Tipping for Christmas

[berbet]

How much do you tip at Christmas for services such as lawn mowing, yard maintenance, housekeeping, paper delivery?

[retiredguy123]

This topic comes up every year. You can do a search of last year's thread. But, to me, tipping at Christmas is a personal decision that needs no input from others, but I am sure many posters will provide it.

[dewilson58]

I agree with 123.
Anything given will be appreciated.

[Bogie Shooter]

To each his own, why would you need a list?

[Villageswimmer]

This topic comes up every year. You can do a search of last year's thread. But, to me, tipping at Christmas is a personal decision that needs no input from others, but I am sure many posters will provide it.


Exactly. But, watch, this thread will go on ad nauseum.

[Stu from NYC]

Exactly. But, watch, this thread will go on ad nauseum.

Would be nice to know what others think is reasonable. Never met the paper delivery guy but he does get the job done.

No idea how many mailman service our boxes. He does manage to cram some rather larger and heavy boxes into the side panel so he doesn t have to deliver to our house.

[txbob34]

You have had several comments with no answer. I would like to know as well.

[airdale2]

do not forget the guys on the garbage trucks

[airdale2]

don't forget these people

[gregcharlesnelson@gmail]

Bob our postal man $50

[dwrote]

I usually go with $20 for mail carrier and lawn guy and $10 each for the three refuse guys.

[J1ceasar]

Here ya go
Mail service $10-20
Hair dressers for ladies 20-50
Barbers $10-20
Lawn guys $ 20
Ups / fedex if slot of delivery's $10
Remember if you can't afford it . At least give out boxes of cookies in or chocolate even easier are restaurants gift cards from burger king denny's or whatever. Don't forget h.o.a. or gifting servers at restaurants you go to every week ! Even dollar store items are appreciated .

[riley2011]

I think tipping all these people is way over the top. They are all getting paid to do a job excluding waiters and waitresses.

[GOLFER54]

20 bucks each

[Miriam2940]

Scrooge. These people get paid minimum wage and restaurant servers exist on tips. We are in the middle of a pandemic where everyone is hurting. Please tip.

[FromNY]

Dollar Tree sells sealed packages of 2 facemaks.
One package along with 5 or ten dollars or more if desired would make a simple tip to wait staff, gate attendants, trash, mail or just someone you want to extend a kindness to. May you always have heart to do something for someone.

[coconutmama]

I think tipping all these people is way over the top. They are all getting paid to do a job excluding waiters and waitresses.

Bah Humbug!

We tip mail person, paper delivery person $25 each & pest control man a bit more, since he does some extra stuff for us each quarter which we appreciate.

Refuse guys come about 6AM so they are hard to catch but I will try harder this year. They do a good job & this year has been a struggle for many families

We do our own yard work

[photo1902]

We do $50 for postal station worker, $50 for our lawn guy, and $20 to each of the guys on the trash truck

[BoatRatKat]

Only tip the ones I actually have knowledge of who they are. Lawn guy gets 2 month's worth of pay because he is a hard worker, does a great job and never, ever fails to show up. Hair person gets what I usually pay for my hair service because she does a good job. Dog Groomer, same thing because she is dependable and has been with me through 2 dogs and does a great job. My long time handyman will get extra if he happens to be here in Dec, which he will be. Waitress's will get a little extra around Christmas time. That's about it.

[charlie1]

we usually give gift cards each year. Mainly because some companies (I worked for a couple) have rules regarding cash gifts and the size of gifts employees can accept. I am copying an article on the US Postal service explanation of THEIR rules for your info.

"According to the Postal Service, federal regulations allow all postal employees—including carriers—to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as a holiday or a birthday. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, may never be accepted in any amount. In addition, no USPS employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from one customer in a calendar year period.

If you decide to ignore the rule when you give, your mail carrier must reimburse you for the cost of any gifts exceeding the $20 limit, or for gifts where the value of the item cannot be easily determined. This is done in two ways: either by returning the gift itself or by sending financial reimbursement.

Here's an example of the second option: If you were to give your mail carrier a bouquet of flowers worth more than $20, they would then have to figure out the actual value and send you a reimbursement for the full value. Your intentions may have been kind, but now your mailman has to make an extra effort to research the cost of your gift and then pay you the full amount out of their own pocket. That doesn't seem like much of a gift, does it? That's why it's important to understand—and follow—the rules of gifts for postal workers.

Unacceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Postal workers are prohibited from accepting the following items:

Cash
Checks
Stocks
Liquor
Anything that can be exchanged for cash
Anything of monetary value more than $20
Acceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Some acceptable gifts for your mail delivery person include:

Modest refreshments such as coffee, doughnuts, cookies, or soda
Plaques, trophies, and other items intended for presentation
Perishable items such as food, candy, fruit, or flowers, so long as they are to be shared with other postal workers
Retail gifts cards with a value of less than $20 that cannot be converted to cash"

[Rsenholzi]

In Sumter, we changed garbage companies. These guys have only been doing it a month. It’s the past guys that should have received a tip since they did it all year. As for the others , it really depends on how hard they work for you. Have they done anything out of their normal routine for you? If so, tip more. My lawn person is great and always keeps my lawn looking good so I give him more. However, I’m constantly having to check or call back my weed guy, probably not as much because he causes me more work and time . He also only come once a month. Paper person will get a bigger tip because it is every day. I need to check the regs on the mail people because I always gave them more than the post I read. Frankly , I kind of resented that one because they are salaried and well paid much like a teacher and teachers aren’t rewarded for their work. Neither are the police and these are all federal/state employees. If the regs are right , that someone posted they definitely will be getting less from me this year. I do , however, lean to gift cards now rather than cash. My tips are between $25 and $75 depending on who it is.

[tvbound]

Given that we, unlike millions of others, are very fortunate that the pandemic has not affected us financially, will be increasing our holiday tips this year. Our lawn crew will get $50 per person, refuse workers and paper deliverer the same, mail woman $60 (in spite of supposed USPS rules), hair folks $50 and I am now keeping a few hundred in $20 bills in my wallet at all times, for those we run across and might not have thought of ahead of time. After all, it's not like there are any rewards for those who die with the most money and since it will make no difference in our lifestyle (or children's inheritance), but may help someone buy a nicer X-mas present for their children, or pay a long overdue bill, or ?? - we feel it's the least we can do.

[Rickanvic]

My husband is a retired UPS driver. When he retired 11 years ago, he was making $30 an hour with about 10 hours of overtime at time and a half every week. Along with that, UPS paid 100% of our family of 4 benefits which included health, dental, vision, life and disability. He also received 7 weeks of vacation time. He would feel bad accepting tips as a lot of his customers had less than we did. He did enjoy receiving cards thanking him for doing a great job. He also loved getting cookies. So I try to focus on the people I know a tip will make a difference for.

[Gray lady of the sea]

Don’t forget our garbage collectors that work so hard. I’m giving each of the 3 men on the truck $25
As others have said - whatever your budget allows will be appreciated

[photo1902]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the workers at our local postal stations contract workers, not USPS employees? If so, the rules posted earlier are moot. And to the person who posted that they are well paid...well, I think that’s debatable

[Rsenholzi]

According to CNN money proper etiquette is the following
Housekeeper - 1 weeks pay
Trash $15-20 each
Gardener - $20-50
Hairdresser cost of 1 cut + small gift
Manicurist - cost of 1 session +small gift
Personal trainer- $25 or up to 1 weeks pay
Massage therapist- $50-$100 or cost of 1 session
Groomer - small gift + 1/4 to 1/2 cost of 1 session
Dog walker- cost of 1 session
Mail carrier - gifts under $20
If you get regular deliveries:
UPS- $15
FedEx - $25
Paper carrier - $15-25 for weekly ; $5-15 for weekend only
Hope this helps

[Stu from NYC]

According to CNN money proper etiquette is the following
Housekeeper - 1 weeks pay
Trash $15-20 each
Gardener - $20-50
Hairdresser cost of 1 cut + small gift
Manicurist - cost of 1 session +small gift
Personal trainer- $25 or up to 1 weeks pay
Massage therapist- $50-$100 or cost of 1 session
Groomer - small gift + 1/4 to 1/2 cost of 1 session
Dog walker- cost of 1 session
Mail carrier - gifts under $20
If you get regular deliveries:
UPS- $15
FedEx - $25
Paper carrier - $15-25 for weekly ; $5-15 for weekend only
Hope this helps

Why does the fedex guy get more than the ups guy?

