Out of the ones you mentioned we only gave gifts to teachers and Sunday school teachers, day care providers.
I do give the paper carrier something, this year we can only do $10 cash and a box of chocolates. Before I have given movie passes, gift certificate for movie rentals with pop and popcorn to the paper boy.
Doctors and dentists? Not in my book! LOL They have more money than I will ever have!

I don't give any of those people gifts. When my DD was younger I did sometimes buy something for her teachers. IF I were lucky enough to have a housekeeper - I'd buy her something! :-)

My brother is a UPS driver and gets some nice things (mostly food items from businesses he delivers to).

In the past I took a plate of cookies to my favorite bike store, but this year I didn't. Instead I made a cake for the red cross volunteers, and baked two batches of chocolate chip cookies for the electric power workers. I felt, they deserved something special.

The other peeps all get paid to do their job, and I feel that's plenty.

Moni

Only gift of that sort I gave this year was my mailman.

He's exceptional--the only mailman I've ever had who I've given Christmas gifts to. He always rings the bell if we get checks or prescriptions. If he has a package to deliver and I'm not home, he always puts it on the back porch. If it's something I need to sign for, and I'm not home when he goes by, he'll come past later in the day and check to see if my car's in the drive. He truly goes above and beyond the requirements of his job, so I always give him a $25 gift certificate to a restaurant or something (Panera's this year).

Meter readers get very few presents--with 400-600+ accounts a day, it was rare for my husband to get more than a half dozen gifts a year when he did that job. Of course, I always do give my meter reader a LOVELY Christmas gift (DH still works for the company, so he reads the meter and takes the reading into work with him--LOL). Of course, there was one year, when he was working as a collector, when he got a $25.00 tip from a customer--but it's even rarer for collectors to get tips. And of course, this particular customer was a woman who owned a very successful X-rated bookstore/club place, so she had plenty of money to toss around and was probably used to giving tips to a lot of folks.

Naturally, I used to give my daughter's teachers lovely Christmas gifts--when you consider the amount of time and energy they spend on your children, they are like family--actually closer than some family members might be.

Drs, lawyers, dentists--sometimes I make them a baked treat, if I'm going to see them around the holidays, and if they've recently gone out of their way for me, but I don't make a habit of it.

When we lived in a small town we gave out wonderful postman a gift every year. He was outstanding. We also took a plate full of cookies, candies, sausage balls and cheeses to the local fire and police departments. The newspaper lady was kind of, well, nutty and unpredictable and we did not give her a gift.

Since we have lived at our present home I have never seen the mail carrier and the newspaper service sucks. For a couple of years we took the local fire department people on duty Christmas day a plate of home made stuff, but I chose not to do it this year. Those people don't know us, but they have taken Bob to the hospital twice since we've been here. When I delivered the plate of food I voluntarily showed my identification, because I didn't want them to be leery of taking food from a stranger.
I was in a local pharmacy recently. It is a mom and pop pharmacy and has a lot of repeat customers. The owners and their son are really nice people. I stopped to get some eye drops for Bob after he had eye surgery. While I was waiting for the prescription to be filled an elderly lady came in the store. They spoke to her and called her by name. She didn't buy anything. She was delivering a plate of some home made candy to them. They thanked her and wished her Merry Christmas. When she left I could tell that they put it into the trash can behind the counter. I pretended not to notice, because I got to thinking about it and even though they know this lady, they don't know if her kitchen is clean or dirty or anything about her living conditions. I would also be hesitant to eat something a casual acquaintance gave me. That's why I decided not to give homemade food to the fire dept. this year.

Linda

The paper delivery person gets a gift certificate for the local mall and the mail person gets a gift certificate to a very nice local restaurant. Thats it.

I make something each year for all the employees at our post office. This year they got Hershey bars in a snowman wrapper with felt hat. Doctor and staff got the same thing. So will our mailman.

When I worked for the federal govt, we were not allowed to accept cash or anything of monetary value. I received gifts of a bag of tomatoes, a pineapple, boxes of candy and cookies.

