Bob

So we're kind of being made to feel obliged to give a gift to school teacher, so we're doing a small gift basket and one for the teachers assistant.

A small jar of home made branston pickle, pepper relish, squash compote jam and probably crackers, all in a dollar tree basket.

Who else are you lot giving stuff to?

Always feel the kids bus drivers should get something, but no one seems to care about them and errr, out budget is limited.

The postie can bugger off, I clean the steps pretty well anyway so they don't have an excuse. But they might get a gift card for a few bucks at the local coffee place in the new year or valentines.

Don't bother with the hair dresser, but then the missus goes to a mate of hers and I use who ever is cheapest at the moment....which is why I always wear a hat :/

We don't have rubbish collection, so that's simple.

ChocolateBabz

Apart from each other and the dude we limit it to parents and family kids. The rule is once the nieces and cousins reach 18 they're done. It was getting out of hand for a while with everyone buying each other stuff we didn't want or need so that was our solution (agreed with the whole family).

Hairdresers, posties, teachers, doctors etc. not likely.

Weeze

The teachers always get something. In the past I've done bath things, candy. Things mini Weeze has made like pressed flowers in a frame. I'm thinking maybe a mug filled with candy and a Starbucks gift card this year.

Hairdresser always gets a 50% tip at Christmas. Can't think of any other service type people that we give anything to. My moms club does a secret Santa so that's easy.

Uncle_Bob

Giving away your branston

What were you thinking

So far I've tipped the hairdresser, landscaper but not the postman. I don't think the postal workers are allowed to accept tips. But we get a different carrier every week it seems so i have not bothered to try. I leave a tip for my office cleaner at work. I think thats about it.

I can't tip the bin man. I couldn't get anywhere near him. He doesn't get out of the truck as trash collection is automated, a huge metal arm swings out, picks up the wheelie bin and hauls it up. You'd risk death going anywhere near it.

N1cky

Whenever we have bought for teachers, we always just do gift cards. It's kind of sweet that some kids go to the trouble of making something, but lets face it, when you've got 25 kids in your class and you've been teaching for 10 years, how much of that crap are you going to keep? I don't even keep half my own kids' stuff.

Although the hand made goodies sound good, as they'll eat them and then there is nothing to keep.

This year with my daughter going to Middle School, she has 6 different teachers a day, and they don't have a 'home class' teacher. So we won't bother. I don't buy for hairdresser/postie... but usually buy the coach of my daughters team a little bit of something.

jeffreyhy

To quote old Eb, "bah humbug". (Which urbandictionary.com says is "Another variation of "f**k it all to hell"! )

Regards, JEff

Bob

MIL made about 20 jars of the stuff...including a couple of those really tiny mason jars so don't mind giving a couple of them away....just the two small ones mind

And posties aren't supposed to be allowed cash, but if it's small, they'll take giftcards...they'll take anything...and it's one way of ensuring you get the mail delivered in winter around here.

The hairdresser, last one did get a 100% tip, but that's only because the place just opened up and was doing $5 hair cuts, so it's not that special

Nutmegger

Federal workers are allowed to accept gifts valued up to $20, but supposedly not cash. However, like many people, I give my mailman a $20 bill every year. I've also had the same mailman for 15 years and he goes out of his way to bring packages to my out-of-the-way house rather than leave them out at the road, so he deserves every penny in my book.

I give the newspaper delivery person $15 and the cleaning lady gets the equivalent of the cost of one visit.

Noorah101

I stopped giving (and getting) Christmas cards or gifts many years ago, so I don't do anything.

Rene

sir_eccles

We managed to get our holiday card list down to under 100.

Bob

Our numbers of card sending has dwindled a fair bit too...but then we never really received cards and it gets expensive sending to many. It's now down to family and a couple of friends these days :/