Ok, its that time of year again...do you TIP?

[mrsv98]

I am never sure what to do about all the tipping that is "expected" this time of year. We have a milk man, paper "boy", mailman, and three different teenage babysitters, plus a twice-monthly cleaning lady. For Lucy, the cleaning lady, I give her a month's wages in cash (shh, don't tell the IRS ) and the babysitters I will get little gift cards. But what about everyone else? Am I Scrooge? I feel like everyone and their brother has their hand out these days. We stopped at the drive-thru Starbucks the other night and there was a tip jar in the window! This was after charging us $8.00 for two coffees!! Anyway, I digress. What is the general consensus about Holiday tipping?

 

[Lynn CC]

I tip the mail lady $25, the paperman $50, the Poland Spring Deliveryman $25 and the hairdresser an extra $20.00 in her tip.

I think thats about it.

 

[Disney845]

I have never before seen my mailman/woman (and I don't think he/she is very good), don't have a babysitter, cleaning women, milkman, or paper boy. I tip regularly in restaurants and for services. Nothing extra at christmas, but I always tip 20% unless the service was bad.

 

[grinningghost]

My mailman is great, but I've never tipped him. Am I Scrooge? I just don't think of it. I've always tipped the paperboy a little more at Christmas. I think that until the mailman tips me for keeping him in a good job - I'll just wave.

 

[EROS]

Mailman and Paperlady each get $20. Cleaning woman gets $60 . Teachers each get $25.

 

[Muffin]

Originally posted by mrsv98
For Lucy, the cleaning lady, I give her a month's wages in cash

WOW! That's a good tip. I wasn't sure what I was going to do about my twice-monthly cleaning lady. I figured I'd tip her $50 (I pay her $55).

 

[ByTheSea]

Wonder if I'm just cheap or it's a regional thing?

We tip the two newspaper guys $10 each (weekdays/weekend) Didn't one year and had to get the papers out of the bushes.

We buy 2 movie passes and a $10 gift cert for the biggest movie chain around here (for popcorn) for the Teacher.

DH is the housekeeper and babysitter but I won't mention what tips he gets

That's about it. I normally tip my hairdresser when I have an appt. and generally don't change the amount, I always thought as government workers you don't tip the mailmen and garbagemen?

 

[jan/cape]

Boy, now I feel awful. Mailman gets golf balls. Trash collecters get beer.

 

[Nikole]

You tip teachers??????? Isn't that like bribery?

 

[CamColt]

I dont consider it tipping, its a Christmas gift. I give the mailman & the paper boy 25.00 each. I get my hairdresser a gift certificate to a local restaurant/pub chain. The teachers & busdriver, get gifts. This year its the "12 coffees" or "12 cocoas" of Christmas.
Unfortunately, I dont have a cleaning lady, but if I did Id probably get her a gift too.

 

[Poohbear123]

I wish I had a cleaning lady..... Mailman O.OO! I
get mail at 6:00pm and the Post office is 5 blocks away. Garbage men are good, whether I tip or not. Newspaper delivery guy/girl gets ZIP as I have to walk to the front of the street to even GET the paper!

 

[LunarLady]

I guess I come from a cheap family. We didn't tip the teachers OR give them Xmas presents.

I was going to give the mailman $5.00, but after seeing this thread I might up it to $10.00. The paper"boy" will probably see $5.00 since I only take the Sunday paper, but I'm afraid to put it in the box for fear that someone else will take it so I might just not do it this year.

Other than that, I don't tip. Period.

 

[Wendy]

I wonder if all this tipping is a regional thing. Until last year, I had never heard of tipping your mailman or paper boy at Christmas. I asked several of my neighbors and friends, and they had never heard of it either.

Teachers and coaches on the other hand, always get Christmas gifts from us. Let's see, this year between my 2 boys I have gifts to buy for 2 school teachers, 2 bus drivers, 1 art teacher, 6 cheerleading coaches, and 2 gymnastics coaches. Luckily their soccer coach is their dad, so I don't have to do extra for him!

 

[PamOKW]

We have always given our mailman a gift. In the past, when we knew him well, we usually gave him a "bottle". Since I no longer personally know the man but do have a regular mailman, we have given him cash/check. However, there is a regulation that they are not permitted to take gifts over a certain amount (very low...$20?) and are not supposed to take cash. That said, my mailman was glad to get cash last year and thanked me for it. Cash instead of a check left no paper trail.

We always tipped the paper boy at Christmas. Now, the delivery has been taken over by adults in cars. They send Christmas cards with their home addresses....gentle tip reminder. I tipped $50 last year but times are tougher this year. I'm thinking $25 is plenty.....some people don't tip at all.

 

[LuvTigger]

Wendy, I think you might be right about it being regional. In Hawaii, I've never heard of anyone "tipping" or giving cash gifts. We are notorious for giving trash collectors beer, but in light of DUI rates, etc., I know a lot of people who now give soda. If we catch our regular mailman, we'll give him a gift.