Key Takeaways
- A 1st Class stamp is around £1.70 (2nd Class around £0.87) — but you can't buy just the stamp.
- The true DIY material cost per letter is roughly £1.10–£1.90 once you add envelope, paper, and ink.
- Realistically you can't buy supplies for one letter — the minimum outlay is closer to £30–£60 in stamps, envelopes, paper, and ink.
- PostPal is a flat £4 per UK letter and £8 worldwide — no upfront supplies, no leftover ink.
- DIY still wins for high-volume business mail and handwritten cards. For most one-off letters, online posting is cleaner and often better value.
Introduction
When you need to post a letter, doing it yourself feels like it should be the cheap option. How much can a stamp and an envelope really cost? The catch is that you can't buy one stamp and one envelope — you're forced to buy in bulk, and that changes the maths entirely.
Let's break down what it actually costs to send a letter the DIY way versus using an online service like PostPal in the UK.
The DIY Mailing Shopping List
Here's everything you need to post a single letter the traditional way:
1. Stamp
A 1st Class stamp costs around £1.70, 2nd Class around £0.87. Buy a book of stamps and you're spending £8.70 or more up front.
2. Envelope
A pack of 50 DL envelopes costs around £3–£5, so roughly £0.08 each — but only if you buy the whole pack.
3. Paper
A ream of 500 sheets is around £5–£7, about £0.01–£0.02 per sheet.
4. Printer Ink or Toner
This is where it adds up. An inkjet cartridge costs £15–£35 and prints a few hundred pages — roughly £0.08–£0.15 per page, more if it's dried out from sitting unused.
The True Cost Per Letter (DIY)
Add it up for a single 1st Class letter:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1st Class stamp | £1.70 |
| Envelope | £0.08 |
| Paper (1 sheet) | £0.02 |
| Printing (1 page, ink) | £0.12 |
| Materials Total | ~£1.92 |
Under £2 in materials looks cheap — but you can't actually buy these supplies for one letter. The realistic minimum entry cost is £30–£60 across a book of stamps, a pack of envelopes, a ream of paper, and a fresh cartridge.
The Occasional Sender Trap
If you only post a few letters a year, DIY is even worse value than the per-letter maths suggests:
- Stamps go walkabout: you buy a book of eight, use two, and lose the rest.
- Ink dries out: inkjet cartridges crust up if they don't print regularly.
- Supplies degrade: envelopes bend, paper yellows.
- Prices rise: Royal Mail has increased stamp prices repeatedly — older non-barcoded stamps may no longer be valid.
The PostPal Alternative
Here's what you get with PostPal instead:
- UK letters: £4 flat, anywhere in the country.
- International letters: £8 worldwide.
- Professional printing on quality paper (colour available for £1).
- A proper envelope and Royal Mail postage.
- Address checking and posting within one business day.
- Attach up to 5 documents at no extra cost.
No printer, no Post Office, no hunting for stamps. For most people sending the odd letter, that's better value than the maths first suggests.
Skip the supply run: send your first letter with PostPal.