yup. that's how much i spent on sending parcels home to people: more than half a month's rent. that is just ridiculous. i mean, i know that email and cheap phone plans have cut down on how much people use the postal service, but really? we have to charge that much? i live overseas from all my family and a lot of my friends. i have to post internationally 85% (at least!) of my gifts. i may never do that again, if they don't reciprocate and start sending me things. they each only have to send one expensive parcel to me-- i have to send them to everyone. it's just not fair.
so i could just send gift cards, or order online, or simply call. but where's the fun in that?! i love finding the perfect gift, and buying people things from the awesome places i get to travel. but when i have to spend more on the shipping than the item itself is worth, how is that right? it's not right. but is there anything i can do about it? no.
because it's not just the specialty shipping folks who are outrageously priced-- it's the local post office. surface mail takes two months to arrive for a slight decrease in price. slight enough to make up for the difference in time? not really. i could just pack everything in my checked luggage when i go home... if i go home. but since i have not been in more than a year, and have no idea when i might get back again, that doesn't even work. gah.
c'mon, shipping people. give us poor expats a break! this is flippin' highway robbery. =(
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