Tipping for Newspaper Delivery

[ctinct]

I am about to begin having a newspaper delivered to me again after a few years of not having it. I'm getting Sunday and one other day, and the cost is only a bit over a dollar a week.

I am having trouble trying to come up with a figure for the carrier tip. A standard 20% comes out to peanuts, and doesn't seem like nearly enough to me. I was thinking fifty cents a week, which is almost 50% of the cost of the papers. Is that enough? Too much?

For what it's worth, the carrier already drives down the street and just flings the paper into driveways, not mailboxes. Also, the cost of the Sunday paper alone at the store is $1.50. I would not get the second day normally, but it was a package deal and cheaper than getting just Sunday. Should I go more than fifty cents since I am saving about that much AND getting it delivered to boot?

Gosh, there shouldn't be this much angst associated with getting a paper delivered.

 

[BBandDisney]

I'll save you some time. You are asking a tipping question on the Budget Boards. Nobody tips.

 

[ctinct]

I'll save you some time. You are asking a tipping question on the Budget Boards. Nobody tips.

Lol.

 

[Eureka]

Our newspaper is delivered by someone who throws it out a car window onto our lawn/driveway. It's not a kid on a bike, which in my mind is more effort. I don't tip a whole lot. I pay for it online every 8 weeks and just round up to the nearest $5 mark. Usually ends up being $2-3. That said, I tip much better for other things, including 20% at restaurants and between 10-20% when I get my hair and eyebrows done. (I don't know if that is appropriate for the salon, am I under- or over-tipping?) We also leave $5/night for mousekeeping at Disney (there are 4 of us).

 

[Sadie22]

Our newspapers are often thrown out a car window to bounce into the storm drain or into a muddy area of the adjacent neighbor's yard. The carriers never tie a knot in the bag to keep moisture out, either. We have tubes for both newspapers, and I've complained that the papers need to be tubed, but often they are not. Sometimes the carrier doesn't even show up.

Since our family used to deliver newspapers, I know how it is supposed to be done and the little extra effort it takes to do it right. I used to be a big tipper. Now I tip less. I've seen the carrier drive down the street at normal speed and throw the papers, so I know he's not singling us out for worse treatment.

I will note that the cost of subscriptions does not pay the cost of producing a newspaper. All the money is in advertising. The newspaper my family delivered in our former community changed from a subscription paper to a free to all residents.

 

[okeydokey]

Now that newspaper only hire adults with cars, is newspaper delivery still a tipped position. I think our local paper bills monthly automatically to your credit card and I don't think there is a me mechanism to add tips.

 

[momplus3]

I deliver newspapers 7 days a week ( and yes, I am an adult). My tips for 7 day a week delivery range from $10 a month to $0 and month. The average is arong $3 per month. I also deliver to some weekend only customers and they usually tip aroubd $2 per month as well.

I will say that I do not through paper in driveways or yards unless weather prohibits me from reaching doors. I either put the papers in newspaper boxes or on porches.

FYI - Christmas is the big season for tips. My average Christmas tip is $25.

 

[meg8017]

Our delivery driver slips in a self addressed envelope once a month as a hint. He stinks though, so we don't tip. We tried sending a tip at Christmas hoping the service would improve but it hasn't so he gets nothing extra. Why would I tip for him speeding by and whipping the paper out his window and over his car only to have the paper land in my flower bed and crush my daffodils. (this week has been especially bad!)
OP, if you're happy with the service, add on a quarter. ITA that a tip that is 50% of the product price is a little crazy. You shouldn't feel stressed about it. A tip is a tip and those receiving should be grateful! Plus, every little bit adds up!

 

[ctinct]

Now that newspaper only hire adults with cars, is newspaper delivery still a tipped position. I think our local paper bills monthly automatically to your credit card and I don't think there is a me mechanism to add tips.

Actually, there is a line on the bill specifically for tips. I miss the days when there was an afternoon paper and kids would kill for those routes. My son had one at one time, and although it was kind of a pain in the neck for planning any sort of family outing, it did teach him resposibility, and he made what he considered a ton of money.

