As for the mail price going up, all I can do is shrug. With all the other inventions to stay in touch with people, phones, e-mail, texting, etc (you get the picture), the demand for mail is sure to be going down.
I've got a lot of things to mail before then! Maybe it's time for me to take a break of this hobby. But then again, I said that last year before the postal increase and I'm still writing.

BossC
EDIT: Ryan J, your links are for LAST years increase. Here's a link for this year affective Mon, May 11th: http://www.usps.com/prices/pricechanges.htm
Copied from the link:
First-Class Mail Price
Letters – first ounce $0.44 (instead of 0.42)
Large envelopes – first ounce $0.88 (instead of 0.83)
Parcels – first ounce $1.22
Additional ounces $0.17
Postcard $0.28
Stamped Card $0.31
Stamped Envelope $0.54
First-Class Mail International Price
Postcards and Letters – first ounce
Canada $0.75 (instead of 0.72)
Mexico $0.79
All other countries $0.98 (instead of 0.94)