At a time when every penny counts, post office customers will lose one cent more with each lick of a stamp.

The price of postage for First-Class mail increased by one cent to 45 cents on Sunday, the U.S. Postal Service's first price adjustment since May 2009. Prices for standard mail, periodicals and package services also increased.

K.G. Curtis of Raleigh was aware of the price increase because he's been visiting downtown's Century Station Post Office regularly since 1948, when he opened his post office box there.

"I can remember the penny postcard," he said. "It's been a stair-step process since then."

That same postcard now costs 32 cents to mail.

Mary Ellen Zino of Cary said the increase was only a minor inconvenience since she - like an increasing number of Americans - doesn't do much personal mailing.

"It's just another thing that the government is wanting to increase," said Zino, who was mailing items for work at the Fayetteville Street location. "It just adds up."

The price increases were announced in October.