In today's paper there is an article on the very item you are bringing up--that is people all over the US are tipping less or not at all because of the economy. You are right, it seems like everyone expects something for a job they are getting good money at. I have never tipped a trash person, and since we don't recycle--no place to do it-
I really do not have an answer but with so many people who do need help, these should come first. At least the people you mentioned have work--many others don't.

Debi,
I am a hairdresser and very much appreciate when a client tips me through out the year. And if a person cannot either afford to or doesn't feel compelled to tip during the year that is good with me too, as I feel that I am able to charge enough to live on. Although early in my career those tips paid for the gas to get to work and the milk I needed for the kids between pay days.
I don't think that a person should ever feel like a gun is put to their head if a tip is not forth coming. With that said, it takes many years to make a decent living as a hairdresser. Many years. People come and people go, filling an 8-10 hour day with clients is not easy. When you work for someone you are paid a 50% commission at best. So say you are paying $40 for a haircut, the house gets $20, the government gets its third, so really how much do you think your hairdresser is bringing in hourly? Say, they are self employed, rental space is $1000 a month, self employment taxes, city, state, and federal taxes, licensing fees, product costs, no shows, cancelations etc. Yes, all the price of "doing" business, so if you feel that your hairdresser is making "enough" then don't give a year end gift. If that is how you choose to gift.
Many clients like to give cookies, rememberances or a larger tip for the services received thru-out the year. May be you were one of those clients whom I "squeezed" in on many occasions, I might have stayed late for you more than once, forget an appointment a time or two or ran late on that Saturday afternoon?
I tip extra not because I "have to", but as an extra thank-you because I know being a hairdresser is not just standing behind the chair fluffing hair, and I know that my hairdresser already got enough cookie boxes this year :)

I wouldn't tip the trashman - they don't accept recyclable stuff, so we have to deal with that ourselves. I pay them over $70. every 3 months anyhow for once a week pickup, so they should get paid well.

I do not tip trash or postal or newspaper folks. I do tip the hairdresser at the appointments and the house cleaners at Christmas. I especially would not tip if the paper is not at your doorstep daily.

I'm not sure that I agree with so much tipping. I understand that waitstaff are paid less than minimum wage & are expected to make the rest up in tips. And we usually tip our waiter or waitress pretty well. A lot of the coffee shops here have tip jars for the staff behind the counter. I know these people are paid at least minimum wage. I don't feel I should tip them for filling up a coffee cup & taking my order. I don't tip my hairstylist because he owns the salon. I do try to tip the person who washes my hair.

Over the weekend we got a letter from the manager of the fitness center here in our development. It said that the staff doesn't get paid Christmas bonuses by the sports management company that manages the fitness center & gives the residents instructions for giving into a Christmas fund that is split among the employees based on length of service. These are administrative staff like the ones that sit at the reception desk. The instructors (except for the fitness director) are contract workers and not eligible. I was a little angry about this letter. I don't feel that it's the responsibility of the residents of the development to provide Christmas bonuses to this staff. I work for a doctor's office. If my company doesn't provide Christmas bonuses (they usually don't), is it the responsibility of our patients to do it? Of course not!!

I sometimes think this whole tipping thing has gotten somewhat out of hand. I think tipping should be a way of showing thanks instead of something that is always expected.

I send my newspaper delivery guy $20 in an envelope at Christmas. In the last year, he missed only one newspaper delivery and that was when we got 2 feet of snow. When the weather is bad, he puts them in double plastic bags. He deserves it. The trash men give me a card each year but I havbe no way to give them a gift. A neighbor suggested a six pack of beer left on top of the garbage can. Seems like kids wouyld steal it. I also type my manicurist $20. Other than that, I don't tip. I'm a big tipper during the year. I leave $3 for a cup of coffee that costs $1.40 in my local coffee cafe. And at least 25 % of bill in other restaurants.

I am not familiar with these enveloples to encourage a holiday tip, never received one. Well, only in a hotel for maid service. But not for any home service. I don't get the paper, or maybe I would get one from them. I have never left a tip for mail, trash, etc. If I felt they did something above and beyond in service, I would tip at the time of the service. But really, I never see them. I don't have sitters or dog groomers or any of those other kinds services, so it's not an issue for me. I do take gifts to teachers, that's about as close as it gets.

