Do You Give Holiday Tips for the Newspaper Carrier?

We send a tip every 6 months when we pay for the half yr and plan to give a nice tip next week when we move away from this route. Sort of a thanks for all the good service over all the years. And its Christmas so we will probably have a gift of cash, or gift card for her also. My son used to have a route, on bicyle and then in a car, so we know how it is,, and he always liked the cash most.

I think it depends on how often you get the paper. Even if you get it every day, I think 20 dollars is generous. Not crazy generous, but nice generous. We get our paper Thursday and Sunday and I am sending my paper delivery lady 5 dollars. Normally I would send 10 but money is tight this year. As far as "soliciting", I don't really mind. I know it will get to her safely in the mail because I had no idea who actually delivered our paper until I saw the envelope with her name on it!

No, our newspaper carrier wrote a letter two years ago asking for holiday tips. Hubby just took a paycut and we weren't able to do anything. I think they lost their job due to it. Now they are back and if we can, we may send something this year. I know they don't make a lot of money. My mom works at a newspaper up north and told me how little they make and use their own cars for wear and tear. I think the $20 is very good.

I just got our envelope in today's paper! I am sure they don't get much, and if you look at the 'gifting rules' it puts them in the same service category as the person who cuts your hair, cleans your house or does your lawn, so they do hope for tips during the holidays. IMHO, it's fair, just give what you can, they are not makiing a quota. Like you, I'm sure they are hoping to do a little extra for their family during the holidays. $20 is very appreciated, I'm sure. If it helps, it really amounts to pennies a day if you get the paper every day.

I am due to renew our subscription next week, so I will include some extra $ for our carrier. In years past we haven't always done anything, b/c we have had our carrier change several times and I am not sure how the paper distributes the "tip". We used to pay for a year at a time, but it started in May. We always seemed to end up with a different carrier by Christmas time and I hated that the person that probably got the tip was no longer our carrier, and that our "current" carrier was probably getting nothing... but I don't know how it works(ed). We have the same carrier this year as last, so I will include $ with the bill next week for her(him?).

I will say also, that during the times of transition (prior to this past year anyway) we routinely had issues. Either not getting our paper, having it rained on and not bagged, having the bag not tied so it was soaked anyway, not re-starting delivery when we asked for it after a vacation, etc... just one thing after another. I swear it seemed that once a month I was on the phone with the distribution department. And I am loathe to call and complain about things, but when it is POURING rain, and they toss the newspaper on the driveway not in a bag, and it is the one with all the coupons and sales papers?..... not gonna cut it with me. :(

I just feel weird about sending $ to them directly through the mail (to the address on the Xmas card they include). I don't know why. I think I'd rather try to figure out a way to stick it on a stake at the end of the driveway, lol. But it will go in with the billing statement this year.

I don't know how carriers get paid today but I was a carrier many years ago and how it worked back then, was that I would get a bill from the newspaper. I would collect from my customers and whatever the bill was, I paid it from what they paid and the rest was mine to keep. In other words, I wasn't paid an hourly rate from the newspaper. I think $20 is fine. I hope this helps.

Even if all you do is make some cookies, it is appreciated. Being a newspaper carrier is hard work, usually for little pay.

i usually give $20.