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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask if you still 'tip' the postie, bin men, etc at Christmas?

239 replies

kitnkaboodle · 20/12/2016 23:16

I say 'still', because it is kind of an older generation thing to do. Having not done it before, I gave our postie a box of chocs last Christmas Eve as I work at home and have quite a lot of chats with him. My mum would leave whisky for the milkman, etc, and I think some people used to leave money in the dustbin lids for the bin men. Now wondering if I've started a new tradition and I should get him something this year too.

It's obviously not anything that anyone would get offended by, and no-one's going to say it's a bad idea. Just wondering how many people did it these days.

OP posts:
Pandamanda3 · 24/12/2016 10:22

I do I tip posti & bin men Iv tried to bring my dc's up the same as was i. Eldest dc tips and he's on a low income youngest dc wouldn't hear of it and always says 'why are you doing that! Don't

So I guess it's a personal thing dependant on how you feel but I know my mum, my Nanna have always done it.

Feel bad now argos delivered last min gift last night and I never thought to leave tip for him, was in bed with flu though so it would have been pot luck with my two dc's 😊

Happy Christmas to you all x x

MrsMozart · 24/12/2016 11:40

Y'up, and the farrier, vet, and (horse) dentist.

daisypond · 24/12/2016 11:52

My grandmother used to give Christmas boxes, too - that was the expression - just as ThinkingBlonde describes.

Longislandicetee · 24/12/2016 11:52

I think nowabruptly and candodad have it. Tip probably is the wrong word, it's a gift that you give at Christmas time to people who go above and beyond to make your life easier. It's not compulsory but my parents always said it was good manners/etiquette to do so. And as I said earlier, in my experience, people have loooong memories and are much more likely to go out of their way for you than if they know that you do appreciate them.

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 24/12/2016 12:25

I gave a bottle of wine to my hairdresser and a tenner to the paperboy (so nice reading from the mum of a paperboy that gifts are appreciated!) If I had a regular bin man / postie I maybe would, but our street it seems to change a lot. Was funny finding this thread after having the same conversation irl earlier this week! (And in that conversation it was definitely something the older generation did more.)

Jaxhog · 24/12/2016 14:32

We don't, because there are so many of them e.g. 5 different posties, lots of bin-men, even several paper boys/girls. When we had 1 postie and 1 binman, then did. But not anymore.

RiverTamFan · 24/12/2016 14:42

I would say that Paperboys definitely appreciate their Christmas money although the card, remarking on how DD2 is always early, went down even better than the £10 in it!

Actually I'm really pleased for her because while both offspring always deliver the papers she is particularly conscientious about the whole thing. Illness, limp, injured shoulder, insomnia, Welsh weather, doesn't matter she's at the Newsagent on time, seven days a week! Judging by the £55 she's got over the last few weeks, it's appreciated.

MargeryFenworthy · 24/12/2016 15:02

Also, we give according to our means. If we earned less we'd still give something but it would still reflect our appreciation.

Notmuchtosay1 · 24/12/2016 15:02

My OH always leaves something for the bin men. Our postie is so grumpy, so not tipped him. Last week he saw me walk across the road to the farmyard. I waved to him. He goes past first up to the neighbours, then back to us, had a signed for but he still took it away with him. Though it's often other postmen too. So if I did leave him something then someone else could get it. We take stuff to the ladies at the vets too and when we used the doctors surgery s lot when the in laws were alive, we took them a tin of biscuits too.

caringcarer · 24/12/2016 15:03

I give postman £5 each year at Xmas, couple of pounds in take away box, box of choc biscuits for girls at nail bar and £25 voucher and wine for cleaner.

Vicky1990 · 25/12/2016 12:57

The postman or lady are the only people who will come to your house six days a week, every week of the year, in freezing cold weather, rain, sun , snow, ice, often walking miles carrying a heavy bag to provide you with a service you do not pay for, mostly.
Even though you may never see them they look out for you, they are the eyes and ears of the commuity often providing help to needy people.
So in short YES, always show your appreciation by giving them some money at christmas, remember if you give a bottle they will then have to carry it, so some money, £10 at least, and a card to say thank you shows you have remembered them is a good thing to do.

longtallwalker · 29/11/2017 23:06

Yes I do. My binmen are lovely.
Always stroke the dog and give him a treat, and the postman has to endure the same dog's over-enthusiastic greeting every day. My problem is delivery drivers. We have a couple of lovely ones and a couple of grumps.
Tricky to catch the nice ones!

thelonelyhamster · 29/11/2017 23:57

I'm a postie, and tips are not unusual but certainly not expected.

Most posties are pretty much always hungry, so you can be sure that some sweets, chocolate or anything else edible is appreciated and not considered patronising.

The elderly lady who gave me £1 in a card the other day wasn't being patronising or looking down on me either... she just wanted to do something nice.

WineAndTiramisu · 30/11/2017 01:51

ZOMBIE THREAD

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