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Christmas

Christmas Tips ?

(74 Posts)
Sparklefizz Sun 29-Nov-20 18:15:05

I have a newspaper delivered one day a week, on Sundays, and today I received my first Christmas card of the season, signed in a childlike hand "From your Sunday Paperboy".

Now I happen to have seen my "Sunday Paperboy" many times because a silver car pulls up outside my house and a middleaged man gets out to put the paper through my letterbox. Maybe his son is the official paperboy but has a lie in instead. Who knows?

Anyway, clearly the Christmas card is in order to trigger a Christmas tip. I pay 35p a week for the paper to be delivered. Do I tip or not? And if I do tip, then how much?

tanith Sun 29-Nov-20 18:19:43

That’s awkward, but if you never actually see a paper ‘boy’ then does he ever actually do what he gets paid for I wonder. I don’t think I’d give him a tip.

MandL Sun 29-Nov-20 18:23:06

Hi sparklefizz
I think I’d be asking myself if I’d been intending to tip before the card had been delivered.
I don’t think you should feel obliged to if you hadn’t.

Bellanonna Sun 29-Nov-20 19:11:12

Given that you’ve seen the dad many times I’d say definitely don’t bother!

Urmstongran Sun 29-Nov-20 19:55:39

Aw, it’s Christmas! You’ve had your paper delivered every Sunday by your paper boy or his dad (does it really matter if he’s helping his son - we don’t know the reason). What’s a fiver or £2. Or just £1. Spread some happiness! Put a smile on a boy’s face. Boost his pocket money.
?

MawBe Sun 29-Nov-20 20:07:23

Perhaps your Sunday paper “boy” has very immature handwriting?
If you think he might be tal

MawBe Sun 29-Nov-20 20:08:15

Oops
taking the @@@“ you could always give him a chocolate Santa Claus ???

Sparklefizz Sun 29-Nov-20 20:12:43

Love the idea of a chocolate Santa !!! grin

rafichagran Sun 29-Nov-20 20:21:28

Is the paper delivered every week? If so I would tip. Dont care who delivers it. I used to help my son.

Urmstongran Sun 29-Nov-20 20:26:25

Exactly rafichagran.

Jaxjacky Sun 29-Nov-20 20:36:39

I think this year, more than ever, I’ll be upping my tips.

Tangerine Sun 29-Nov-20 20:40:20

I have a paper delivered every day so I shall tip.

Marydoll Sun 29-Nov-20 20:41:28

I read this thinking it was going to be about about tips to make Christmas less stressful. grin

If the paperboy is doing a good job, does it matter what age he is?

I shall be giving my postman, who has gone above and beyond his remit during my period of sheilding, a very generous tip.

Urmstongran Sun 29-Nov-20 20:47:17

I don’t suppose a paper round is ever undertaken for job satisfaction. I know some kids who get very generous pocket money with little or no effort. This boy & his dad are out in all weathers - maybe needs must? Your house will be one of many.

MamaCaz Sun 29-Nov-20 20:56:11

I must be bloody-minded, because if there's one thing that would make me not give a tip, it is the feeling that I am being manipulated or guilt-tripped into giving one!

In this case, where the paper us delivered once a week by car, and the OP has never seen it delivered by a 'boy', as the card suggests, no way would I be giving a tip.

Grannybags Sun 29-Nov-20 21:12:49

Hi Sparklefizz

I think if you were going to tip anyway then I would still go ahead.

I used to help my son deliver papers but it was the free local one so never got any tips!

rafichagran Sun 29-Nov-20 21:21:04

Same here Grannybags I helped my son with his paper round which was a free newspaper.
It was hard going, we had to insert all the leaflets then load the trolley and of we would go. It was freezing in the winter.
This thread takes me back.

morethan2 Sun 29-Nov-20 22:17:15

I’ve also had a card from Ben. Apparently Ben delivers my weekend papers. I’ve never seen Ben because my papers are delivered around 5.30. I do at times hear the car, so it’s obviously not a child. I’m happy to to pop a fiver in an envelope. There isn’t a newsagents for miles. So I really appreciate the service and I don’t suppose Ben earns very much for getting up so early in all weathers.

Hetty58 Sun 29-Nov-20 22:27:57

rafichagran, same here, my son soon went off the idea - so I 'adopted' his paper round. However, as I was doing all the work, I insisted on keeping the money (small amount that it was).

I got very fed up with it as the weather got colder, thought about giving it up - then it snowed heavily and I was 'paid' for three weeks for doing nothing - result!

I got some Christmas tips too, then gave in my notice in February.

HurdyGurdy Sun 29-Nov-20 22:37:04

My daughter and my son both had paper rounds. They never missed a day, apart from when my daughter was in hospital having been diagnosed with diabetes.

The paper shop owner told them to make sure to get a pack of cheap Christmas cards and put one through each door they delivered to, because they had provided a brilliant service to their customers.

Oddly enough, my daughter's round included the local McDonalds restaurant. Their papers weighed a ton, especially at the weekend. And they were the worst tippers!

Their dad and I used to take them in our cars on their rounds on Sundays, because of the extra weight of the Sunday supplements - so don't assume that it's an adult delivering just because you hear a car.

HurdyGurdy Sun 29-Nov-20 22:39:35

p.s. - they ended up with around £200 each at Christmas, so obviously their efforts were appreciated smile

WOODMOUSE49 Sun 29-Nov-20 22:39:56

I'd tip.
But how are you doing to do it?
Perhaps leave it with the newsagents you order from?
Or even wait and watch for the car or boy to arrive?

smile

V3ra Sun 29-Nov-20 22:43:14

I can remember driving my son around to do his paper round one winter when he was too poorly to do it on foot.
I quite enjoyed having a nose at everyone's Christmas decorations!

I also remember him being ready for bed, in his pyjamas, in the evening.
Then later on when I looked in to say goodnight he was in bed, but fully dressed.
When I asked him why, he said he had to be at the papershop at 7am and didn't have time to get dressed in the morning so had got dressed the night before.
That's when I stopped ironing his clothes ?

Gwyneth Sun 29-Nov-20 22:44:44

My two sons delivered papers before school in all weathers. This was many years ago now but I haven’t forgotten so will always tip my paperboy.

quizqueen Sun 29-Nov-20 22:48:19

I don't like people 'asking' for tips. When I did a paper round, if I was given a tip at Christmas then I put a thank you card through their door the following week. That's the way to do it.