Does the same crew do our trash pickups all year long?

[JSR22]

Newspaper $50
Pool Guy $50
Dog Groomer cost of one grooming
Mail $25
Garbage $25 each
Hairdresser $50

[Mikeodonnell73]

I also agree with 123, I give to the mailman, garbagemen and anyone who provide me a service that I received during the year. I stopped all newspapers delivery's and get my news from the TV, Alexa or on line.

[dewilson58]

Why does the fedex guy get more than the ups guy?


Union vs Non-union.

[Troopie]

I give $20 each to our mailman, newspaper deliverer and hairdresser.

[retiredguy123]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the workers at our local postal stations contract workers, not USPS employees? If so, the rules posted earlier are moot. And to the person who posted that they are well paid...well, I think that’s debatable
Correct. The Federal gratuity rules only apply to official Government employees, not USPS contract employees. Most workers at the postal stations are contract workers.

[jbrown132]

Here ya go
Mail service $10-20
Hair dressers for ladies 20-50
Barbers $10-20
Lawn guys $ 20
Ups / fedex if slot of delivery's $10
Remember if you can't afford it . At least give out boxes of cookies in or chocolate even easier are restaurants gift cards from burger king denny's or whatever. Don't forget h.o.a. or gifting servers at restaurants you go to every week ! Even dollar store items are appreciated .
This may sound hard but I do not tip mail delivery people. These people make a decent living, have excellent health care and have better pensions than I have any the same goes for Fed X and UPS drivers. I do not tip my barber at Christmas as I tip him $4-5 every time I go which is about every three weeks. I do tip the paper delivery person $20 because they do not make a lot of money. I always tip at restaurants 20% if the service is good but will consider cutting this back somewhat if an when the minimum wage goes to $15 an hour for them. This tipping thing has gotten out of hand when in many stores there is a tip jar at the counter which I do not contribute to. I do not tip my lawn service guy. I pay him $900 a year to cut a very small yard where he is in and out in 5 minutes so I think he is adequately compensated. When you break it down he comes every week for 9 months and every other week for three months in winter. This equals about 42 visits a year at 5 minutes a visit. If you do the math he spends about 3.5 hours a year at my house which equates to $257 an hour more than my lawyer charges. Why would I tip him. All as I’m saying is that you need to look at a lot of these situations and in many of them there is no need for a tip. I worked as a sales person for over 35 years doing a service for my customers. I never received a tip nor did I expect one. My employer compensated me for my performance and that was good enough.

[ts12755]

If you followed God's instruction you'd know.

Give as decided in your heart, God loves a cheerful giver.

For with the measure you use, it will be given back to you.

[MandoMan]

How much do you tip at Christmas for services such as lawn mowing, yard maintenance, housekeeping, paper delivery?

Nothing. I’ve never seen my lawn mowers, yard maintenance people, or whoever delivers the paper. I do see the guy who cleans the pool. I pay him almost $2,000 a year! I do my own house cleaning. All these people are paid by check or online. Sending them a tip would just go to their boss.

However, when I go to a restaurant, I’ve been tipping at least $10, always, which last night came to 40% of the check. Those waitresses really need the money. Some people I know leave 10%, or even less.

[raynan]

We've been tipping waiters and waitresses 20% always but since pandemic an extra $10 over that. We tip lawn crew $100 to crew leader to split with group as he sees fit. Hairdresser $50. manicure $50. Mail ??? contractor or gov employee, we don't know so $0 Trash guys don't know if they're same guys every week or not ????, so $0. Newspaper delivery $100 this person always here 365 days of year and deserves it.

[dewilson58]

The newspaper guy, the one that picks it up off the drive and brings it in the house, $100.

[Pairadocs]

How much do you tip at Christmas for services such as lawn mowing, yard maintenance, housekeeping, paper delivery?

In the end, asking for suggestions really defeats the purpose of a gift from the heart. Otherwise, it's more like the artificial "tipping" in those kinds of restaurants where it is actually just another part of the mandatory charge.... they add it to the bill. Do what you are feeling within your heart. Do you have a special appreciation for someone who cleans your house ? You may not even be able to afford it, but you have a deep feeling that person needs the money and would appreciate it greatly, so you gift them $200 when $50 gift is considered "standard", and so on.... you've probably seen stories on the news where some "ordinary" person left a server a $500 tip for a sandwich and coffee because their heart just led them to do this for this person. Got with your heart on each gift.... it will be so much more satisfying for you and EVERYTHING will be appreciated make no mistake about that !

