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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you give the postman/bin men a Christmas present/tip?

134 replies

SofaCushion · 09/12/2019 11:35

Just wondered if you give your postman or bin men a Christmas present or tip? I mentioned popping out to buy tins of biscuits (nice chocolate ones) at lunchtime and one of my colleagues just asked me why I’d give anything to them...

We moved in end of last year, so wanted to thank the postman, as he’s always the same guy and happy and smiley when he delivers. Although the bin men always block our drive with our bins (they always put the neighbours’ bins back nicely though). I think cos the old vendor was an arsehole, so maybe they didn’t like him. Maybe a gift will get the bin shifted properly 😂

Thoughts? Maybe biscuits isn’t the right idea? Anyone else got a better suggestion?

OP posts:
Aloe6 · 09/12/2019 11:36

Postie gets a box of biscuits here.

TheOliphantintheRoom · 09/12/2019 11:36

No. Bin men earn more than me.

PepsiLola · 09/12/2019 11:36

A lot of people do.

We have an old man who takes our bins out every week and brings them back in. He lives alone so I will be doing so for him.

We have a different post man daily, and i work during post/bin times - so I won't for them

TheOliphantintheRoom · 09/12/2019 11:38

I don't tip anyone- it makes me cringe. My parents used to give the milkman an Xmas box - few quid - each year.

steff13 · 09/12/2019 11:38

They get a gift card to a local restaurant.

youcancallmequeenE · 09/12/2019 11:39

Yep. Box of chocolates or biscuits here.

NotSorry · 09/12/2019 11:41

Yes to postie - we have the same one and he helps me out by hiding my Parcels so I don’t have to traipse to depot - we are now on first name terms

Yes to bin men also

Not sure why it’s cringe

I like all the other ideas too

spanglydangly · 09/12/2019 11:51

Yes to bin men, mine are great and always clear everything for me! It's well worth a tip.

Another one not sure why this is cringe?

Todaythiscouldbe · 09/12/2019 11:54

No, but I do have a wreath made of celebrations/heroes on the door with a note to help themselves. Wouldn't a postman have to carry the gifts with them on their rounds?

AnuvvaMuvva · 09/12/2019 12:06

How do you give a tip to bin men? There are so many of them. Do you run out and hand each one a fiver? Or just one..?

mindutopia · 09/12/2019 12:09

I don't (tbf, I barely manage to organise getting dh's present in time for xmas and he thankfully does a lot of the buying for everyone else). But I think it's a lovely gesture.

peachgreen · 09/12/2019 12:15

No but I leave a box of Quality Street out for postie/delivery people and a note saying thank you and to help themselves. I also give our local Boots a box of chocolates as they're so fantastic and helpful (once dropped a prescription for DD to our house when we were all ill).

thecatneuterer · 09/12/2019 12:15

Even if I wanted to tip them (which I don't think I do) they come at the crack of dawn. No way would I be getting up in the middle of the night (by my standards) to wait for them to turn up so I could tip them.

HungryBelly · 09/12/2019 12:16

No tip for the bin men - I never see them but I always give the postie some cash in a Christmas card.

Bluerussian · 09/12/2019 12:16

I've always given the postmen/women a good tip (& the milkman0, not the refuse collectors who have never knocked and come very early before anyone is up and about - they don't seem to expect it. The ones I do give to are not well paid and give a very good service so it's nice to treat them once a year.

MustardScreams · 09/12/2019 12:19

I tip the binmen £10 each the week before Xmas. We have the same 3 pretty much all year round so I know them. I WFH on bun day.

Postie gets biscuits or wine depending on who drops the mail on the last day before Christmas.

slashlover · 09/12/2019 12:19

They earn more than I do so nope.

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 09/12/2019 12:23

My tip to the bin men is put the bins back on the path and not in the middle of the driveway.
My tip to the postman is a letter box is only so big. If you have to delivery something bigger than the box no amount of shoving is going to get it in.

pigsDOfly · 09/12/2019 12:32

There was a thread about this a while ago. Seems a lot of people do tip binmen and postmen/women etc.

They empty the bins or deliver the post or milk.

They're doing a job for which they get paid.

Why do they need to be tipped?

I frequently get served by the same people in my local Tesco, should I tip them?

In my local Boots I'm generally served by the same people, should I tip them?

Where do you draw the line?

Why some people and not others?

nilcarborundum · 09/12/2019 12:36

You draw the line when they go over and above what their job involves and make your life easier 🤷‍♀️ our postie gets a box of luxury biscuits every year, he's fab!

Stinkycatbreath · 09/12/2019 12:41

No. Im never in when they come knocking thank God. As I am at work which like them I get paid for and recieve no tips.

FairyOnTheTree · 09/12/2019 12:47

Wouldn't occur to me to tip them Confused

Corna · 09/12/2019 12:52

Tip the bin men, and postie a bit each year. They work sodding hard in crap weather and are always friendly and helpful.

MustardScreams · 09/12/2019 12:54

Cleaning up other’s people shite is worthy of a tip in my mind. I’d guess the majority of bin men don’t choose to do that job, but they have to to provide for their families.

You don’t have to tip of course, but you don’t need to be smug and horrid about it.

VisionQuest · 09/12/2019 12:58

It's never occurred to me to tip either Confused