Huh -- holiday tipping/gift POLL

Pesky · December 2011

There was an article on msnbc on tipping today (I will link to it later) and the recommendation from the writer of Idiot's Guide to Tipping for the holidays was:

Not tipping the mailman or woman, or teachers, because in most cases they?re not supposed to take cash gifts$20 for the trash collectorA week?s pay equivalent for people who do regular work for you such as your personal trainer, or a cleaning lady or gentleman

So that is interesting. First off, uh, I did NOT leave $20 for my trash and recycling people. I have never done that. This year I gave them small bags of Lindt truffles that I picked up on sale. I do give small gifts to my mail guy and would absolutely do so for teachers as I know the USPS permits gifts up to $20-25 in value. And that does include gift cards (I'm a big fan of Target gift coins). The last one I'd heard as well. Great to be able to hand out $50 bills but uh, yeah, checking my bank account and no.

What do you do, if anything, for the regular service folks?

sara_c · December 2011

I've tipped the trash collector in the past. After we did some remodeling and had several weeks of lots of heavy trash. She worked her butt off for us, so we gave her $15. I did that only that year though. She was so appreciative for many months afterward, she would take our trash cans up the driveway to the garage door.

I do not do the mailman, but do teachers. We do not have housecleaners, but if we did, I would tip but probably not a week's worth of pay.

When I see my hairdresser during the holiday season, I pay by cash (so she doesn't have to pay the credit card fees) and give her a few extra dollars.

jason&robin · December 2011

I made some cookies and left a little bag in my mailbox, for the trashman and for the crossing guard.

I also had to give gifts to the preschool teacher, her 2 TAs and the special education team that E visits every week AND the speech therapist that comes over every week.

I truly appreciate my mailman and trashman but I am breaking even as it is. I can't afford to drop 20 bucks for each of them. I can't even do that for my best friends. I think it should be the thought that counts and not the amount.

Mrs.Greeko · December 2011

The only person I tip is my in home daycare lady. She gets a week's pay bonus. Everyone else gets nada.

Erilu907 · December 2011

My holiday tip list is this:

-Primary daycare teachers (2) - $50 each and a sweet

-Secondary daycare teachers (2) - $20 and a sweet

-Dry cleaner - $20 and card (We love him, and he loves dD)

-Hairstylist - $40 and a sweet. I didn't get in for a holiday cut and color, otherwise I would just tip heavy at time of service.

-Cat sitter - $50 and a sweet

-House cleaner - $50 and a sweet (she's only been with us since Sept. Usually I holiday tip the cost of a service)

These are all people I have personal relationships with, and who I've actually met. The mail person and the trash/recycling, I haven't. Maybe if I have a few sweets left I'll give those, but there isn't any intention involved.

schoolsoutbride · December 2011

I think there are a few states where teachers can't take gifts, but CO is not one of them! (That said, as a HS teacher, I get maybe 1-2 gift cards a year, and a couple of kids bake me cookies or something out of 150 students. I'm fine with that. Though I love getting GCs.)

I gift to O's teachers and the aides and the cleaning woman. I wouldn't even know how to tip the trash collector and it would never occur to me to do it. We never seem to have the same mail carrier, so I don't tip them either.

taratru · December 2011

Yeah, you can take gifts as a teacher. And they can be cash. You just can't "exchange cash for grades." :::eyeroll:::

Being a high school teacher sucks right now when I read about all the stuff you guys do for your daycare workers/teachers and elementary teachers. I know you won't want to, but I really hope you continue to thank the good teachers in your kids' lives all the way through.

I feel the need to get Megan's science teacher something simply for putting up with her crap. Smile

eta: I don't tip any of those other people, but I *do* give a gift to our daycare provider. It is most definitely NOT a week's pay. I can barely afford her pay as it is.

uteandbuff · December 2011

How in the world are you supposed to tip your trash person? Tape it to the top of the trash can or chase him down the street when you hear him outside?

Jeep Doll · December 2011

I never have enough money to tip the amount suggested.

No kids yet, so no tipping to those people... I'm sure I'll be back here asking when the time comes.

I don't tip the mailman or trash person. The year of our wedding, I bought a Starbucks travel mug and a $20 GC for the UPS guy since he was so nice during deliveries for our wedding. He was no longer our UPS guy, though.

Our hairstylist has been friends with DH since high school. I made her a faux fur coat last year (she didn't know I was going to or ask me for one, but I knew she wanted one) and this year I made her a hot/cold pack and eye mask. I try to tip 30% every time I see her.

Maybe I should have considered getting something for the vet, especially with all the visits we did this summer with Bailey.

RoxBride · December 2011

Well, I gotta love that I've received three addressed envelopes with our newspaper to tip the carrier, but she is awful, and at least 3 days a week we don't get out correct papers, and it drives me nuts.

We don't have the same mail person on a regular basis, so I am off the hook there.

We gave pretty generously to her PDO teachers, director, assistant, music teacher.

Same with our two pastors.

We left a nice card and Target gift coins for the trash people Tuesday, by putting out a little sign and left them in a shoe box with a sign. That said, they are awesome.

azuremama · December 2011

We give nice cash or gift card gifts to daycare teachers.

I tip the paper guy $20 and give our mail lady a $5 g.c. to starbucks. Mail carriers can't get cash gifts, but they can accept small non-cash gifts.