[Pairadocs]

we usually give gift cards each year. Mainly because some companies (I worked for a couple) have rules regarding cash gifts and the size of gifts employees can accept. I am copying an article on the US Postal service explanation of THEIR rules for your info.

"According to the Postal Service, federal regulations allow all postal employees—including carriers—to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as a holiday or a birthday. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, may never be accepted in any amount. In addition, no USPS employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from one customer in a calendar year period.

If you decide to ignore the rule when you give, your mail carrier must reimburse you for the cost of any gifts exceeding the $20 limit, or for gifts where the value of the item cannot be easily determined. This is done in two ways: either by returning the gift itself or by sending financial reimbursement.

Here's an example of the second option: If you were to give your mail carrier a bouquet of flowers worth more than $20, they would then have to figure out the actual value and send you a reimbursement for the full value. Your intentions may have been kind, but now your mailman has to make an extra effort to research the cost of your gift and then pay you the full amount out of their own pocket. That doesn't seem like much of a gift, does it? That's why it's important to understand—and follow—the rules of gifts for postal workers.

Unacceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Postal workers are prohibited from accepting the following items:

Cash
Checks
Stocks
Liquor
Anything that can be exchanged for cash
Anything of monetary value more than $20
Acceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Some acceptable gifts for your mail delivery person include:

Modest refreshments such as coffee, doughnuts, cookies, or soda
Plaques, trophies, and other items intended for presentation
Perishable items such as food, candy, fruit, or flowers, so long as they are to be shared with other postal workers
Retail gifts cards with a value of less than $20 that cannot be converted to cash"

I have always been under the impression our postal station employees actually have nothing to do with the USPS, government, pensions, or anything associated. Have I misunderstood ? I "think" I remember an actual post office employee at the large P.O. in Leesburg telling me that years ago; I had some kind of mail mix up and when they found out it was The Villages they said those employees have no connection to the USPS ! ? Wonder which is the real story ? I have always given the person at ours a lot more than $20, usually a Dunkin' or Starbucks coffee card, a Publix card, and a gasoline card (because she uses her own car, no USPS vehicle to pick up mail).

[Bogie Shooter]

we usually give gift cards each year. Mainly because some companies (I worked for a couple) have rules regarding cash gifts and the size of gifts employees can accept. I am copying an article on the US Postal service explanation of THEIR rules for your info.

"According to the Postal Service, federal regulations allow all postal employees—including carriers—to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as a holiday or a birthday. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, may never be accepted in any amount. In addition, no USPS employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from one customer in a calendar year period.

If you decide to ignore the rule when you give, your mail carrier must reimburse you for the cost of any gifts exceeding the $20 limit, or for gifts where the value of the item cannot be easily determined. This is done in two ways: either by returning the gift itself or by sending financial reimbursement.

Here's an example of the second option: If you were to give your mail carrier a bouquet of flowers worth more than $20, they would then have to figure out the actual value and send you a reimbursement for the full value. Your intentions may have been kind, but now your mailman has to make an extra effort to research the cost of your gift and then pay you the full amount out of their own pocket. That doesn't seem like much of a gift, does it? That's why it's important to understand—and follow—the rules of gifts for postal workers.

Unacceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Postal workers are prohibited from accepting the following items:

Cash
Checks
Stocks
Liquor
Anything that can be exchanged for cash
Anything of monetary value more than $20
Acceptable Gifts for Postal Workers
Some acceptable gifts for your mail delivery person include:

Modest refreshments such as coffee, doughnuts, cookies, or soda
Plaques, trophies, and other items intended for presentation
Perishable items such as food, candy, fruit, or flowers, so long as they are to be shared with other postal workers
Retail gifts cards with a value of less than $20 that cannot be converted to cash"

Folks that sort our mail are contract workers.....not USPS employees.

