Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

I know its early to start talking about this but, I wanted to kind of get an idea of what to expect.

First, who do you tip? I'm thinking garbage carrier, mail carrier and newspaper delivery person.

Second how much do you usually tip? Do you tip per garbage person?

Third, how??? The paper is delivered before 6am each morning. We do elect to have a $2 tip included in our bill each month, should we try to tip on top of that? I don't usually see the garbage people or mail carrier either - although I could possibly see the mail carrier on a weekend.

Help!!!

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

we tip the garbage men - 3 of them, 20 each
and the mail man i think we gave him 25 or 30 last year.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

We don't tip anyone. None of them go 'above and beyond' to deserve a tip. It's not my fault they have crappy jobs.

Just my 2 cents!

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

I tip the mailman, and only tip the garbage people the day we put out extra garbage

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

We tip the garbage men, they are always the same two guys and we give them $25 each. I give the mail carrier $20 in a holiday card that I leave in the mailbox addressed to "mail carrier," I think there is a rule that they can't accept more than $20. We do not tip the newspaper guy every week during the year, we give $20 mid-year and give $50 at the holidays. They delivery service mails out a "tip envelope" thing to us so we just mail it in, it has our guy's name on it so he gets it.

We also get drycleaning delivered twice a week, we give him $40 (or $50? can't remember). Our cleaning lady we give her an extra weeks $.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Mailman - $20
Sanitation - $25

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

sanitation - $20 per guy
postal - nada, he suxs

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Garbage Men - I usually do $60-100 each of the 3 men (DH gives me a hard time about giving them 100, so I end up compromising. BUT the guys are good and take all of our garbage/junk when put out.)

Mailman - $60 (I get a lot of mail and packages, although this year we have a new guy and he doesn't really go above and beyond like our previous mailman, so I may give him $25.)

UPS - I'll probably give him $60 since we (well, more like I) get A LOT of packages. I do a lot of pickups too, but it's not always the same person.

Message edited 11/14/2007 10:37:04 AM.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

How do you tip the garbage men? I'm NEVER home when they pick up.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Posted by Kara

How do you tip the garbage men? I'm NEVER home when they pick up.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

We tip the garbage men - the stench alone from DD's dirty diaper's warrants at least something from us They come at like 11 a.m., so one of us will go outside and hand it to them.
We have private sanitation and pay a lot for it , but they do take it all, and we have ton of construction junk they take.

Mailman - he's awesome, we know him pretty well. We usually throw a $20 in a card and he gets a box of chocolate or homemade cookies.

UPS - he's here so often, we're on a first name basis. I'll tip $25.

I get Newsday, so I'll tip $50 (we have automated billing, so I don't tip all year except at holiday time).

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Message edited 1/30/2009 10:06:41 PM.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

I "tip" or should I say pay off my garbage men all year to take the crazy construction crap my DH puts out. At Christmas time I give them leather workers gloves & $25 each

I don't know if I'll give my mailman anything this year, he's so not special. Even forgot to take my "stamp out hunger food" that I busted my azz to get together & outside before work that saturday morning.

Our newspaper guy is THE WORST, no tip for him for sure. When he can get my Sunday paper here before we go for our hike-usually 7am-then I can give him a tip.

I don't get enough packages (anymore) to have a reason to tip UPS/FedEx

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Mailman- $ 40

Sanitation- $20 each guy, plus I will give them $20 every time we throw out ALOT of crap. Maybe 2x per yr.

It is tough to catch our garbage men, but we always plan it and then my husband runs out and catches them

landscaper- $20

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Posted by bigtrux707

Posted by Blazesyth

We don't tip anyone. None of them go 'above and beyond' to deserve a tip. It's not my fault they have crappy jobs.

Just my 2 cents!

Why are they "crappy " jobs? Not everyone can be the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company... If they don't go above and beyond and you feel they don't deserve a tip that's your choice but who are you to judge someone's choice of occupation? Without them you would have piles of garbage on your front lawn and no mail....

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Posted by quehoraes

Posted by bigtrux707

Posted by Blazesyth

We don't tip anyone. None of them go 'above and beyond' to deserve a tip. It's not my fault they have crappy jobs.

Just my 2 cents!

Why are they "crappy " jobs? Not everyone can be the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company... If they don't go above and beyond and you feel they don't deserve a tip that's your choice but who are you to judge someone's choice of occupation? Without them you would have piles of garbage on your front lawn and no mail....

Exactly.
Those crappy jobs are what keep the world moving.

Signed,
The proud daughter of a truck driver

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Also sometimes in life you get what you give!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm done now....

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Message edited 11/15/2007 12:56:52 PM.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Mailmen and garbage men make pretty good livings and get great benefits. Nothing crappy about that!

They also work really hard.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Postman - $25 and I wait for our regular postman and hand him a card. He's great and always has a smile for us.

Garbage Man - Use to give them $20 per worker, but they have absolutely sucked this year and we will not be giving them anything. I have called my town at least three times over them leaving stuff in our cans/recycling bin. It's becoming a joke on our block that the garbage men have it out for us! Really pisses me off.

And I have to agree with the other posters being upset about the comment "crappy jobs"....my step mother was a mailwoman for many years and it's a great job to have. These jobs are very important and I give a ton of credit to everyone who does them.

Message edited 11/15/2007 1:11:31 PM.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

JMO, but I think the tipping in general (not just holidays) tends to get a little ridiculous.

I will probably leave my mail person a bottle of wine and that's it. My garbage men stink.

Re: Holiday Tipping - Who, What and How?

Thanks everyone for you input.

As an aside - we have separate recycling people (they are through the town, our garbage is private) - should I tip them as well?