I have never tipped the trash guys. I don't think it ever occurred to me to do so until I read it on here. I'm still not clear how that would work.

KeepingItLowKey · December 2011

Our trash man left us a christmas card on the trash can with his name and address inside.

Sunflower22 · December 2011

Just a FYI, therapists aren't legally supposed to take gifts. If you really feel inclined, some sweets are fine.

I give the mail carrier a $10 target gift card (or starbucks)

I gave each of V's teachers $10 starbucks cards.

Erilu907 · December 2011

taratru:

Being a high school teacher sucks right now when I read about all the stuff you guys do for your daycare workers/teachers and elementary teachers. I know you won't want to, but I really hope you continue to thank the good teachers in your kids' lives all the way through.

I plan to. My Mom and Dad always let me give something small to my favorite teachers. Back in the day, it was usually a card and $5 McDs gift certificates, but I hope to carry on the tradition with dD in some small way.

AugustBrideCO · December 2011

Well, someone gave me cash today. In over 10 years it's the first time I've ever been given the gift of cash! Teachers (in this state at least) are definitely allowed to get gifts. In elementary, I usually get a gift from every student - ranging from a homemade card or ornament to $100 gift cards. I do think it's funny how we're "supposed to" tip our manicurists and hair stylists more than our teachers.

I've never tipped the trash guys or mail person. Maybe I'll leave some cookies for them this year.

sixtwelve · December 2011

I have never tipped the mail carrier or trash collector (we have dumpsters though). For that matter I don't tip my hair dresser either unless I have an appoingment around the holidays. I am not sure if I am cheap, not thoughtful or what.....

taratru · December 2011

AugustBrideCO:
Well, someone gave me cash today. In over 10 years it's the first time I've ever been given the gift of cash! Teachers (in this state at least) are definitely allowed to get gifts. In elementary, I usually get a gift from every student - ranging from a homemade card or ornament to $100 gift cards. I do think it's funny how we're "supposed to" tip our manicurists and hair stylists more than our teachers.
I've never tipped the trash guys or mail person. Maybe I'll leave some cookies for them this year.

Are you kidding me? I can't even imagine. My stu co kids take up a collection and usually get me something in the $150 range, but there are 40 of them.

Every year gets a little worse...I used to get maybe 10 or so "gifts" - Starbucks cards, candy, treats. Last year, I got NOTHING from my non-student council kids. Not a note, a thank you. But I *did* get five (yes, I looked it up) complaining emails from parents the last day of the semester.

One year, a mom sent me a SCATHING email about her daughter's C on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas, teachers!

ELCJet · December 2011

I have no faith whatsoever that if I tried leaving a tip for the trash collector, it would make it to the trash collector. And my mail lady is constantly messing up our mail and I'm a little over it. Bah humbug??!

I am doing $25 gift cards and mini bundt cakes (individually wrapped with flowers on top) for Derek's daycare teachers. I had 6 to buy for and they all work regular shifts, so I couldn't give them all $50-$100 each without causing my husband extreme heartburn. So hopefully the thought is enough.

DownToEarthGirl · December 2011

So why do we tip the garbage guys, but not the wastewater/sewer and water techs who bring/remove other amenities to our house. I know a lot of wastewater/sewer and water techs who make very little to keep you in water and not in crap. Wink Honestly it seems weird to me on drawing the line at trash collection.

As for gifts at the holidays outside of family/friends - just teachers for us, but I haven't bought yet.

taratru · December 2011

Plus, I'm pretty sure the garbage guys make pretty good money.

You know who I *will* tip? The milk man. That guy works his ASS off and I know for a fact he makes $11/hour.

uteandbuff · December 2011

taratru:
Plus, I'm pretty sure the garbage guys make pretty good money.
You know who I *will* tip? The milk man. That guy works his ASS off and I know for a fact he makes $11/hour.

We always leave a tip in the milk box for our milk man.

DownToEarthGirl · December 2011

taratru:

Plus, I'm pretty sure the garbage guys make pretty good money.

You know who I *will* tip? The milk man. That guy works his ASS off and I know for a fact he makes $11/hour.

I just looked on the web and the average salary of a garbage person in the US is $43,000 per year, which happens to also be the exact same average salary as a teacher in the US. However if I used "garbage collector" it said only $36,000 per year. Oh and the average salary of a wastewater/water tech is $33-39,000 per year - so similar, but slightly lower. But an early childhood teacher makes $25,000 per year on average.

Not really to prove a point... just because it's interesting to look at and taratru's comment made me wonder if it's better to tip those who make less or if it's the "thanks" that means more than a tip.

taratru · December 2011

Interesting, DTE. In my circle, it seems like we tip people to make up for the fact that they "don't make a lot" in salary, which has NEVER made sense to me.

happythoughts1 · December 2011

Last year I left the mailman and milk man $25 - I'll probably do the same this year (though we've been cutting way back on milk delivery). I've never seen our trash man, and we have dumpsters, so that's not happening. I gave DD's primary teacher a $25 Target gift card. I didn't do anything for the aides - which I feel bad about - but there are often different aides in the room - I don't know their names (since I rarely drop her off or pick her up).

Huh -- holiday tipping/gift POLL

Re: Huh -- holiday tipping/gift POLL

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