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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not know about christmas tipping and want to know if you do

182 replies

Lambzig · 19/12/2011 08:21

Yesterday our milkman sent us a christmas card. Was going to send one back, but just got off the phone to my father who tells me it was a little hint for a christmas tip in a return card. DF tells me I should also be tipping the bin men, the postman, the grocery delivery man (we always get the same one) and anyone else like that, and is shocked I have never done this. We live in outer london suburbia (in case thats relevant)

Is this something everyone else does and all these people have been staring at our house in hatred at the meanies who live there for years or is Dad (who does live in a small more rural community and probably bumps into everyone) being old fashioned. Am also worried how I am going to afford it.

OP posts:
RedHotSanta · 19/12/2011 14:32

But when/how do you tip them?
I leave for work at 7.30. Whilst I'm at work the bins are emptied, the post delivered (and parcels usually taken back to sorting office), windows are cleaned.
I have no idea who my postman is, or the bin men and window cleaners are part of a big company that I pay by DD.

GwendolineMaryLacedwithBrandy · 19/12/2011 14:35

Don't have a window cleaner, never see the bin men and our postmen are different all the time. Always tip the milkman though, he's fab.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 19/12/2011 14:40

Oh god, the whole point of tipping is if you think you have had an exceptional service, not that you have been pressured into it because you have read a thread on mumsnet! And as for bin men working in the small hours in horrible weather, that is the job they are paid very well to do.

mummytime · 19/12/2011 14:44

I don't tip, my much poorer mother used to, but we never get the same people doing post/bins etc. Actually the post is so regularly bad I wouldn't dream of it.

scottishmummy · 19/12/2011 14:46

I don't tip anyone at Xmas
here's a tip don't expect and you won't be disapointed

scottishmummy · 19/12/2011 14:51

chocs for teachers and nursery staff
no tips for anyone else

scottishmummy · 19/12/2011 14:53

leave house 7am have no idea what postie,or bin men look like
didn't know til now that folk tip them

Scuttlebutter · 19/12/2011 14:57

There is no need to tip binmen. They are on fabulous wages plus bonus and do a system called "task and finish" so as soon as their round is finished they go home. As a consequence many have second jobs, such as taxi-ing, building etc. They also do well doing lucrative (but illegal) "private jobs" for people such as taking unauthorised bulky waste, trade waste etc. The widespread use of wheelie bins means the job is much less physically demanding than it used to be (which is a good thing) along with the segregation of waste into many different streams. A crew doing garden waste collections at this time of the year will be done and dusted by the middle of the morning. Also they are public employees - your Council tax pays for a service so why should they be paid twice, when nobody tips roadsweepers, the guys at the tip, or the ones who sort the recycling?

TroublesomeEx · 19/12/2011 15:02

Oh yes scuttlebutter, and the sickness bonus which tops up their sick pay to that which they could have earned had they not been off sick and therefore not able to earn a bonus Hmm.

Sillyoldelf · 19/12/2011 15:06

scuttlebutter you are absolutely right . Bin earn very well.. As I said the driver gets £27,000 . Then they often have second jobs and yes they are home for lunchtime .
Personally I would not dream of tipping one

Scuttlebutter · 19/12/2011 15:06

Folk Girl, yes, they do get sickness bonus which means they lose no money at all when off sick. Like all Council employees, they get six months full pay and six months half pay.
Not sure how this is related to tipping? If it is then we should be aiming to tip only those in the private sector who generally don't have such good T &C?

controlpantsandgladrags · 19/12/2011 15:15

It would never occur to me to tip the bin men (or the ones who collect the paper recycling, the glass recycling or the garden waste...I'd have to remortgage!)

We seem to have 2 or 3 different post people and although I have a grocery delivery every week it can be one of about 6 different drivers...I'm afraid I deal with it by not tipping any of them Blush Are they even allowed to take tips? I'm sure I read on here that they're not supposed to.

If the window cleaner appears before Christmas I will give him a tip. I gave my hairdresser an extra tip last week too so I'm not totally tight

pigletmania · 19/12/2011 15:18

My goodness you all sound minted, tipping the binman, postman, milkman, cleaner, window cleaner, newspaper guy, infact anyone that you come into contact with Shock. I bearly have money at Christmastime let alone saving £100+ to tip all these people.

JugglingWithGoldandMyrhh · 19/12/2011 15:22

I couldn't afford to tip anyone (except restaurants and possibly taxi's) and probably wouldn't even if I could.

But I looked after our postman's little boy when he went to the playgroup I worked at so we're always friendly to each other. Payment in kind ?

ElaineReese · 19/12/2011 15:23

My daughter has a paper round, and gets between 3 and 5 pounds as a tip, in a card, from most of the people she delivers to.

I never see the postman or the binmen really so not sure how I'd tip them - I'll prob tip the bin cleaners and window cleaners when they next come round to collect.

smoothieo · 19/12/2011 15:28

I might tip the postman a tenner (same one for years and always gives me my post if I bump into him on my way to work). Not allowed to tip the bin men as DH loathes them - for having to clean up after them and the way they lob the bins back over the wall. I just know they'll be knocking with their Xmas collection timetable though so may have to pretend to be out...

Sillyoldelf · 19/12/2011 15:29

Pigletmania I am with you on that one . Anyway, what is wrong with a simple card that has a thankful message in ?

TrinaLuciusMalfoy · 19/12/2011 16:05

Have never tipped anyone.

Don't see the binmen, don't have a paperboy (except those delivering free papers which I don't want), we're between window cleaners and I'm certainly not tipping the postman who constantly leaves packages on my front doorstep where any bugger could run off with them!

Have I missed anyone?

cookingfat · 19/12/2011 16:08

Postman gets a box of chocs (regular one, always friendly and helpful). He was v surprised and said he really appreciated it...
Gave cleaner a Boots voucher - she seemed a bit sniffy about it Hmm.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 19/12/2011 16:11

She probably wanted the cash cookingfat!

Santageekmum · 19/12/2011 16:13

Just gave Sainsbury's guy a tip! First time tipper... He seemed very appreciative. They do bring all the stuff from the car park into my kitchen so thought it'd be nice to give them something as they go beyond their job description.

ChestnutsREASTIEingOnTheFire · 19/12/2011 16:23

Just to encourage everyone to tip their gardener very generously this christmas in the hope DH works for you Wink

Chestnutx3 · 19/12/2011 16:32

My postman recently went to the maldives on holiday for two weeks, we stayed in a caravan over the summer. I really don't want to tip him!

Cankulzof · 19/12/2011 16:39

Aye Scuttle - maybe we should all aim to tip one random underpaid back-office private sector worker this Christmas Xmas Grin

hackmum · 19/12/2011 17:14

We give £10 to the postie, £10 to the milkman and £10 to the binmen. (A bit tough on the binmen as they have to share - and we also worry that we don't tip the recycling men, and we're not sure whether they're the same people or not!)

A lot of mean-spirited comments on this thread. Postmen and milkmen are up in the very early hours, often when it's freezing cold. Both our postie and milkman are nice, friendly people. I don't see any harm in acknowledging what they do by giving them a little something at Christmas.

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