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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:
Asgoodasarest · 09/12/2019 13:00

Yes always. I also tip the food shop delivery driver on the last shop before Xmas. My family have always done it.
Obviously if they did a terrible job I wouldn’t, but they don’t. My postman in particular goes out of his way to be helpful and with a family member doing one of these jobs, I know how much it is appreciated. I give what I can afford in a card, with a thank you message.
I don’t think it’s cringey personally.

purpleboy · 09/12/2019 13:00

Mustard screams is spot on!
Those saying no because they earn more than me, why don't you do their job then?
I give both bin men and postie cash, postie is great and goes above and beyond for us and bin men well honestly who would want to do that job. I admire and respect they do a job that they and most others don't want to because they have to provide for their families.

DecemberSnow · 09/12/2019 13:06

We dont have binmen...

But we give £20 to the postman, window cleaner, and gardener before Christmas as well as the cleaner.

Shopping delivery guy gets £5 tip every time they come

Emeraldshamrock · 09/12/2019 13:19

Yes postman will get a mini box of chocolates.
No bin men as it is all privatised now.
The thread brought back happy memories of the bin men calling to wish you a Merry Christmas most houses gave a few punt.

Emeraldshamrock · 09/12/2019 13:20

Christmas food delivery too.

waitforkate · 09/12/2019 13:24

I tip the bin men because one of them once (very accurately) called my exH a cunt during an argument about the positioning of the bin lorry in the street. Grin

amusedbush · 09/12/2019 13:26

I'm never around when the bin men pass.

The postie will get a few gifts and, if he's lucky, a look at me in the buff.

He's my DH Grin

HulaHoop2012 · 09/12/2019 13:28

Yes to both. I’m quite rural. Postman always hides my parcels and when it was snowing and I was heavily pregnant he went and got me a loaf and some milk because I asked how the roads were and said I needed to get to the shop.
Bin men the same always drag my bins back up our lane.

Saying this I wouldn’t have tipped in London as it was different people every week.

DontCallMeShitley · 09/12/2019 13:53

Hermes man gets a gift because he is great.

Postie sometimes gets a tip if we see him, but we don't go out of our way as he seems to need to go to Specsavers these days and we keep redelivering stuff to where it should go.

Binmen, I would tip the crew that put the bins back neatly outside the right house, but they don't come round often and I don't want to accidentally tip the ones that sling them randomly across the pavement and block it, or the ones that go through the contents and pinch the scrap.

ForalltheSaints · 09/12/2019 14:12

I seldom meet or speak to the postman (not sure if we have a regular one). The refuse collection I would never tip on the grounds of their unnecessary noise sounding a reversing horn at 630am until the round was changed recently.

usernamerisnotavailable · 09/12/2019 14:14

Postie and cleaners get a box of chocolates and the cleaners also £20 each. My grandparents did it. My parents do it. My ILs did it. I do it.

MustardScreams · 09/12/2019 14:18

@ForalltheSaints what would you like them to do? They don’t personally make the horn sound you know, and they don’t choose when the round is. Fucking hell!

TheLittleBrownFox · 09/12/2019 14:26

I tip the paper delivery boy/girl - they earn peanuts, are out at stupid o clock every morning and get brownie points if they're not scared of the dog Xmas Grin

I also take a tin of biscuits to our car mechanics but that's more in the name of shameless economics - keep them sweet and they'll do for free not charge me halfords prices for things like wipers or bulb changes! Xmas Wink

SevenStones · 09/12/2019 14:34

Posties and refuse collectors are out in all weathers doing jobs where we'd all be stuffed if they weren't. Day after day, week after week.

They deserve a little appreciation!

Floralnomad · 09/12/2019 14:38

My tipping at Christmas is :
Postman £10
Dog groomer £20
We have multiple bin men and I’ve no idea if it’s the same ones each week .

charm8ed · 09/12/2019 14:41

I tip my Postman £10 because he’s so helpful with my parcel deliveries.

Littletabbyocelot · 09/12/2019 14:48

We used to tip the binmen but i haven't for a few years because I don't want to say thank you for e.g. putting the food waste half emptied upside down in the cardboard recycling, leaving our bins on the opposite side of our (very busy main) road or leaving it fully blocking the gate which, when I was heavily pregnant neither I or my elderly mum could move and she had to totter down the back lane instead.

We don't seem to have a regular postie or I would tip.

GhostsInSnow · 09/12/2019 14:48

Bin men. No chance. Moved here last year, our old bin men would happily take extra recycling in a cardboard box if you asked. I asked the new ones if I could put a cardboard box in the waggon on recycling day and was grunted at that if it won't fit in the bin they won't take it.

Postmen. We don't have one regular one to tip unfortunately. Seems to be someone different every week.

LemonPrism · 09/12/2019 14:49

No, my bins are taken with my whole apartment buildings and they come at 1.30am without fail. The recycling hitting the empty van bottom wakes every single house up.

I don't tip my postman because they often leave my post inside the building in the common area.., where it gets stolen.

I'll tip my cleaner though

Whattodoabout · 09/12/2019 14:53

No and I’ve never met anyone who does. I find the tipping culture ridiculously American. They get paid a fairly decent amount, especially binmen.

ParkheadParadise · 09/12/2019 14:59

Yes I do.
Postman gets cash
Bin men get
24 bottles of lager
Box of celebrations.
They always put my bin back in the driveway and wave to dd when she's at the window 😆😆.

Baaaahhhhh · 09/12/2019 15:02

All bin men do is attach you wheelie bin to a recycling lorry, and it does the job for them, so I am not sure what is over and above for deserving a tip? They are now actually described as either drivers or loaders, and get about £11 per hour. Pretty well paid for what they do really.

My postie is getting nothing from me. He always shoves and squashes and folds everything through my letter box, and leaves elastic bands all over the drive.

bellsbuss · 09/12/2019 15:05

I always tip the bin men at Christmas, ours are brilliant and will always take extra rubbish when we need them too.

myhandsareverycold · 09/12/2019 15:09

I always give the postman a Christmas tip, done it for years. Cleaner gets a gift and the school bus driver always gets a decent gift. I think it's a lovely thing to do.
One year I gave my son some posh biscuits to give to the lunch ladies. He loved it as they gave him extras for the whole of the following year. They said they never received a Christmas gift from anyone else. It's just being thoughtful.

ProperVexed · 09/12/2019 15:47

Shopping delivery guy gets £5 tip every time they come
Feck! Is this the done thing?