[retiredguy123]

I have always been under the impression our postal station employees actually have nothing to do with the USPS, government, pensions, or anything associated. Have I misunderstood ? I "think" I remember an actual post office employee at the large P.O. in Leesburg telling me that years ago; I had some kind of mail mix up and when they found out it was The Villages they said those employees have no connection to the USPS ! ? Wonder which is the real story ? I have always given the person at ours a lot more than $20, usually a Dunkin' or Starbucks coffee card, a Publix card, and a gasoline card (because she uses her own car, no USPS vehicle to pick up mail).
It is not correct that the postal station people have no connection with the USPS. They are USPS contractor employees. They are not official Government employees, but they are hired by the Federal Government. You can google USPS contractors and see approximately how much they make and their benefits. They make approximately the same hourly wage, but the main difference between Government employees and contractors is their benefits and job security. Regarding tipping, contract employees are not restricted in the amount of tips they can receive, but Government employees are restricted.

[shut the front door]

Scrooge. These people get paid minimum wage and restaurant servers exist on tips. We are in the middle of a pandemic where everyone is hurting. Please tip.

Average Garbage Man Hourly Pay at Waste Management, Inc.
$18.38

[jbrown132]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the workers at our local postal stations contract workers, not USPS employees? If so, the rules posted earlier are moot. And to the person who posted that they are well paid...well, I think that’s debatable
Maybe that’s why it takes me a week and a half to two weeks to get a letter sent from New Hampshire if I get it at all.

[retiredguy123]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the workers at our local postal stations contract workers, not USPS employees? If so, the rules posted earlier are moot. And to the person who posted that they are well paid...well, I think that’s debatable
They make about $20 per hour.

[Astron]

Don’t forget our garbage collectors that work so hard. I’m giving each of the 3 men on the truck $25
As others have said - whatever your budget allows will be appreciated
I looked up the “sanitation worker” job listing for Jacobs. They offer $20,000 to $32,000 for the job. Try raising a family on that this day and age. I plan to try to catch them and give them $20 apiece. Same for the lawn crew.

[CWGUY]

I looked up the “sanitation worker” job listing for Jacobs. They offer $20,000 to $32,000 for the job. Try raising a family on that this day and age. I plan to try to catch them and give them $20 apiece. Same for the lawn crew.

:rolleyes: Why would you tip your lawn guy...... we just had a poster tell us they make $257.00 an hour. Now X 8 hours a day, X 5 days a week, X 50 weeks a year = over $500,000 Oh wait! Most work 52 weeks a year, 7 days a week, and a lot more than 8 hours a day...... I'm thinking we have a lot of Millionaire Lawn Guys driving around the Villages.

Poster also doesn't know the people at postal stations are private contract workers with low pay (have to bid) , no benefits, and no pensions. Every year I say it so here goes..... some people don't want to tip so they will try to justify that...... people that want to tip just do it.

[RMarkland]

I did a search of WasteManagement in Wildwood. Residential Driver
About
$63K - $68K/yr
Avg. Total Pay
About
$63K - $68K/yr
Base Pay
Based on 1 Salaries
Full Pay Details

Definitely not a minimum wage job.

[linfrasco]

How much do you tip at Christmas for services such as lawn mowing, yard maintenance, housekeeping, paper delivery?

With regard to tipping, the highest tip I give is for our Daily Sun delivery driver. Why? She delivers the paper every day, in all kinds of weather and temperatures. She has to get up so early every day to complete her deliveries.

[PugMom]

Would be nice to know what others think is reasonable. Never met the paper delivery guy but he does get the job done.

No idea how many mailman service our boxes. He does manage to cram some rather larger and heavy boxes into the side panel so he doesn t have to deliver to our house.

i do a card with $20 per person

[Stu from NYC]

With regard to tipping, the highest tip I give is for our Daily Sun delivery driver. Why? She delivers the paper every day, in all kinds of weather and temperatures. She has to get up so early every day to complete her deliveries.

Assuming he or she gives us a card with address will send a tip. Whoever it is, is very reliable in delivering the paper.

[Jerry Moran]

Many of the people doing my work are not the same person every time and rotate between people...so who should get the tip?

[photo1902]

I did a search of WasteManagement in Wildwood. Residential Driver
About
$63K - $68K/yr
Avg. Total Pay
About
$63K - $68K/yr
Base Pay
Based on 1 Salaries
Full Pay Details

Definitely not a minimum wage job.