After reading the replies, I guess I will go somewhere around .25 to .30 a week. Percentage wise it's a generous tip; it just seems so tiny when taken as a whole. I wanted to be sure I wasn't stiffing the carrier.

 

[pocomom]

Although I normally tip everyone, I have to admit I didn't even think of tipping our newspaper guy... He normally throws it at the end of our driveway in the storm drain, and several times it has been on our neighbor's yard across the street or in the woods. It is like a scavenger hunt to try to find the paper in the morning, and every month there is at least one day we just don't get it, and we only get weekend delivery. I've never even seen the person. If I wanted to tip I wouldn't even know how? Since they never even slow down. I pay my paper bill online in advance for the year, and there is no tip line.
If it was a kid or someone who put it on our porch or something than I would probably tip a few bucks every so often.

 

[Gigi22]

I was tremendously surprised to get a Christmas card (in this case, a blatant request for a tip) from my unseen, anonymous, adult newspaper delivery person. The card was addressed "To (newspaper's name) client", so I'm not inclined to tip anytime soon.
I am just counting the days until the paper is only available online. DH insists we get a print newspaper, or I would have cancelled our subscription years ago.

 

[livndisney]

I was tremendously surprised to get a Christmas card (in this case, a blatant request for a tip) from my unseen, anonymous, adult newspaper delivery person. The card was addressed "To (newspaper's name) client", so I'm not inclined to tip anytime soon.
I am just counting the days until the paper is only available online. DH insists we get a print newspaper, or I would have cancelled our subscription years ago.

OMW!!!! My delivery person did this too! I could not believe it. We don't get the paper anymore. I have never seen this person, my paper would occasionally make it to my driveway, sometimes it was a complete paper.......

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

We get daily paper service and I usually tip $5 every time I pay (every 12 weeks). I might tip $10 at Christmas if I forgot the previous time.

Our carriers have always put holiday cards into the papers a week or two before Christmas with a "Happy Holidays from your paper carrier" message, and their addresses on the return. I always assumed that was their way of asking for a tip. I send it through the billing system so I know they get it and it gets reported as part of their wages.

 

[ICF]

I was tremendously surprised to get a Christmas card (in this case, a blatant request for a tip) from my unseen, anonymous, adult newspaper delivery person. The card was addressed "To (newspaper's name) client", so I'm not inclined to tip anytime soon.
I am just counting the days until the paper is only available online. DH insists we get a print newspaper, or I would have cancelled our subscription years ago.

We got the same card. I pay via CC automatically each month and dont tip either monthly or at Chirstmas. My current "carrier" is 50/50 on if he makes it even on to the driveway with the paper and often time misses by 10 ft or more.

I delivered papers for years in middle school and early HS in my neighborhood while walking or riding a bike. Even 25 years ago, I'd seldom get a tip other than at Chistmas when I'd get a good amount.

 

[pearlieq]

I always figured it was one of those "holiday tip" position where you stuck $20 in an envelope if the driver did a reasonably decent job over the year.

 

[SamSam]

I was tremendously surprised to get a Christmas card (in this case, a blatant request for a tip) from my unseen, anonymous, adult newspaper delivery person. The card was addressed "To (newspaper's name) client", so I'm not inclined to tip anytime soon.
I am just counting the days until the paper is only available online. DH insists we get a print newspaper, or I would have cancelled our subscription years ago.

Just want to defend your DH, lol, I am the person in our household who loves getting the 'paper'. I love sitting at the table every morning with my cup of coffee, holding the local paper in my hands. And, yes, usually I've already read most things on the internet the night before...but my morning paper and coffee is my way to start the day.

We must have the best paper delivery person EVER, and I didn't appreciate them enough! We have a big porch and they bring our paper up to our door and place it right in front of the door...EVERY morning. After reading all the posts here, I'm defiitely upping the tip. I do pay on-line but their is a line to add the tip.