Part of the early 2021 Royal Mail postal rate table
The postage required on various types of letter depends on size and weight. Here is a picture of the Royal Mail rates as at the start of 2021 ~
If you take a letter to a Post Office it will be sized ~ weighed ~ and costed. The computer there will print the necessary postage paid label.
If you can weigh and measure a letter at home you can stick your own stamps onto the envelope. If you do not stick sufficient postage on the letter will not be delivered ~ the missing amount of postage will have to be paid ~ together with a fee to cover the exra trouble involved in dealing with an out-of-routine item.
The selection of printed stamps that you can buy does not correspond with the table of postal charges shown above. You can buy stamps to the value of 1 ~ 2 ~ 5 ~10 ~ 20 ~ 50 ~ 100 pence ~ and maybe more. You can also buy 66 ~ 85 ~ 96 ~129 pence stamps. Their prices are tailored to the four most popular values from the table above.
When I prepare items for posting I have to make a selection of stamps to cover the exact cost. That means doing maths for every letter or packet or parcel I send. It would be very helpful to make a table that does all the maths. Such a list is called a ready reckoner because all the reckoning ~ equals maths ~ has been done ready for instant use without struggling with odd sums ever again. The table would have to show the various selections of stamps required for each of the postal rates. There may be several ways to reach certain values ~ show them all. The different combinations will be useful in case there is a shortage of a certain type of stamp.
Prepare a table ~ a ready reckoner ~ set out in such a way that it is useful and quick to use. Unfortunately it will have to be changed at sometime in the future ~ the postal rates usually change every year. Grrrrrrrrrr!
Other activites related to these cards are described ~
A pelmanism type of game [114066].
A version of Snap to help with interchangeability between fractions ~ decimals ~ percentages [114069].
