I'm about to run out of stamps.  I'm probably the last person on earth who uses them.  Paying bills by check and envelope is soooo last century, and the little ritual helps me remember if I've done it or not.  Still, I've given myself over to working a little harder to learn to pay them online - I've switched about a quarter of my bills over already.  The paper saved with online statements and payments is a good Fix-friendly thing*, and obviously eliminates the need for stamps.  I love sending postcards and letters, though, and it will be impossible without stamps. 

I think this is a funny irony/conundrum: in the spirit of Fix, letter writing fits right in - it is an inefficient practice requiring intention and attention; by the letter of Fix (yuk, yuk), buying stamps could be a transgression.   When we buy stamps, are we buying a thing to affix to another thing, or are we buying a contract with the USPS?  Does this contract with the post office enable us to have an experience - and give an experience to someone else - that is utterly unavailable any other way?  I'm going to propose that stamps for things that can be done online or by fax qualify as stuff, and that personal correspondence is an experience requiring a service from the post office and therefore a stamp.

*A few months back, I wrote about switching my Citibank bill to "paperless statements."  They still send me a piece of paper every month letting me know my statement is online. (This is in addition to an email notification.) Gee, thanks, guys.  How paperless.