Shipping stuff from home?

Everytime I had to goto the post office to ship something, I was either in a rush or didn't have enough time. I'm looking for a good, precise, reliable digital scale that can accurately give me the measurements so I can print out labels from my computer and leave the package for the delivery man. I'm thinking of something like average weight, probably under 30 lbs., I mostly ship small stuff. How many of you have digital scales for weighing items to ship from home? Or is there another secret way to get items with postage paid out the door without going to the post office?

Years ago, I went on eBay and bought a small NIB Pitney-Bowes 5 lb. scale for less than $10 and I still use it every day.

If you need something bigger than 5 lb., the sky's the limit.

To ship Priority Mail, I use the USPS' Click-N-Ship online service.

If I want to ship First Class, I'd use Stamps.com

In either case, you can get a package in the mail without ever going to the post office, unless the package is too big to go into a mailbox. With Click-N-Ship, you can schedule a next day, free pickup from your regular mail carrier.

Large First Class mail still needs to be handed to your carrier if you can catch him on his route or brought to the PO.

We are very satisfied with our Royal rc40 in conjunction with USPS' Click-N-Ship!!

Office Depot sells postage scales for pretty cheap. I need to get one too.

I've had a 50lb/2oz increment Pelouze scale for about 30 years and it's still very accurate. Great for shipping boxes where postage is calculated to the nearest pound, but not so good for small stuff when you have to weigh to the nearest ounce. For that I use a cheap diet scale and round up.

I have the Post Office scale and like it (under $40) as seen here:
http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/sto...01&categoryId=11823&productId=11049&langId=-1

I have a Royal eX3 (3# capacity) that I picked up at Walmart for under $20. I just use it so I know what to charge for shipping, I still make the trip to the post office. However, the weight I get on the Royal is dead on with what it ends up being once I get to the Post Office. BTW, the instruction manual is also for 2 other models, the eX5 and eX10 with 5 and 10 pound capacities if you need it.

Great info in this thread. I live at the Post Office and its got to stop.

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You still have to go to the post office as the mail person doesn't like to pick up packages from your home so they will leave them sit.