I’m calling BS. Where did you find that info for WM Wildwood Florida jobs?

[flflowers]

I make homemade peanut clusters and give each a treat bag of them....where I moved from, they always looked forward to getting it

[Joe V.]

I’m calling BS. Where did you find that info for WM Wildwood Florida jobs?

I found it on Glassdoor. Whether it is true or not it is there.

[newgirl]

Please top your local store delivery people! They depend on tips for their income. I keep hearing stories about these guys delivering 27 turkeys plus another 180 items( over 300 pounds) carried door to door and was left with a 7 dollar tip, another girl carried a Bowflex and got a 2 dollar tip...if you tip wait staff 20 percent to have the bring you a plate of food then please tip the person that goes into the store to fill your requests, and hand delivers your order to your home in their own auto. These drivers work hard .

[newgirl]

Please tip your local store delivery people! They depend on tips for their income. I keep hearing stories about these guys delivering 27 turkeys plus another 180 items( over 300 pounds) carried door to door and was left with a 7 dollar tip, another girl carried a Bowflex and got a 2 dollar tip...if you tip wait staff 20 percent to have the bring you a plate of food then please tip the person that goes into the store to fill your requests, and hand delivers your order to your home in their own auto. These drivers work hard .

[jbrown132]

:rolleyes: Why would you tip your lawn guy...... we just had a poster tell us they make $257.00 an hour. Now X 8 hours a day, X 5 days a week, X 50 weeks a year = over $500,000 Oh wait! Most work 52 weeks a year, 7 days a week, and a lot more than 8 hours a day...... I'm thinking we have a lot of Millionaire Lawn Guys driving around the Villages.

Poster also doesn't know the people at postal stations are private contract workers with low pay (have to bid) , no benefits, and no pensions. Every year I say it so here goes..... some people don't want to tip so they will try to justify that...... people that want to tip just do it.
You certainly took my post out of context. I said based on 44 visits to my home a year at 5 minutes a visit equals 220 minutes or 3.6 hours a year. I pay him $900 a year for that 3.6 hours or or about $250 hour. I don’t know how many other lawns he does or how many days a week he works. I’m sure he works hard but in my case I believe he is more than well compensated and that’s why I do not tip him.

[Huskies]

I give cleaning lady $100.00 and newspaper person $35.00

[peggyb]

My mail carrier and my newspaper delivery person leave a greeting card to me with their home address. I send them at least 25 each, sometimes more, and I also call the paper periodically during the year and drop a tip on my account for her. She does many stops and starts for me and my paper is there like clockwork. I really appreciate the service!

[MrLonzo]

I did many of these jobs, as a teen, part-time, summer jobs, etc. Shoveling snow, painting houses, washing cars, cutting grass, cleaning windows, raking leaves, walking dogs, etc. etc. The minimum wage was $1.25/hour. I never received any tips. My, have times changed!

[Stu from NYC]

Tipping has gotten out of hand.

People picking up our trash do get paid well and we do pay for the service. Exactly why should they be tipped unless they go out of their way to help me.

Take out places almost always have a tip jar on the counter. Exactly what are we tipping them for other than taking our money and writing out our order?

Irregardless of the above will tip certain people such as newspaper delivery person and mailman and probably guy who cuts our grass but this tipping thing is getting out of hand.

If people are not satisfied with their salary they have every right to look elsewhere.

When I was a kid had quite a few part time job and do not remember ever getting tipped.

Let the flaming begin.

[jimjamuser]

Tipping has gotten out of hand.

People picking up our trash do get paid well and we do pay for the service. Exactly why should they be tipped unless they go out of their way to help me.

Take out places almost always have a tip jar on the counter. Exactly what are we tipping them for other than taking our money and writing out our order?

Irregardless of the above will tip certain people such as newspaper delivery person and mailman and probably guy who cuts our grass but this tipping thing is getting out of hand.

If people are not satisfied with their salary they have every right to look elsewhere.

When I was a kid had quite a few part time job and do not remember ever getting tipped.

Let the flaming begin.
Tipping is basically a stupid, primitive concept, like men wearing a necktie - totally antiquated and just a useless tradition. The sooner it goes away the better with me. So, I agree with you, and then some.

