Why do we only tip “big” at the holidays? Why don’t we tip all year long? Who should get tipped, and how much?

The holidays have passed us by, but these questions arose today. I finally connected with my mailman. His gift card has been on my fridge since December. The plan was to give it to him on one of the days he dropped off a package, but I swear USPS trains their staff to be to be ninjas. I would hear the doorbell, but whenever I would open the door he would be gone. The only time I can catch him is in the Spring when I am ankle deep in dirt and mulch planting flowers in my front yard. You want to know what’s the best thing to plant? Ask your mailman. They not only see all the garden catalogs, boxes of seeds and bulbs, they also see the results in bloom. My mailman has been with me over the last decade. He is a treasure trove of information from gardening tips, directing me on new running routes, and alerting me of store grand openings and going out of business sales. So, yes, he deserved a tip. I appreciated Debbie Carlson’s rules and regulations around tipping government employees. Granted, I don’t follow them. My mailman and I go with the don’t ask don’t tell rule. Plus, my gift card never exceeded $20. What I walked away from Carson’s article with and what I already know is tipping should depend on your relationship with the service provider and your budget. Ask yourself, “Who makes a big difference in my life?” That’s who deserves a tip.