Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Thursday, December 14. 2017

Christmas tipping

A little money shows gratitude. Went through my list today for the people who help us out all year long.


- Mailman ($20)
- Garbagemen ($50, but during the year I also leave them a 10 or 20 whenever there is a large or messy pile)
- My golf club (members make a single donation and the staff divvies up all of the donations - $500 per member is expected) 
- The guy at my daily morning coffee shop ($20)


When we have more occasional helpers, I usually give them a $20 at the time. I'd give something to our UPS guy, but it's always a different driver. It seems like a short list this year. Who am I missing?  


To whom do you give Christmastime cash presents? 

Posted by The Barrister at 18:03 | Comments (16) | Trackbacks (0)

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Got no golf club

House cleaners

Office cleaners

Office bookkeeper

Cook, driver, and butler (just kidding)
#1 BD on 2017-12-14 18:34 (Reply)
Tip?
the mailman?
Garbage guys (Waste Management)?

Do:
Paper delivery
Pest control
Salvation Army kettle whenever I pass one (does that count?)

Don't have:
housekeeper
pool guy
yard guy
pet groomer
personal car detailer
(to list a few that I see around me)
#2 Oldflyer on 2017-12-14 18:53 (Reply)
DH has the most wonderful barber--the guy is brilliant. If he was living in San Francisco, or NYC, or Beverly Hills he would be making $300/per cut. Here he makes $40. This time of year I drop by the shop with a card and a $50. He is so worth it !
#3 Apple Pie on 2017-12-14 19:07 (Reply)
We tip the mailman ($20) and the house cleaner ($100). Everyone else gets tipped by the occurrence (barber, waiters, etc).
#4 Pod Hamp on 2017-12-14 19:46 (Reply)
Postman, with a gift package, rings the bell. Lady answers and invites him in. There's a full breakfast spread - ham, bacon, eggs, toast. When he's finished she invites him to her boudoir. As he's walking out the door she hands him a dollar.

Lady, I don't mean to sound ungrateful but what's with the dollar?

Well, I asked my husband what we should give you for Christmas. He said "fuck him, give him a buck". Breakfast was my idea.
#5 Roy Lofquist on 2017-12-14 21:04 (Reply)
I suspect things are different in the big city than they are everywhere else. And also different West of the Mississippi too. I tip my barber a couple bucks when I get a haircut. My wife makes me tip the waiters 15%. That's it. Our mail magically shows up in a lockbox down the street, I think I saw a mail person there once. My trash guy is OK I guess, he is here for 10 seconds maybe.
#6 IdahoBob on 2017-12-14 22:16 (Reply)
I gave my housecleaner an extra $50. She normally gets paid $100 a visit which occurs every other week. This seems like a fairly generous Christmas bonus to me, especially since this is a good gig for her. I always pre-tidy, she doesn't touch anything in the kitchen (at my request) or do any cleaning related to the pets, and she gets the house done in 3 hours. $30+ an hour in cash to do light cleaning in an empty airconditioned house while listening to telanovelas seems like a pretty dang good gig to me ~ but she does a good job and is reliable and I want her to buy her daughter an extra gift for Christmas so I do give her a thank-you at the end of the year.

I would never tip trash guys. They drive the truck that extends the automated arm to pick up my cart, which I take to the curb and retrieve, and they are paid handsomely by the city to do so. I don't see any reason to give them extra.

I would also never tip the mailman. He drives his truck to the box at the end of the street, files the mail in the slots, and drives to the next subdivision. I would have to work really hard to even encounter him to give him a tip directly.
#7 Mrs. R. on 2017-12-15 01:28 (Reply)
no fixed mailman or garbage crew here. Only delivery guy that comes by regularly is the kid dropping tons of advertising flyers in the mailslot several times a week (to the amount of a cubic yard per month), and I'm not giving him a dime.
#8 JTW on 2017-12-15 04:22 (Reply)
We decorate a box, fill it with snacks and bottled water and leave it on our front porch by the mail box. A sign attached thanks all the UPS, Fed Ex, & USPS delivery people for bringing us so many packages during the Christmas season. It's fun to watch their expressions as they run up our stairs, spot the sign and box, and reach in the box for a Snickers, a Hostess cupcake, a bag of Cheetos and a water. One UPS guy even exclaimed, "OH BOY!" when he saw the goodies. Makes me smile every time.
#9 NavyMom on 2017-12-15 07:36 (Reply)
Navy Mom, that's a great idea. I need to think about how to make it work in my neighborhood. I suspect some of my neighbors, or at least guys who hang around a house down the street, would decide that they need the treats more than some driver. After all, they work hard, delivering very small packages, and have only the floating craps game to entertain them.
#9.1 Marion Stinnett on 2017-12-15 11:18 (Reply)
I send treat trays(cookie, veg, and fruit) to the Alzheimer's care facility my mother resides in. I would make a donation to mothers care taker these people are not paid enough for what they do. Merry Christmas to you.
#10 Byker Bob on 2017-12-15 08:16 (Reply)
For Christmas I give some money to the Salvation Army. I am not a churchgoer, but they do good work. Damned if I am going to hand over a tip to my mail carrier, who makes more than I do.
#11 Gringo on 2017-12-15 10:03 (Reply)
My wife. (I have a knack for getting things I like and she hates, so now peace and harmony reign with cash.)
And the paper gal.
I over-tip the 7 dollar haircut gal as it is.
Trash guys missed my house 10 times last year, so - no.
Mailman refused a tip last year, so-no. (Is that normal?)
ALWAYS delivery/assembly guys, they're salt of the earth most times.
#12 Rich Whiteman on 2017-12-15 12:22 (Reply)
As a dairy farmer I receive so many gifts from the people I do business with, Organic milk coop, feed company, seed corn dealers, farm machinery dealers, it is almost embarrassing, however considering all the money i spend with them I'll take it. however the one that i do give to is the trucker that picks up my milk rain or shine snow or ice, He is always there, gets nice card and a small gift card, hell his wife bakes all of his farmers on his routes sweet rolls every year. Baked more than 20 dozen. Life in the country is good. BTW my house keeper gets a nice gift every year, the least she deserves for marrying me
#13 The Egyptian on 2017-12-15 21:39 (Reply)
Hairdresser.

Paperboy/man/person.
#14 the gold digger (Link) on 2017-12-16 12:20 (Reply)
My cleaning lady gets a Christmas bonus in the amount of a day's pay. My hairdresser gets tipped at the time (even though she is the owner and years ago owners were insulted by tips - not now.)

Don't know the mail men, really don't know the trash men who just push a button to lift up my wheelie bin (also known as a Herbie Curbie.)

Don't have a yard man, I have a landscaping company, and I don't know the guys, not always the same ones every week. I only know the owner and wouldn't even think about tipping him.

Grew up in the suburbs and never saw tipping of any of these type service people.
#15 EB on 2017-12-17 23:53 (Reply)

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