Beginning today postal rates increase, meaning  a standard 1-ounce letter will cost 41 cents to mail, that’s up 2 cents from the previous 39-cent rate for a first-class stamp. A postcard will take 26 cents to send and a large 1-ounce envelope will cost 80 cents to drop off. If your mail generally consists of first-class letters weighing an ounce or less, however, you may wish to invest in what the US Postal Service is calling the "forever" stamps. These stamps, which cost 41 cents, can be used in perpetuity without any extra postage for as long as you own them. While the forever stamp is getting quite a bit of press, the Postal Service also is introducing something called shape-based pricing. By folding the contents intended for a large 1-ounce envelope into a 1-ounce, letter-size envelope, you will save as much as 39 cents apiece. Customers who can squeeze the contents of a first-class mail package into a large envelope can save 33 cents apiece.