[airdale2]

Why does the fedex guy get more than the ups guy?

Does the same crew do our trash pickups all year long?
Fed X guys are private contractors

[dominojc]

If they are not allowed to accept cash why do they send out cards with a return address which seems to me a way of eliciting gift giving... which I’m happy to do. They’re always very accommodating when it comes to our comings and goings. I appreciate the service.

[riley2011]

Scrooge. These people get paid minimum wage and restaurant servers exist on tips. We are in the middle of a pandemic where everyone is hurting. Please tip.

How do you how much they are getting paid?

[DONKEY10]

Nothing! I worked in a hospital for 30 yrs and never got tipped. If you need tips to survive then you need to educate yourself and get a better career.

[photo1902]

Nothing! I worked in a hospital for 30 yrs and never got tipped. If you need tips to survive then you need to educate yourself and get a better career.

Wow. Just wow.

[bill4952]

How much do you tip at Christmas for services such as lawn mowing, yard maintenance, housekeeping, paper delivery?
Good question. I give $100.00 and not sure that is enough.

[richs631]

According to CNN money proper etiquette is the following
Housekeeper - 1 weeks pay
Trash $15-20 each
Gardener - $20-50
Hairdresser cost of 1 cut + small gift
Manicurist - cost of 1 session +small gift
Personal trainer- $25 or up to 1 weeks pay
Massage therapist- $50-$100 or cost of 1 session
Groomer - small gift + 1/4 to 1/2 cost of 1 session
Dog walker- cost of 1 session
Mail carrier - gifts under $20
If you get regular deliveries:
UPS- $15
FedEx - $25
Paper carrier - $15-25 for weekly ; $5-15 for weekend only
Hope this helps

Just curious, why does Fed ex get more than UPS

[MrLonzo]

When you give money to a service provider because they've given you service that you're happy with and you would gladly hire them again, it's called a 'tip'. When you give money because you think the provider is poor and in need, it's called 'alms'. Let's use the correct terminology!

[retiredguy123]

When you give money to a service provider because they've given you service that you're happy with and you would gladly hire them again, it's called a 'tip'. When you give money because you think the provider is poor and in need, it's called 'alms'. Let's use the correct terminology!
That reminds me of the true story about a family who was always buying things for the "poor" elderly lady next door. Until her $600K+ bank statement was mistakely delivered to the family's mail box.

[Judy n Ron]

Scrooge. These people get paid minimum wage and restaurant servers exist on tips. We are in the middle of a pandemic where everyone is hurting. Please tip.
Well I don't know of any postal worker or Fed Ex delivery guy who works for minimum wage. 40 years ago, earlier in my career, my neighbor was earning 50K+ a year driving a Fed Ex truck and 2 of my HS classmates out earned everyone at the time as postal workers. I often wondered why I bothered with white collar work back then. Most of the lawn guys are self employed and can make 30-60 an hour depending on how fast they work. No need to throw the "scrooge" flag at people. Ron

[Stu from NYC]

Well I don't know of any postal worker or Fed Ex delivery guy who works for minimum wage. 40 years ago, earlier in my career, my neighbor was earning 50K+ a year driving a Fed Ex truck and 2 of my HS classmates out earned everyone at the time as postal workers. I often wondered why I bothered with white collar work back then. Most of the lawn guys are self employed and can make 30-60 an hour depending on how fast they work. No need to throw the "scrooge" flag at people. Ron

Right on

People seem to look down on people who did not graduate college.

Plumbers and Electricians usually make more than folks who graduated college.

[shut the front door]

I’m calling BS. Where did you find that info for WM Wildwood Florida jobs?

You can call it whatever you wish. If you took the time to do the research, which I did and posted earlier in this thread, you wouldn't need to call anything. Even the guys who don't drive the truck average $18 an hour.

[Roron123]

Yes my husband always hands them a soda when they pass by

[photo1902]

You can call it whatever you wish. If you took the time to do the research, which I did and posted earlier in this thread, you wouldn't need to call anything. Even the guys who don't drive the truck average $18 an hour.

Good for you. Tip. Don’t tip. So someone is bringing home maybe $30k. Wow.

[Stu from NYC]

Good for you. Tip. Don’t tip. So someone is bringing home maybe $30k. Wow.

