To ask who you tip at Christmas and how much?

Lollipop man; bottle of whisky.
Binmen; crate of beer (leave it on top of bin with a massive bow. To this day it’s still never been pinched by a passer by!)

I don’t tip the bin men. I probably would if they were going out of their way for me in some respects like taking extra bags.

Did I read right …..someone upthread gave the bus driver a candle?

I have a gift for cleaner and nanny and will give them £50 each as well as paid time off over Christmas.

Tenner for my postie
Thirty for my cleaner

I don't see my bin men so don't tip them

Thought provoking @AuntieJoyce

If I bung the Binmen you reckon they'd do an extra round?

I love comments like this on MN. It means by tipping I can get great tables in popular restaurants and first pick of appointments at my hairdressers.

I don't tip anything to anyone. Or buy gifts etc. Why make an already incredibly expensive time even more costly when the people you mention are paid anyway?

Nursery - a bottle of wine each for the staff, there’s eight

Primary school - also wine for the teacher and TAs

Cleaner - an extra weeks wages

Bin men - a box of Coke Zero cans - I’ve previously given biscuits but after a conversation they said they prefer things they can consume without touching the food item. Makes sense I suppose as they handle rubbish on their rounds.

We have a box outside our door in December with cans of drink and chocolate bars with a note for postmen and delivery drivers to help themselves.

I give a sixpence tip the street urchin who goes to fetch me the biggest turkey in the butcher’s window.

All year round if I am paying cash, I may round it up if I feel like it. Always tip a taxi driver where possible.

I don't tip for the sake of it, even in restaurants.

It wouldn't even cross my mind to tip really. If people set a price for work such as a gardener, that's the amount they are happy with. They gave that number, not me. If they wanted more they would ask for it.

All the talk on here about tipping hairdressers does make me wonder tho. Especially as she is a miracle worker.

I don't. I might buy the lady that does my eyebrows a bottle of gin (I know it's not much).

@LividSleep
Please don't worry . I don't think postal staff and bin workers will be expecting tips from most of the people they deliver to . I think that anyone who is on minimum wage shouldn't tip anyway as often the service staff who others are tipping earn more than they do in the first place .

Question to all those who tape cash/ chocs/ beer etc to the bins for the bin men. How do you know it gets to the recipients without being stolen? I have to put my bins out at night because they are routinely collected before 6.30 am and no way would any goodies be still there even if I were to put the bins out early doors I obviously live in a shitty neighbourhood

No one. Never ever had a tip during 40+ years of work

I know ! That's more than I spend on family members !

No cleaner or gardener, I never see the bin people and our post people are always changing.

Bottle of wine for hairdresser and pretty much always tip when I eat out or take a taxi .

Fuck, that’s shit. One of my people has two student loans, and he will
pay an additional 15% ‘tax’ on what I give him. It feels bloody miserable. If there was a bonus category in tax, loads of employers would abuse it though.

Assuming you're paying them right and treating them well you shouldn't need to bung them only at Christmas.

I'm reasonably confident my team feel my "joy".

I paid 180 quid at the hairdresser yesterday. I got a great haircut. Reasonable exchange. No tip.

Bin men -box of chocolate

Postie - box of chocolate, biscuits and wine

Cleaner - box of chocolate, biscuits, wine and a present ( this year it is a dressing gown)

Window cleaner - box of chocolate and wine

Kids swimming instructor - box of chocolate, biscuits and wine

Evri delivery guy - Chocolates and wine

Gardener - Chocolates, biscuits, wine and a small cake ( he’s an old guy and loves cake)

Nursery staff - Small gifts from boots about £5 each in value there is 10 staff.

School teachers - There is a class collection so just pay £10 and one of the parents will organise it.

and of course Christmas cards for all.

I’m fortunate financially. I wasn’t always. When much younger, I spent two summers as a coach tour manager. My salary was £50 pw for, typically, a 7 day week with no breaks except to sleep. Passengers were advised how much to tip if they were happy with my service. Some tipped the recommended amount, some less, some nothing. I understood that some couldn’t afford it, but I’m grateful to my ‘mentor’ for teaching me the importance of tipping. So I always leave tips for hotel cleaners. I would like tipping to be unnecessary-I think that used to be the case in Denmark as service staff were properly paid-but I know as a public sector employee with good benefits born ‘at the right time’ how lucky I am. (I know that not all public sector employees are so lucky.) Apparently if you want to help the most people, donating to reduce malaria is the best thing. I try to give a reasonable amount to charity, but I also try to pass on the appreciation I felt when my coach passengers tipped me. So to answer the question… hairdresser, window cleaner, binmen, postie when regular, milkman, gardener (told you I was fortunate). As school cleaners and office staff do a really hard job with little thanks, I also buy lots of them a bottle. But I expect to drastically reduce my hours soon so know I can’t be as generous. You did ask.

Also nursery staff - box of chocolates this time

Is this inspired by the bin man thread?

I tip my hairdresser if I have cash

plan to give the cleaner some chocolates or something - or js an extra £10 better?

thinking of giving bin men something

hadn't thought of giving the postie anything but did think about the evri woman as she's here a lot!

@ChequeredPastel not if she was a secondary teacher - gifts seem to vanish after primary as they go from one single teacher to so many different subject teachers.

Nobody sbould be "expecting" a tip. Nice if they get something but no way will everyone do so.

It's fine if you don't tip.

Don't worry about it.