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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give my cleaner John Lewis vouchers?

150 replies

Toomiddleclassforwords · 12/12/2022 21:22

For Christmas?

name changed as I’m likely to be ripped to shreds for this one, but AIBU to give my cleaner some John Lewis vouchers for Christmas or should I give cash?

OP posts:
thelobsterquadrille · 12/12/2022 22:24

Toomiddleclassforwords · 12/12/2022 22:21

Wow! Seem to have hit a few nerves. Yes there of course we live near a John Lewis. And a Waitrose. I like a JL voucher so I can spoil myself buying nice food (or my favourite gin) in Waitrose… I get that it’s not the cheapest place to shop, but I thought a voucher might be a nice treat - cash just gets swallowed up IME .

Personal gifts are not an option as they come while I’m at work and I hardly know them. I do however really appreciate them and the job they do!

I will however go with the consensus. Cash it is.

I just don't see a voucher as a treat unless it's something I've specifically requested.

Cash is best because then they have free choice of what to spend it on. They could put it towards a holiday, or an item of clothing, or treat themselves to a meal or an experience.

Why limit them to a shop that they may not even like or visit?

suzyscat · 12/12/2022 22:37

4yearsandwaiting · 12/12/2022 21:48

I'm on a low income and would welcome supermarket vouchers or cash rather than an expensive shop which I would feel uncomfortable going into.

Could you not get a Waitrose grocery delivery then?

Or order from their website?

I do know what you mean though, I was given some vouchers once for a posh shop and it was a bit stressful and even a lot of vouchers wouldn't go far. I like John Lewis vouchers because you can buy food or stuff.

My precious cleaner once brought me a huge Waitrose tiramisu for a treat as it was her favourite. She said she would only ever buy the Waitrose one.

Greensleevevssnotnose · 12/12/2022 22:37

AnotherEmma · 12/12/2022 22:21

"Assuming it's going to be at least £100, same as the rest of the household team, gardener. Car wash, window cleaner etc"

Eh?!

At least £100? Each? For 4+ people?

How the other half live, eh. Meanwhile, I spent most of my work day requesting fuel vouchers for people. (And I have a cleaner, I don't give her £100 though! If you have £400+ to spare at Christmas, give it to the food and/or fuel bank!)

I thought it was a joke thread hence the jokey answer sames as a lot of others,........

suzyscat · 12/12/2022 22:39

MolkosTeenageAngst · 12/12/2022 22:10

Cash. I don’t understand why anybody would ever give vouchers as all you’re doing is restricting where the recipient can actually buy their gift from.

I believe it's so it doesn't get swallowed up by school collections/ trips/ nipping to the corner shop.

Although teenage me was delighted to learn you could use WH Smith gift vouchers to buy fags Blush

ThreeblackCats · 12/12/2022 22:43

Depends.
£30 John Lewis vouchers, not very useful, she may afford a candle.
£150 of vouchers, at least she can choose something.

Why do you feel the need to dictate the shop she spends at? Did somebody gift you £100 of JL vouchers and you spent £80 so have £20 to give away? Yabu

Charlize43 · 12/12/2022 22:45

Cash is more practical. Imagine if she's struggling to pay her energy bill. John Lewis tat isn't going to help her.

ThreeblackCats · 12/12/2022 22:49

I’ve just read this to someone sat next to me, they said “subtle boast that someone has a cleaner and thinks JL is posh, they sound like a twat”
And there you have it.
Buy your cleaner a nice scarf, a coffee maker, give her cash… quit with your stealth boasts.

jtaeapa · 12/12/2022 22:54

Sometimes vouchers can be annoying as you still have to pay delivery, even if you have enough on the voucher. Don't know if that's the case with JL. I'd think Amazon vouchers might be better.

Moon22 · 12/12/2022 22:57

I'm sure she will appreciate any gift at all. Personally, given the choice, I would choose cash over a voucher (because I can do what I like with it,) but, it's a gift, so you be grateful for anything you're given.

Lovesabadboy · 12/12/2022 23:42

A client of mine kindly gave me some JL gift vouchers as a 'Thank You'
Whilst they were very much appreciated, I can honestly say that it took me ages to actually find something that I liked and to actually spend them!
I went to our nearest branch and was pretty disappointed with what I saw because my brain kept saying 'But you can get the same thing SO much cheaper elsewhere' and even if it was a treat, I still couldn't justify paying such inflated prices. (I acknowledge that this is probably my own issue!)
In the end, I spent the vouchers on two wall lamps for the lounge which we needed and are lovely, but cash would definitely have bought me something for ME as opposed to for the house.

