Holiday tipping

Celyn

On the today show, they suggested you tip your hairdresser 100%, as well as the mailman, garbage man, and a few other people. 

Who do you tip and why?

I try to tip services that rely on tips very well during the holidays, like waitstaff, because I'm told they often get stiffed this time of year.  My hairdresser already gets 20% on a regular basis, so I really don't feel the need to pay double for my holiday haircut.  I've never seen my mailman (we have a common box for the street and it's not near my house) and my garbage collection is all automated (the guy doesn't need to get out of the truck).  So, I don't tip either of them either.  Am I wrong, should I be tipping these people?

I went a bit broke on teacher gifts this year -- there are 3 teachers in Aaron's class and 2 in Ryan's, plus their various other coaches and instructors.  Crap... and I just remembered that I totally forgot Ryan's Spanish teacher  

altreu

DH works in the restaurant industry (as did I until I had O). They are not lying about servers getting stiffed during the holidays. Servers wend to work a lot more, for a whole lot less this time of year. So we always tip really big when we go out to eat during the holiday season.

I don't tip extra to my hairdresser, because I don't get my hair cut enough. I always tip 20% when I do go, but the last time I went was BEFORE I had O!! I think it's getting to hair crisis time, but that's another post entirely...

We tip our building manager, since we rent and he is awesome. But that's about it for the holidays. Maybe we are not tipping enough, but I don't really know who we would tip...maybe I will get some ideas from this post!  

Mrs.BoomBoom

I got Q's teachers each a little something ($15 max). 

I don't really tip extra.    I feel like those I tip, I tip throughout the year and I don't need to tip them extra at the holidays. 

I also agree, I don't tip people I don't see (mail carrier, trash pick-up, even the newspaper delivery (although I SHOULD do that last one))  I also should tip the gardeners because I don't tip them regularly.

carmeng

We don't really tip anyone outside of waiters, and this weekend I'll be getting my hair done and I'll tip my stylist (also one of my best friends) 20% as usual. I usually leave nice tips (above 20%) for waiters if service has been great.

I think that was long ago when you tipped the mailman, and garbage pick up..I remember my dad leaving alcohol (either beer or wine) out for the latter. I don't remember my parents ever tipping the mailman.

amyfelice

I am tipping my cleaning lady (gave her a measly $40, so lame), my nanny (will be giving her $100 I think, but recently gave her $150 when her car got broken into) and that's about it. I do see the mailman sometimes and he is very nice but i just don't think anyone does that anymore. I guess I will discuss it with DH. I am going tomorrow for a hair cut/color and I always tip generously, but I don't think I can tip any extra. heck I can't even afford to be going there so she should be glad to have the business, right? In these hard times? I dunno. 

Anyway, that's all I can afford.

tri_bride05

I generally tip waitstaff 20%, but during the holidays I'll up to 25% especially since we go to pretty kid-friendly (i.e. cheap) places so the tip really isn't that much. I'm getting my hair cut & highlighted next week and will tip 20% like I always do - I really can't see tipping more than that - it's a lot of money already. We did teacher gifts for M's three teachers. We are also going to tip the garbage men this year - a little cash & some cookies, but that is because they come every week around breakfast time and M runs to the front door to watch. They do a big dump for him, honk the horn, and wave every single time and ours do have to get out of the truck. M loves it and we think they're awesome. Not sure about the mailman - it is the same guy every time, he greets me by name when he sees me. Hmmm....

kittylove

I trade services for my haircut and since she doesn't tip me this time of year I don't tip her either. But we do give teachers, and our mantinance guy cookies and a gc. I will have to add to our tipe when we go out next time, I hadn't realized we should increase it this time of year, but we do regularly give 20%.

dirtbikemom

I have 5 teachers, aides, and therapist at Sara's school that we gave gift cards too.  I also gave a gift card to her bus driver because she is great with Sara.  I bought a gift basket for the family advocates and other staff members at her school.  

I did tip my hairdresser her usual 20% plus extra because she is always so accommodating with her schedule for me.  

Don't usually tip the mailman or garbage man as I've never really seen them.  

DandaLion

I regularly tip 20% for wait staff at restaurants and 20% for my hair dresser. If I tipped her 100% I would be forking over $400!!! I don?t have that kind of $$ to spend. I barely have the $ to get my hair done semi-regularly. Its the one treat I give myself. For all the others, I have no clue who the mail man is and the garbage guy is not on my nice list this year for many reasons. So nothing extra for them. If we had teachers we would be giving gift cards or baked goodies.

danandkelly

I tip wait staff extra during the holidays and I double tipped my hair dresser. 

I don't tip the mail man (although I might) usually.

MrsJBL2005

I don't get my hair or nails done anymore, so no tips there.

We gave our mailman $20 cash - our mailbox is near our house (away from curb) and he has to walk the neighborhood delivering the mail, regardless of weather... though I have noticed there is often a sub on really nasty days He also gives holiday cards to all residences on his route!

Our newspaper carrier left an impersonal printout folded into a recent paper - with a generic "happy holidays" and his HOME ADDRESS!  We're mailing him $10. 

A mom from Ty's preschool class is coordinating a group gift to which we will contribute and I will get something for Cami's teachers. 

This is the first year I've heard about tipping garbage men.  Our taxes are extraordinarily high where we live and I understand that trash men are generally well paid with great gov't benefits.  The list of refuse workers would be out of control:  regular trash, recyclables, yard debris (compost?), large items, leaf vacuum truck... and what about the snow plowers?