What do you get as gifts for your helpers in your life? Specifically I am looking for ideas for :
1) cleaning ladies (tip extra money and if so, how much? or give gift, what kind of gift?)
2) teachers/day care attendants (Usually I give a $25 Target gift card, but this year we have 5 to buy for instead of just 2 teachers)
3) postman (does anyone tip this person anymore?)
Is there anyone else you tip or give a gift to?
Lottery tickets are cool for postman, newspaper man, and any other delivery man... or a $5 in a card
I wish I could afford a cleaning lady let alone be worried about how much to tip her...lol
1) Cleaning lady- cash and a small gift for her little girl (we ADORE her and couldn't live without her)
2) Gift certificate to Dunkin Donuts for the aides and cash for the main teacher. I have also done a gift certificate to a local delivery place and attached the menu with a note to "have lunch on us"
3) There are pretty strict regulations on this, so check the website, but we give our postman and waste management/recycle folks cash.
Cleaning ladies are supposed to be tipped one visit's worth of pay, but we can't afford that, so we just do half that amount.
For teachers, we'll be giving $15 gift cards to Target. We also have a lot of teachers this year, so we've had to cut back the amount. I have enough friends who are teachers to know the amount doesn't count one bit ... they're just thrilled to get gift cards.
As far as postman, our neighborhood uses group postal boxes, so there's no safe way to give ours anything. I would tip if I could, but just not an option.
Garbage men....hair stylist(s)....bus driver.....
I've heard that postal employees cannot accept cash--baked goodies maybe? Does anyone know if that's true?
The only thing I would add is the school bus driver, if that pertains to you - I always give cash in a holiday card. Oh, and the newspaper delivery guy too!
As a house cleaner, I can say that extra money or a gift card would be GREAT! We don't make a ton on money and so a bonus is appreciated if you can afford it.
For teachers, I usually have my child do a card and we make cookies.
I also leave cookies for the postman. This year, I'll have my 3 year old wait for him to bring the mail and hand-deliver them to him. She loves the mailman!
I don't have #1, never thought about #3 but with daycare helpers and teachers, we have 8 this year! (each child has two main teachers, a few helpers and my daughter transitioned to preschool in Aug so I want to get her former teacher something too). I looked at Hallmark (ours always have a clearance rack) and found some great $25-$30 gifts 75% off!! so I am spending $5-$10 on each one. I bought them things like a scrapbook for a teacher who loves to scrap, a set of nice note cards for an older helper who has grandkids, a nice frame that you can record sayings on it for two teachers, etc. The helpers are both younger (one in college, one in HS) so I am thinking about getting them a tin from Dollar General and filling it with candy!
don't have a cleaning lady. I don't gift the postman...
for the teachers/daycare - I would send in a group gift box of single wrapped candies for them to share with a card of thanks.
I sell Mary Kay, so I give Satin Hands treatment sets to almost everyone, lol. But seriously, everyone gets dry hands in the winter, right?
For a cleaning lady, I am sure they would also appreciate a holiday tip.
My son's teachers will also each get a book for their classroom.
For EVERYONE- from my assistant and boss at work, to the postman and garbageman and the ladies at the school office and our doctor's office and neighbors- we give little bags of homemade caramels, made by my son and I from my great-grandma's recipe. They are always a HUGE hit and I believe that people really appreciate it when you give something homemade.
Making them is a ton of work, lol, and it usually takes up a couple of weekends to do enough. but it is wonderful family time that my son, husband and I spend cooking the candy, pouring it, cutting and wrapping and bagging the caramels and writing out little tags. It's a meaningful gift and a special holiday 'ritual' for us. :)
For teachers (and our beloved crossing guard), we make treats! Homemade cookies and candies placed in a Chrismas tin. Along with a beautiful homemade card.
I always leave the postal worker a container of homemade goodies - just wrap them in foil and wrap with a pretty ribbon and a card saying "Thanks for your service" - it costs me almost nothing and who doesn't like getting a present at Xmas, especially one you're not expecting.