Mybumlooksbig · 12/12/2022 23:46

Cash

WineIsMyMainVice · 12/12/2022 23:46

Notimeforaname · 12/12/2022 21:25

Itll just look like you gave her some vouchers you didn't want.

This.
My bet is that you got the vouchers from having a JL credit card or something similar?

Helpusg · 12/12/2022 23:51

I give my cleaner a nice gift basket from Boots or a bottle of something bubbly. I think she’d be embarrassed by cash.

RagzRebooted · 12/12/2022 23:56

I received a £50 JL voucher once from a job. I was delighted, I don't shop there and think it's 'posh'. I bought pillows! They were lovely for a year but went lumpy and split faster than I expected.
So, maybe cash would be better.

ssd · 13/12/2022 00:02

Are you sure john lewis let cleaners in?

LBFseBrom · 13/12/2022 00:12

John Lewis is a good store, their motto being, "Never knowingly undersold". Many people I know have purchased good bargain from there. I don't have a branch near me but I've bought from them onine.

JL vouchers can be used in Waitrose so are always useful, though cash is better.

Sodullincomparison · 13/12/2022 00:35

i always get JL vouchers and it just isn’t me.
I used to give them to my mum and now DH / DD benefits from them too.

I hate vouchers because I feel a bit pressured to go and find something.

however, I have just received a M&S voucher and that is perfect for food for New Year and work shoes so it will save me money that I can use for things I want.

Luredbyapomegranate · 13/12/2022 00:44

Cash

Don’t be a nob (you know you are)

MrsFezziwig · 13/12/2022 00:46

LBFseBrom · 12/12/2022 21:48

I'm sure she would be glad and John Lewis vouchers are versatile, for example you can use them in Waitrose.

However cash would be better.

Hilarious. My nearest John Lewis and Waitrose branches are both well over 20 miles away (in opposite directions). I do fit into the demographic that Mumsnet would deem acceptable to shop there and I still wouldn’t thank you for them (well I would, because I’m polite, but it would irritate me).

tothelefttotheleft · 13/12/2022 01:16

LBFseBrom · 13/12/2022 00:12

John Lewis is a good store, their motto being, "Never knowingly undersold". Many people I know have purchased good bargain from there. I don't have a branch near me but I've bought from them onine.

JL vouchers can be used in Waitrose so are always useful, though cash is better.

I don't think they use this motto anymore.

Friday123 · 13/12/2022 01:24

If you want to give vouchers, something like love2shop would be better because you can spend them in lots of shops including Iceland, Wilko, Primark, Argos so they may be more useful than John Lewis

mathanxiety · 13/12/2022 01:41

When I was a very skint newlywed my boss gave out Bloomingdale's gift cards for Christmas.

I bought myself a really expensive but otherwise unremarkable mug and a pair of wooden spoons. I wasn't really in need of a mug or a pair of wooden spoons, but I felt a lot of pressure to buy something that would come to just about the exact amount on the card, because I would get nothing for any change there was left.

It was a bit depressing wandering around looking at stuff that cost a lot more then I had in my pocket, tbh, and quite honestly, if I had received an undistinguished mug and a pair of wooden spoons for Christmas I would have felt a bit let down.

panko · 13/12/2022 06:14

LBFseBrom · 13/12/2022 00:12

John Lewis is a good store, their motto being, "Never knowingly undersold". Many people I know have purchased good bargain from there. I don't have a branch near me but I've bought from them onine.

JL vouchers can be used in Waitrose so are always useful, though cash is better.

They dropped that

SnoozyLucy7 · 13/12/2022 06:22

Do they even shop in John Lewis?

Simonjt · 13/12/2022 06:34

We were given a £300 JL voucher when we got married, we hadn’t used it so following JL advice went into store and had a balance inquiry to stop the voucher expiring after 24 months, we got a little printout at the till as proof. Online on the JL website it clearly states making a balance inquiry refreshes the 24 month period, after about another three weeks the item we wanted was finally in stock after weeks of waiting for us to find the card didn’t work, despite following JL guidance and having proof of our balance inquiry the card had been cancelled. Despite having proof of our balance enquiry and a print out of JL guidance on their website they refused to re-activate the card, so a nice £300 in JLs pocket, I wonder how many they do that to.

I’m not a voucher fan generally due to people losing money when stores go out of buisness, if I had to buy one I’d go with something like the love to shop vouchers as they can be used at so many different places.