Tried something different this year. I do not give Christmas stuff to anyone for various reasons. But this year took a zip lock quart bag and put in each a lip balm, small tube of hand cream, a small (invidual) package of Kleenex and a tiny piece of candy (like the type you hand out at Halloween). And gave each bag to the nurses and dr's at the Cancer Clinic and to our Dr. They are so great and really appreciated the gifts.

No, we don't do that. I never see our postman or the garbage collectors. I tip the manicurist every time I go and the gal that cuts my hair, which is usually different every time. I always sent presents to my kids teachers. My DD#1 gave their Nanny $300. and a week off. My DD#2 gives her employees a weeks' pay in cash. This gift giving certainly gets out of hand.

I tip my hairstylist $20.00, which is a little more than the cost of one visit. She's such a sweet young lady and always so pleasant and kind. I make an assortment of baked goods for our mechanic and his staff...my parents went to his dad when he owned the garage, and I've been going there since I was old enough to drive. The son took it over when I was in my early 20's so we have a long-standing relationship. Our DS also goes to him. I've known him as long as I can remember and he's such a great guy.
We don't give to any other service providers.

I used to tip my babysitter (who took care of my 2 kids in her home for 6 years) one week's salary. I tip the guy who delivers my newspaper before 5 am in good or bad weather $20. I only go to a hairdresser about twice a year. I give my manicurist of 7 years $20 in a card. I don't tip the mailman or garbage men. They have good jobs with good pay. I just don't think it's necessary.

I don't usually tip anyone for Christmas. In the past when my boys were in daycare, I gave the main provider a $50 giftcard mailed to her home and lotions, candles, and smell good stuff for her and the other helpers. I've given the elementary teachers giftcards from $15-35 because they do spend so much time and their own money on the kids in their classes.

The mailman gets $20 this year because he was so nice when we kept moving the mailbox on him during the 3 months it took to rebuild the porch. I've never tipped him before, though.

We receive Merry Christmas postcards from our recycle guy, garbageman and newspaper deliver guy, with their addresses clearly written out. Since they all do good work, I send them a check; the first two got twenty this year (they've worked this route for at least fifteen years), the paper guy fifteen. We're getting a gift for our postman - we're on a first name basis and he's a gem. And yesterday my hairdresser did a fantastic job giving me a trim and a coloring, so I added thirty to the seventy dollar cost. I don't know what I'd do without her.

Nobody else, though, as the kids are grown. No presents between DH and me. We're going up to visit our first grandchild, in Oregon, in a few days and that's our gift to each other.

I don't give gifts to anyone... I never see our mailman, recycle guy etc. When the kids were younger I did send in gifts then but to be honest, this Christmas thing just gets completely out of hand, where does it end. My husband and I were just talking about all this. We enjoy getting our children gifts, we don't give them "stuff" all the time, it's not like we are out at the mall shopping year round buying them clothes, electronics etc. We are fairly frugal that way although our children certainly do not go without anything. So to get our 5 children gifts does take a big bite out of our budget so to include every other person can get to be stressful.

I took a plate of goodies to the office yesterday for everybody I work with. I sent cards to all the service people that have helped me this past year. I give smaller portions of baked goodies to some of my elderly and single tenants who I know don't have or get much. I give larger portions to families in my apartment buildings in the same situation. I give small treats to all the kids, 9 this year - bought cute zippered snowmen, penguins and reindeer from Avon and filled them with candy, chocolate balls and candy canes. All the other tenants get cards only. 96 tenants, I'd be in the poor house if I tried to bake for them all or buy them all a little something. I did buy one old timer 3 shirts as I was told that he only has one and rinses it out in the tub every night.
It's looking like I'm going to have to bake a whole new set of stuff for my own family and friends, but I work hard at getting something to people that don't get much, if that means I have to bake more so we have something to enjoy then that's fine. I don't know about your families, but in mine we all get so much it's easy to forget that there are lots of people out there that don't get anything, don't have anyone come to visit, don't have anywhere to go for Christmas dinner, etc. I've had tenants tell me in the past that the card or the little plate of baking I gave them was the only thing they got, and while that's sad it sure makes me thankful that I am able to do at least that for them.
Suzan J