Pretty good for a job that requires no skills just being agile enough to jump down from a truck to pick up bags of trash.

[Parteeinga]

This is from the USPS website. There are strict rules for government employees.

Employee Tipping and Gift-Receiving Policy

All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Exec*utive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount. Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year period.

[Vernon Hud]

If you all feel so generous, why don't you go to Wall Mart, McDonalds, Wendy's etc., tip these people , they all make less than all the people you are talking about tipping. I worked at my job for 45 years, and no one ever tipped me.

[lennyserio]

Obviously you never held a service job. Share the wealth, it could be my granddaughter, or grandson!

[Bonnevie]

when my brothers delivered papers and did weekly collections, the person paying would usually give him a quarter for a tip. so that's about 13 dollars a year. I don't add a tip to the yearly subscription price but I give very generously at Christmas. So if 50 years ago a $13 tip was appropriate, I would think one to a couple of dollars a week would be inline. that's my way of thinking. as others said, they have to get up extremely early in all weather. my paper has been here no matter how early I look for it.

this year the mail people were inundated with more packages because of covid. I use my newspaper delivery tip as a guideline and give cash in a card. when members of congress stop accepting donations from lobbyists, I'll worry about the amount I give.

[dewilson58]

We use to do cow tipping.

[Stu from NYC]

We use to do cow tipping.

Have you stopped?

[dewilson58]

Have you stopped?
Yes, I've matured greatly..................NOT.:jester:

[graciegirl]

I believe that all servers should be tipped. Even if they are not wonderful.

However, what kind of money you give others is your choice and your gift.

No one knows and most people don't care except the person who receives it.

Sometimes this yearly discussion comes across as mean spirited. Or "virtue signaling" as the younger generation labels it.

Only Santa and God CARE.;)

[bagboy]

This is from the USPS website. There are strict rules for government employees.

Employee Tipping and Gift-Receiving Policy

All postal employees, including carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Exec*utive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers are permitted to accept a gift worth $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas. However, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be exchanged for cash, must never be accepted in any amount. Furthermore, no employee may accept more than $50 worth of gifts from any one customer in any one calendar year period.


What does the USPS website say about tipping contractors who are NOT postal employees? As in our postal station workers???

[retiredguy123]

What does the USPS website say about tipping contractors who are NOT postal employees? As in our postal station workers???
The rules that apply to Government employees do not apply to USPS Government contractors. I think that most, if not all, of the people who work at the individual postal stations, where you pick up your mail, are contractors. So, tip away, if you want.

[sswitenki]

We called Waste Management and asked for the names of the guys that are regulars on our route. It was nice to hand deliver a card with something in it for the hard work they do. Many people go on vacation over the holidays. We wanted to be sure that it went to guys we intended. They were so appreciative. Big smiles and honks down the block. 😁😁

[Bonnevie]

I'm just amazed at some of the replies. I don't feel sanctimonious by giving the tips I do. It's not a one way street. I get a lot of joy back from the act of giving and knowing how lucky I am to be able to do it.

[tvbound]

I'm just amazed at some of the replies. I don't feel sanctimonious by giving the tips I do. It's not a one way street. I get a lot of joy back from the act of giving and knowing how lucky I am to be able to do it.

I agree. It almost seems that some people (those who can easily afford to tip generously, not those struggling now), think they will get a trophy or medal if they have a couple thousand extra dollars when they die.

[wmcgowan]

How much do you tip at Christmas for services such as lawn mowing, yard maintenance, housekeeping, paper delivery?

With the economy doing well and the covid plague still raging - I feel more generous this year to our service workers that are out there trying to make a living -- thoughts?

[Kerry Azz]

I do practice double tipping in December. It’s the right thing to do.

[PennBF]

I believe that a tip should be enough to feel it was sent to demonstrate a real thanks for being there. We do tip the Sanitation Truck workers $20.00 each the postal worker $50.00, the person who cleans our home $200.00, the paper
delivery person $25.00. That is about $335.00 which is not a sacrifice on our part but may make a small help if all contributed to these wonderful people!:bigbow:

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Nice but let’s hope we all remember that the paper person is there every day and double bags whenever there is a possibility of rain I give home $150 but look even a hundred is less then $2 a week