I did once take a plate of cookies to the cashier working at the drug store on Christmas Day. I had a sick child, and was so glad the store was open for some cold relief for him. So I took a plate of the cookies I made for whomever I found working on the holiday. ;o)

As for the fitness center sending letters encouraging tip collection for their staff... that's just tacky! Most of us have a job, and we just do it and get our paycheck and nothing more. DH's bonuses are performance based, not automatic. The employer needs to work that out, not pass the buck to the customers shoulders.

Interesting....I have a doctors appt with my OB/Gyn this week...maybe I should leave him a tip?!?! LOLOL...

stephanie_in_ga, that was a very kind thing to do, bringing cookies to the clerk! Course many could be suspicious they might be tainted but especially if you knew them so there wouldn't be any problems. When I did some cashiering YEARS ago, there was a couple times I was given a gift. I think it was regular customers and I know I didn't remember the one, but he gave me a little electronic pocket organizer/address book thing about the size of a credit card. He probably got it free, it had an AMEX logo on it, but I didn't care. It was a very kind gesture and really made my day. Clerks are so underpaid, especially considering they have to put up with the public. Few people realize it.

Also when I had the store, a good customer often brought us gifts. Champagne at Christmas once, often home baked goodies, and they were SO good! It really makes you feel better.

That said, I do get a bit annoyed at the "expecting" of tips and the like. I got an envelope from the paper carrier. I should give him/her something even though I didn't renew. I've had great service the last year or so. And I was a carrier for a while so I know how tough the job is. Do you realize that some of the papers CHARGE the carriers for rubber bands and plastic bags? I couldn't believe it! I said there was no way I would put up with that.

As far as the garbage, I tend to deal with it when there's something special being asked. If there's an extra big load or something, put out a jug of booze, 12 pack of beer, case of pop or slip them a $5 or $10 and ask if you can help load it. Often they're very receptive.

I usually tip the newspaper carrier. About a month ago our carrier quit after leaving his Christmas card. The new carrier has only been doing it for a month and yesterday left his Christmas card. What do you think of this?

I don't tip most places. At dinner out, yes, getting a haircut, yes but otherwise, no.

I do sometimes, when I feel like it, and have the money make goodies I take to my favorite stores. There are clerks that become friends, or friends working there. They are very happy for this.

But tipping, well, I hate giving Jerry's hard earned money away. I rather spend it on him, me, or our girls.

Moni

I'm guessing tipping for home delivery of a newspaper may be history by next Christmas at the rate newspapers are failing. We've always tipped the delivery person; $20 this year. This is a drudge job. I know the money is needed.

Our city employees are prohibited from taking tips, so nothing for the garbage or recycling guys. If we have a special pickup that's heavy or bulky we'll hand the guy a $10 or a $20.

The post office prohibits tips over $20, so our mail carrier gets a $20 grocery store gift card from us. She is extra helpful, like ringing our bell to deliver mail order drugs instead of leaving them in the driveway mailbox.

DH and I use the same hair stylist; she gets 20% tips for services and $50 at Christmas. (Her sister owns the salon.)

We use a landscape service. We tip the crew chief an extra $100 - $200 at the end of the season. Again, this is drudge work and I know the money is needed.

A fun thing this time of year is to use coupons at the grocery; figure how much you saved; put all or part of that into the Salvation Army kettle when you exit the store.

Thanksgiving is our day for writing checks to charities we support -- all local (within 50 mile radius) and all for basic human needs like food, housing, hospice, inner city community centers (used to be called settlement houses). We read the charities' annual reports and only give where we know nickels are being squeezed -- where the money goes to provide basic needs, not frills, high salaries or high cost fundraising. We give to certain charities within the United Way 'fold', but not to United Way overall.

I always chime in when I see a tipping forum. I have sympathy for these people that depend on tips for part of their livelihood. OK, granted in a perfect world tipping wouuld be unnecessary and everyone would get a living wage. We all know the world is far from perfect.

I am a former pizza delivery driver, for anyone who might not know. It's interesting to me that the same person who will tip 20% to a waiter for taking an order, giving it to the kitchen and then delivering the food to the table, will then stiff a pizza driver who came through a driving rain with their dinner. This is not meant to demean waitstaff, they work hard and deserve everything they get. But a delivery driver does also.

Things are better right now but I don't know how a driver could have made ends meet a few months back when gas was over $4 a gallon.

DH and I are going to reach in deep and tip generously this year, especially hairdressers, a waitress from our favorite place, my housekeeper, newspaper delivery, and all who are feeling the crunch this year.

Folks with generous incomes -- the postal employee and our trashmen (some who make $80,000 in this area) will not be tipped.