I've got a PO Box here at the local post office. Right now, it's the easiest and most dependable way to get mail. Plus, there's something fun about having a key to a little box that holds stuff for you.
The big downside to the PO Box is having to visit the office to check your mail. I'm a single gal, and I just don't get much mail. A few bills and the occasional letter or postcard from a friend are my main box occupants. A few years ago, the post office happened to be located right next to where I worked, so it was no problem to check my mail at the end of each workday. In my current town, I usually have to make a special effort to get my mail.
I'm waiting for a package from Amazon: a late Christmas present of Planet Earth for Matt and me to share. I've been watching the tracking on that package, and it was finally delivered today. It's really exciting to know that I will actually have something when I go to the post office. That also got me thinking: what if the post office had an online system where you could check to see if you have mail? Of course, it would be super complicated to tell you exactly what you have, but it would be nice to know that you have something. There could be a barcode on the inside of your PO Box, and the post office could scan it when they place mail inside. Then, I could log into a website or get an email alert that I have mail waiting for me (and, to be nice, hopefully the postal workers would only scan for actual mail and not for the ad inserts that they frequently place in my box).
Obviously, the system would cost a little more. But think of the utility! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who would pay for such an exciting feature.