boxes and forms from the Postal Store online.  The link is:  http://www.usps.com/

All the forms and boxes are free.  I think you use the little green form if your envelope is over a certain amount of ounces, but can't remember whether it was 1 oz. or 4 oz.  Easy to fill out.  And if you have a supply of all these things at home, you save time.  The postal service delivers mine right to my front door FREE.  No cost for the items and no Shipping or Handling costs.

Just a thought.

Mary

Sarah,

Do you ever go to any garage/yard sales?  I have seen some of the small dietary scales which would do for something as light as a bubble mailer.  Also, do you have a Freecycle group near you?  Many states have these, and we have posted a wanted message on ours and gotten things for Soldiers like a dustbuster, books, magazines, movies, toys, Tupperware containers, cereal bowls, and I remember someone having one of the dietary scales to offer also.  Some people use those when they are on weight watchers and then get rid of them.

Gran

Hey y'all!

I just got back from the post office, where I had the opportunity to clarify the forms.  You can use the little green one if your envelope or bubble mailer is ONE POUND or less.  I was "guestimating" and had filled out the green one, but when it was weighed, it was HALF AN OUNCE over, and I had to fill out a white form instead.  My clerk suggested that I just go ahead and do a white form everytime, and then we'd know it would always go.  Apprently the white one is interchangeable for the green one, but not the other way around.

I also picked up some FREE boxes from them, that I hadn't noticed on their display before.  Very lightweight, about the size of a video cassette.  I think I had seen them at other post offices before, but they charged for them.  You could fit ALOT of drink mix packets in there, and it still wouldn't weigh much.

Phillis:

I also picked up some FREE boxes from them, that I hadn't noticed on their display before.  Very lightweight, about the size of a video cassette.  I think I had seen them at other post offices before, but they charged for them.  You could fit ALOT of drink mix packets in there, and it still wouldn't weigh much.

Wow...I am moving to Alabama!  I have never seen these for free....I only wish.

Well, I was a little surprised--I couldn't believe I'd been missing them, so I'm pretty sure they are a new addition.  They are a priority mail box, so you might want to ask about them at your PO.  If they don't have them, just PM me your mailing address and I'll be glad to send you some (well, that, or the latest real estate guide--as Bob Barker "used" to say "COME ON DOWN!!) 

Free Spirit:

Phillis:

I also picked up some FREE boxes from them, that I hadn't noticed on their display before.  Very lightweight, about the size of a video cassette.  I think I had seen them at other post offices before, but they charged for them.  You could fit ALOT of drink mix packets in there, and it still wouldn't weigh much.

Wow...I am moving to Alabama!  I have never seen these for free....I only wish.

All Priority mail boxes are free.  

Thanks for all the info ~~~ but now of course I have 2 questions:

1. When you mailed the bubble mailer for $2 (which by the way I think is a great idea thank ou very much) - was that priority?

2. The green form which can be used for 1 pound or less- is that for any package(like the video tape size ) or just "envelope"?

I stopped by my post office yesterday to pick up some priority boxes (before I read this post) and it looks like they have printed new ones. So, maybe that new size that none of us saw before is really new.(?)