The price of postage is on the rise again. In just over three weeks, mailing a letter will cost you an additional 2 cents.

On May 11, the price of a first class stamp will go up from 42 cents to 44 cents apiece, due to increased costs and a decrease in the amount of mail handled by the U.S. Postal Service.

Experts tell us that a sharp drop in the number of credit card offers and loan offers being mailed to consumers, coupled with the advent of online banking, are among the chief factors that led to the upcoming increase.

There are ways to avoid having to pay extra for stamps. Forever Stamps can be purchased at the old rate before the increase takes effect and used after the increase. Unlike regular 42-cent stamps, which will require extra postage, the Forever Stamps will not.