The U.S. Postal Service is grappling with major financial problems. They stem from a mandate to prefund health care retiree benefits as well as a drop-off in customers using the mail.

Lost in the hubbub over cash crunches and congressional bailouts is that the service needs to do something to be more relevant in an era when people forsake the mail to send messages and pay bills on computers and mobile devices.

Here are 6 new ideas from the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Postal Service aimed at getting you back to your local post office.