Just had a look on philatelink and most of the larger make up stamps (90p+) are either out of stock or very low stock 
Guess I’ll have to sit down and math it out later 
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I’ve ordered, but as a mostly envelope-mail sender (letters), I have a bit more room for the stamps.
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“The company said that adults typically spent less than £7 a year on stamped letters and people now received two letters a week on average.”
We’re far from typical! Between us, we probably keep the average above £5!
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Do you write “surface mail” on the card somewhere? I’ve never tried it. And it’s only outside Europe, is that right?
£2.50 air mail is terrible 
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I write International Economy.
And don’t forget, there are lots of countries that are partially in Europe, so they have to go at the higher rate. Places such as Russia (including Siberia) , Kazakhstan, Turkey.
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These days I have a stamp but yes, that’s best
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Thanks both 
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It is quite sad. One relative wishes her children, grandchildren, and great-grandson happy birthday via facebook, even though the great-grandson is too young to have an FB account. I don’t even think she gives cards either (in person).
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For letter format (so postcards) only to countries NOT in any of the Europe zones here https://www.royalmail.com/sending/international/country-guides
Unfortunately, as Louise says some big hitters, notably Russia, are classed as Europe by Royal Mail.
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Two pounds fifty, good grief
“The cost of sending a letter second class from the second of April - 85p - will be the same as it cost to send one first class at the start of 2022.” Eesh
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If it makes you feel any better, I’ve just had a meeting card from @mapcardcollector who posted me a card from Denmark where the postage is DKK50 which equates to £5.75! Howzat? 
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I nearly fell through the floor when I heard it on the news! It was 98p when I started Postcrossing in 2013. I really dont know how much longer it will be viable to do Postcrossing, if the price hikes are going to be 20p/30p a time.
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That is rather sad, @FairyFoot . Sending a letter or card should be in financial reach of everyone. These price rises are pushing it out of reach.
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£2.50 is atrocious… I might ditch postcrossing and stick with penpalling only 
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That’s basically what I’ve done for the past 10+ years (although then, airmail worldwide was 87p (?)) and only sending some postcards occasionally. Perhaps send on Postcrossing-anniversary, and World Postcard Day, as it would be such a shame not to celebrate this wonderful project.
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I only started Postcrossing 20 months ago (when postage cost £1.85 so this is a 35%+ increase in that time period) & am approaching the 200 cards sent/received mark. I want to keep doing it but £2.50 to sent a postcard is nuts! A number of people I know have said that they will simply reduce their usage of RM’s services & regrettably I’ll be doing the same.
Like the Laffer Curve for taxation, you have to wonder if RM’s price hikes are actually reducing revenue. It’s a premium price for a very poor service. My postman seemingly can’t count to 3… It’s a standing joke in our street that the neighbours deliver more of our mail through the correct door than the postie does.
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Sadly, I must echo what a lot of you are saying. I’ve been postcrossing less than a year and in that time prices have jumped a lot. I just can’t justify the new price. I think I’ll slow down for now to make use of the stamps and cards I already have and gradually bring things here to just an occasional card, maybe for WPD, or one a month or so, possibly even stop.
I did some back of the envelope (ironic, I know) thinking and lets say I continue as I have been and I send 12 cards a month, a realistic figure for a seasoned postcrosser, and what I am now approaching doing regularly. That’s £30/month on postage. Doesn’t include the price of cards and if you want stickers/washi etc. £30/month is a lot for many people, certainly is for myself. £30/month is also £360 in a year. You can easily have a foreign long weekend away for that.
I feel a little sad. I know it’s only a 20p/30p increase, but for me it just feels like too much to be sending as much as I would like to.
Can’t help but agree with Ken above. Feels like RM is in a bit of a death spiral. Putting up prices which drives people away which forces prices up.
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I’m still missing 50 cards from late last year (probably sitting in my local delivery office somewhere, or trashed) so this price hike just puts an end to it for me. I’ll send a card every now and then to use up the stamps I’ve got. Sad that after twelve years I’ll have to stop but if Royal Mail can’t deliver cards to me I’m not paying these preposterous prices. 
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I stopped using RM for anything except postcards back in late 2022. Not because of cost, but because they became just so unreliable. For Postcrossing that doesn’t matter much, provided stuff gets through eventually, but for everything else I ever sent by post, having no idea what month it would get delivered in is a no-no. I do sympathise with them though, the Universal Service as currently required is an absolute nonsense. It should be reduced to one or two deliveries a week in ruralistan. This wouldn’t affect many people but would save a TON of money.
I will definitely reduce my Postcrossing usage of Royal Mail.
I currently aim for a maximun of 10 cards a month, thinking that it is the price of coffee and cake, once a week.
I guess the equation is still the same as coffee has gone up too, but as I’m on a fixed income it’s money that could be better used elsewhere. Not sure if I will go as low as 1 a week, but I do like round numbers.
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