Hi all,
I'm curious about what you do about holiday gifts or tipping for various service people in your lives.
Newspaper delivery person - normally I tip because they work 365 days in all kinds of weather. But we hadn't subscribed for a long time, just re-started (Sundays only), and we got one paper and then he forgot the second Sunday. So no tip this year.
Fed Ex and UPS delivery - same deal with year-round, bad weather deliveries. We have a lot of packages especially from Fed Ex, and we have regular drivers in our neighborhood from both companies. Fed Ex always brings biscuits for our dog and takes time with her - to the point that she expects biscuits from every single white van/truck out there! And when we're out walking, if he's delivery to other houses in the street, he still stops for her and gives her a treat. UPS isn't here as much, but same deal with stopping for the dog if we're out and about. I've given them a few boxes of biscuits throughout the year, but wanted to do something else now. How much, and to what? I don't want to do Starbucks ($10 buys 2 coffees maybe!). Home baked goods plus cash or gift card?
Hairdresser - I know the usual "rule" is to give the average cost of one visit as a tip. I just switched to a new hairdresser and had one cut/color, for which I tipped generously. I also bought product and I'm pretty sure she gets a commission on that. Tip this year or not? How much?
Who else do you tip/not tip? I used to give to the trash and recycling pick-up people because it was so labor intensive and because they were out of the trucks and hauling things, so I got to know them a little. Now the trucks have those big automatic clamp things that just lift and dump the stuff so the guys never get out of the truck and I don't know them either.
My kid is grown so I don't have teachers to deal with. Anyone I'm missing?
Thanks!
ETA: Thanks for the reminder on the letter carrier! Yes, I do tip her because she's awesome - she'll kick in the "postage due" out of her own pocket and then trust you to repay her, that sort of thing. And ditto on bad-weather duty as with other delivery people. I think the USPS has a limit of $20-25, so I adhere to that and give a small gift to make it more personal - usually a candle or baked goods, but open to other good ideas. I see her personally so it's not an issue with leaving something in the box and having someone steal it, which I agree is a big problem.
Thanks for all the insight so far, mamas!!
Just read the comments about newspaper delivery people, trash collectors and letter carriers "doing their jobs" and therefore not getting tipped. I'm not sure I understand the comment about tipping the hairdresser but not for Christmas. And why do the teachers/coaches get tipped - aren't they doing their jobs too? I'm trying to get a handle on how/why we draw the line. Is it because people who work with our hair and our kids are doing something more "personal" whereas delivery and pick-up people don't? The responses are fascinating!
You might not have a cleaning person, but I do, and at the cleaning closest to Christmas, I double her payment (she is a 1-woman business, so the $ goes straight to her, when I had a service, I would leave cash for the actual cleaners separately from sending my payment to the company).
We just can't afford to tip everyone, especially under the recommendations. I tip our housecleaners an extra $50, teachers get $10 Starbucks cards and our newspaper delivery guy gets a $10 gift card. I got my hair cut recently, but just tipped the regular 20% tip. With a $110 cut and color, I just can't afford to pay $220. I recently made a job switch and my income is way down at the moment, so we have to be responsible with our money.
This is one of the questions on the site that I find extremely different answers from what I know in my real life area. None of my friends or neighbors tip the trash truck people, the news paper kids, the mail delivery person, etc. The view is that these people are doing their jobs, working hard and earning money. They don't tip extra because it's Christmas. I do tip my hair dresser a little more on occasion as a thank you, but not because of Christmas....I'm fairly sure she makes more than I do as it is!
It's not to be a scrooge, but I also don't have an extra $100 to gift everyone who crosses my path. The kids teachers are gifted as are their sports coaches/teachers. Outside of family, that's pretty much it.
We go to a local chain restaurant weekly for breakfast. Over the years we have had a few envelopes that we would give out but they have changed wait staff so we don't give out envelopes. However, we will give the server a larger amount than we usually do. This way we don't "slight" any of the other staff or show favoritism to a few.
As far as the garbage it is a large dumpster in the alley. The UPS and FedEx guys are rarely at our door so we don't give to them. I would have to find out from the newspaper who is our delivery person in order to give. Hairdresser right now is me so no tip.
Sometimes there are limits that the company will allow the person to receive so be careful about the amount.
Have a great holiday season to all.
the other S.
My husband details cars. So he has a couple of clients that tip him around the holidays. Anywhere from $50-$100. He also help a woman every day of the week with taking care of her goats. She tips him with a bunch of gift cards. Which is lovely.
I don't have a hairdresser, or a trash/recycle worker (I live in an apartment with ONE trash compactor).
I do have a mail person, but it's different ones all the time! Wondering if you are supposed to tip them during the holidays....
L.
we have been giving to our postal worker who has been on the route for several years. Most of the time, we give a box of Sees but this year, we switched it up to a 25 dollar gift to a burger joint we think he likes. I don't like to over do it, but always like to do something..
my hubby is a service and installer of water softeners and water filtration systems and sometimes delivers water and softener salt. he often gets tips this time of year. anything from 5-25$ giftcards, cash and baked goods. a box of chocolates and handmade items like potholders and one time a customer knew he just got marrried and gave him an afghan.
i plan to put a baggie of baked goods in the box for the mailman. i have known him for 15 years and i know what cookies he loves. (he has only been my mailman for a couple years)
ups and fed ex are never the same delivery guy so no tip there my sil is my hairdresser and she does it free since all i ever want is a 1x a yr trim. we don't get a paper so no one to tip there and we don't have trash service so no one to tip there either.
Tipping is very personal. We tip those who are so helpful to us. First on the list is our letter carrier. He is a wonderful person and does his job with care, including sending me a sympathy card when my Mom passed. Our newspaper deliverer is also very dependable and will receive an appropriate tip. I tip my hairdresser each time I see her, so I choose to increase the tip, but not double it. Tips are just another way of saying "Thank you." and "We appreciate you." I really think the note with the tip is equally important.
I don't have enough of a budget to give money to all these people! I make cookies every year for our mailman and give him a card. He's a nice guy. I also give my children's teachers a gift card, goodies, and a card. But, no, I don't tip any other people at the holidays. I guess some people make a lot more money than other people and if you make enough to tip all these people at Christmas I think that is really nice.
a hairdresser you tip when they give the service, each and every time, so why would you give a tip at a certain time of year
a mailperson, trash collector, delivery person, newspaper delivery - all these get paid way better then I do, and they are doing their job that is not a personal job, they don't have a connection to me at all, so no tip for them - in the summer I may give the garbage guy a cool pop but that's just cause it's hot.
daycare provider, teachers, bus drivers, etc. - they get gifts cause they have a very personal connection to you, and just as you would give a gift to your aunt or nephew that you rarely see, you give a gift to these people that your family members or you interact with on a daily basis - my daycare kids see me more then they do any grandma or aunt of theirs and i give gifts to them and have them make gifts for their parents as well, so it's reciprocal
