What gift and/or amount do you give:

[KKD]

1. teachers
2. bus drivers
3. mailmen
4. garbage collectors

For preschool, we always did class gifts, and now it hit me that I will need to get my own gift for Em's teachers as well as her two bus drivers. I was thinking a Target gift card or maybe a Visa gift card for them (I give cash to the mailman and garbage collectors) but I don't know what amount is appropriate.

I know we go through this like every year but I am a procrastinator, ok?

[venice2007]

Only one we give to is garbage collectors. $20 each/2 guys

[daisybuchannan]

I was a teacher and was thrilled with any gift cards. They were usually in the 10-15 range. I also was Hs, and I know it's less common to receive gifts than it is for elementary/middle school teachers (hs students have a lot of teachers).

[meganew]

Wait, I'm suppose to give to mailmen and garbage collectors? Really? I've never heard of that. Have I been pissing people off all these years?

We gave $15 gift cards to target for Ollie's 3 teachers.

[runforrest]

We got $40 gift cards to each of their teachers (they're in the same class).

I do not give to mailman, garbage...our mailman is not always the same person, andplusalso I did not know we were supposed to get them anything.

[queenbee]

We give the garbage men a case of beer and cookies, but I know them outside of being my garbage men. I don't think I would give them something if not. I don't give the mailman anything.

[rfs13]

I give our mailman one of those Dunkin coffee books along with a tin of homemade cookies.

[noodleskooze]

I never even see my mailman or the garbage men, so I'm not sure how I would pull that off.

I'm a teacher, and the average for gifts (I teach middle and high school) is usually a $10 GC, although sometimes a bunch of families will go in together and get me a larger amount. I also get a lot of baked goods. Haha. Honestly, my favorite gifts are the simple cards the kids write. With older kids, it means a lot to me.

[luckyval]

I've never given presents to our mail carrier or garbage guys. I'm a terrible person.

We usually keep teacher gifts to $10-$15. The preschool class parents all pitched in $10 this year to give the teacher a big gift card.

[cbwm1]

1. teachers - $20 ($15 GC to B&N and a $5 lotion bar my FIL made); therapists and learning behavioral specialist get $10 GCs and a lotion bar
2. bus drivers - no bus driver this year; two years prior, $10
3. mailmen - we don't give gifts to the mailperson (I've never even seen him/her)
4. garbage collectors - we don't give gifts to the garbage collectors. I don't even know when they pick up (we have a townhouse and dumpsters for garbage)

[karmasabiotch]

I don't know my postal carrier or garbge people. I don't give them gifts. If J had a bust driver I would probably do a $20 gift card. They are very underpaid and have a hard job with a lot of responsibility.

[balletofangels]

There are 2 teachers and then 2 other assistants that spend part of the day in DDs room. Teacher gifts are about $10 and assistants $5, but we are the poors in the center. My mom works there and routinely gets $50-100 giftcards.

I really like our mail lady so I'll probably leave her a card/note.

ETA: I'm a Kindergarten teacher but usually do not get any gifts. When I have (less than 10 times over 9 years) it has been like a $5 DD card.

[daisyheadmaizie]

1. Main teacher $25 gc and peppermint sugar scrub DD helped make. The class aide is getting $10 gc and the sugar scrub.
2. N/a
3. I'm pretty sure it is against regulations for them to accept cash or most gifts.
4. Nothing

[iamgrace]

People give mail carriers and garbage collectors gifts?

I give Henry's daycare provider a small gift- I spent $30 this year.

Bus driver is n/a.

[Jalapeñomel]

I probably should give the UPS guy something because I think he's been here almost every day since October.

[circa1978]

We give Henry's teachers gifts but otherwise, nothing. We also don't borrow sugar from our neighbors. I can't believe I'm a misanthrope even by internet standards this morning. Bah Humbug.

[sis123]

ds will give his teacher a $25 gift card to target.

[jssymom14]

haha I teach high school and don't think I have every received a present besides some baked goods offered to me. I must not be well-liked and I teach in a fairly poor school district.

[OrangePixyStix]

My H is a HS teacher/coach and he sometimes gets $10 GC's to Starbucks, Subway, or the movie theater. He gives me all the Starbucks cards since he doesn't drink coffee, and one year a student gave him a scarf his grandma hand-made (happened to be my favorite color, so he passed it onto me as well since he almost never wears a scarf).

I know he really does appreciate even just a card that has a nice message written by a student since he never really expects anything.

[BieberMyBalls]

Both the teacher and bus driver are getting gift baskets with cookies, coffee/hot chocolate,and mugs. They were $15 each. I don't buy for the mail delivery people, and we take our own garbage away.

[Kristinmo]

1. We give each teacher (DD has 2, DS has 1) a $20 Target GC
2. N/A
3. Nothing
4. Nothing

[DotAndBuzz]

Teachers and bus driver - $10-15 gc
haven't ever given anything to the garbage collector or mailman.

[Deleted]

Dec 17, 2013 8:12:12 GMT -5 KKD said:

1. teachers
2. bus drivers
3. mailmen
4. garbage collectors

For preschool, we always did class gifts, and now it hit me that I will need to get my own gift for Em's teachers as well as her two bus drivers. I was thinking a Target gift card or maybe a Visa gift card for them (I give cash to the mailman and garbage collectors) but I don't know what amount is appropriate.

I know we go through this like every year but I am a procrastinator, ok?

1. Teachers we give money to a pot and the room mom buys her something. I think we gave $20 to each classroom

2. Busdriver $10 gc for coffee

3. Mailman $25

4. Garbage Collectors 0.

[Deleted]

- Mailman -- We gave a box of cookies to him last year because he isn't allowed to accept cash, but I'm thinking this year I'm going to try to slip in a $25 Starbucks or Target gift card with the cookies. We love him, he always has treats for our dog, and he is so friendly and always greets the kids and dog by name. And he walks most of his route - that's hard work!
- Garbage collectors and recycling collectors (they're different) - we've always taped an envelope w/ $20-$40 to the top of cans
- Kdg teachers - a bottle of wine each for teacher and assistant, and a $10-$20 Target gift card. IDK what we'll do for the aide - gift card?

[daisycat]

1. N/A
2. n/A
3. Nothing as the regular one drives on the curb/sidewalk in front of our house so that he doesn't have to take the one step across the sidewalk to put mail in the box
4. We haven't done anything in the past, but may do a $20 gc or something this year as they are pretty good.

[KKD]

Ok, so I asked my sister (a middle school teacher), and she said she would prefer a Visa gift card over a Target one (duh), so I went with $25 for Em's teacher and a three-pack of $15 cards for her aide and two bus drivers. I am going to have her make a card for the teachers and just have her sign a generic card for the bus drivers.

The mailboxes in our neighborhood are on the houses rather than at the end of the driveway, so our mailman parks at the end of the street and walks to all the houses. I am home a lot and occasionally outside when he's here, so it's not like I have the excuse of never seeing him. I picked up a box of chocolates and will stick $10 or $20 cash in a card on top. I have never had the gift refused or returned.

Our garbage and recycling collection is through the township rather than a private company, and we have four of them so I usually give four $10 bills to make it easier to split. I think our garbage and recycling guys are the same but I don't know for sure and usually just tip on trash day.

[caddywompus]

I don't give anything to mailman or garbageman. I do tip the paper carrier, because I know how hard they work, getting up in the middle of the night to wrap and deliver the papaers! Way back when I delivered papers I always got big christmas tips.