The Royal Mail recently announced that the price of stamps is set to rise, with a first class stamp going up 9p to 85p and a second class one up 1p to 66p.
The new prices start from January 1, 2021 and come just weeks after Royal Mail revealed letter volumes have fallen 28 per cent in the six months to September 27, compared with a year earlier.
But money-saving expert, Martin Lewis, has a simple trick to beat the New Year price hike.
He said: "Buy your stamps now. If they say ‘1st’ or ‘2nd’ on them they are worth that for 10 or 20 years. So buy all your stamps for next year’s Christmas Cards now at the cheaper price."
Defending the price rises, Royal Mail said that the Covid-19 pandemic had cost it £85 million on protective equipment, covering absences, overtime and agency staff.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: "Like other companies, 2020 has been a challenging year for Royal Mail. "
He continued: "Our people have worked tirelessly to keep the UK connected throughout the pandemic and associated restrictions.
"These price increases will help us continue to deliver and sustain the Universal Service in challenging circumstances."
