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Christmas

Christmas Tips ?

(75 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?

Gin Sun 29-Nov-20 22:56:01

Our paper ‘boy’ is a lady pensioner with a shopping trolley!

52bright Sun 29-Nov-20 23:06:19

My 15 year old dgs has been doing a Sunday paper round for just over a year now. He leaves the house at 6.30 am on Sundays rain, hail, snow or shine. The papers are particularly heavy on Sundays with supplements, advert leaflets ext and he is never late and never misses except when he had to isolate for 2 weeks due to Covid. He was really upset because 'my customers are nearly all old and stuck in and I don't like to think of them missing their Sunday paper'. The news agency really like him because he is totally reliable.

If you usually tip people like waiters or posties ext, perhaps
also think about your paper boy/girl if he/she is very reliable. If not, then that is another story. They deliver a useful service in all weathers. Of course this is my entirely unbiased opinion grin

AllotmentLil Mon 30-Nov-20 22:48:52

My son did a paper round but never left “prompting” cards - he still got tips though! I’d tip if we had a paper delivered but I wouldn’t like to be prompted. I’ll be tipping our posties and delivery man aka “my new best friends”! ?

Witzend Tue 01-Dec-20 07:34:43

I’m pretty sure our paper ‘boy’ is one of the adults who manage the shop, but we still leave cash in a Christmas card, as a thank you for turning out early every morning to deliver our paper.

Gingergirl Tue 01-Dec-20 09:57:14

If it matters to you, who receives the tip, then actually, I wouldn’t give it. I’d have the money at hand should I see the paper boy but if I didn’t want it to go to ‘anyone’, perhaps I’d think again. Maybe they’re not employing paper boys to save money so the tip would go the shop...depends how you feel about that.?

Craftycat Tue 01-Dec-20 10:05:12

When I read a paper I always tipped the boy at Christmas.
They don't get a lot- my DGS now does a paper round.
I gave up on newspapers years ago now- I get my news from radio & TV.

polnan Tue 01-Dec-20 10:11:03

years and many years ago LOL we used to tip, postman, milkman (yes, I have milk delivered, glass bottles etc)
dustman

etc..

now everyone is different, postman never the same...

I gave the wheelie bin collectors a fiver in the hot weather, I so felt for them, don`t we take them for granted?

the man was so grateful, genuinely so..
I will leave them a tip..

postman, never the same,

lovely Hermes man,, always cheers me up, but don`t always get delivery from Hermes...

milkman, guess I can, never see him

I was giving the paper boy, a real boy, a fiver each month when I paid the bill (dd) then he seems to be all over the place, a large van sometimes delivers

and.. well a local paper,, not all papers delivered

I will do as the mood takes me, I am like that, sadly to say.

now.. tell me how can we "tip" the nurses and all the workers at the hospitals.. never did think much to this hand clapping, they should be paid more.

cossybabe Tue 01-Dec-20 10:12:33

At my last house, our "paperboy" was 83 - it did 2 rounds every morning to keep him fit and to supplement his pension - I always tipped him

Redhead56 Tue 01-Dec-20 10:24:21

I always tip anyone delivering a service. Height of lockdown refuse collectors post workers and local shop all providing us with essential services. Christmas postal delivery Amazon and Hermes delivery drivers always get a card with money in. They do a very demanding job and are paid a pittance.

kitnsimon Tue 01-Dec-20 10:28:44

not for only one paper each week when you pay for delivery !

GreyKnitter Tue 01-Dec-20 10:34:02

When my children did paper rounds many years ago they delivered before school in all weathers and I think they deserved their Christmas tips. They walked or were on their bikes. Not sure about someone who delivers from a car.

Bazza Tue 01-Dec-20 10:38:29

I did a big paper round for several years as a child, I certainly didn’t get any help! That was the only way to have money of my own. I don’t ever remember getting a Christmas tip. I used to tip whoever delivered our paper, but I gave up on having a paper some years ago.

Rosina Tue 01-Dec-20 10:40:53

Our local newspaper kiosk have delivered throughout the pandemic - they haven't missed a day, and the newspapers and magazines have been part of normality for so many.
I read Deric Longden's very amusing book about his eccentric mother; she gave the paperboy £10 at Christmas and he said indignantly that nobody ever gave him a tip like that when he delivered papers. His Mother replied 'But wouldn't it have been lovely if they had?' Our paperboy will certainly get a tip.

jocork Tue 01-Dec-20 10:47:33

I must admit I've never tipped for these services, though I haven't had a paper delivered since moving here 17 years ago as the local newsagent didn't cover our road. This thread has got me thinking though I'd like to tip the bin men as they have done sterling work despite everything this year. On one occasion I was late with my garden waste bin which was round the back of the house and I asked him to wait while I went round for it and not only did he wait but he reminded me to wash my hands after bringing it in as he knew he was handling hundreds of bins every day!

Only question is - how do you do it? I don't always see them as I'm usually inside getting dressed when I hear the lorry.

Cuckooz Tue 01-Dec-20 10:55:01

I’ve never had a paper delivered, I read mine online. However, if I did have one delivered and it was a youngster I’d give them a tip. Now Marydoll, you mentioned you’ll be tipping your postman. Is this the norm? Does anyone else tip their postman?

schnackie Tue 01-Dec-20 11:00:33

Funny how people put their own families into the story when tipping (and other things) are involved. My son was a waiter for many years and I find myself always giving servers a rather large tip, thinking of him doing the same job.

LauraNorder Tue 01-Dec-20 11:00:40

Back in 1965 we had a very attractive paperboy, he kept pestering me to go out with him. I married him in 1970 and have been giving him tips ever since.

Sparklefizz Tue 01-Dec-20 11:07:31

Thanks for all your views. I have 3 or 4 different posties, a different Sainsbury's delivery guy each time, several different Hermes, Amazon and DpD delivery guys! Then there are the bin men, the window cleaner, where do I stop? ............Eeek! I will need to take out a loan.

Sparklefizz Tue 01-Dec-20 11:08:22

LauraNorder

Back in 1965 we had a very attractive paperboy, he kept pestering me to go out with him. I married him in 1970 and have been giving him tips ever since.

But this is the best answer to my post grin

Aepgirl Tue 01-Dec-20 11:23:13

My newsagent has ‘paperboys’ who are older people, and now during COVID, some are people who are out of work and not getting paid. Why not just reciprocate the message and leave a card addressed to your paperboy, not necessarily including a tip.

EmilyHarburn Tue 01-Dec-20 11:23:42

I have just tipped my window cleaner. This has been a very difficult year for a lot of people. As a pensioner my cash flow has not changed. Therefore I am keen to support local initiative in maintaining services which I value.

Bijou Tue 01-Dec-20 11:25:59

I notice that two of my neighbours have papers delivered by a very elderly gentleman by car.
My son was a paperboy in the 1960s because he wanted to save up to go on a school trip to Greece. During the very snowy winter of 1964 we lived on top of a hill and his round was on another hill. The snow was so deep it filled his wellies.. I still have notes his customers gave him with tips thanking him for his efforts. We paid for his trip anyway.

Cp43 Tue 01-Dec-20 11:26:15

I’d be tempted to ask driver of car who is it for and if it is his son ask why he’s not doing it himself. May be he’s ill and someone covering.

BusterTank Tue 01-Dec-20 11:45:24

It's always nice to receive a tip , it doesn't have to be money it could be a card and a box of chocolates .

Kim19 Tue 01-Dec-20 11:50:58

Postie and Bin men for me only. Postie, pretty regular young girl and recognise some of the BM faces. Any newbies will just be lucky on the day I dole!