A few people have asked about tipping mail carriers since this piece came out.
Gottsman has this to say:
"UPS Mark Dickens, UPS Public Relations Representative says, While our
service providers appreciate the gratitude of their customers, we ask them
to politely decline any material expressions, particularly of a financial
nature.
FedEx Gifts and tips are not restricted, but the amount should not exceed
$75.
USPS No cash. USPS Ethics Council, Letter Carriers are prohibited from
accepting cash or a cash equivalent such as a Visa or Master Card gift card
from Postal Service customers. You may give a gift to a Letter Carrier
valued at $20.00 or less or a gift card to a specific retail venue valued at
$20.00 or less (e.g., Starbucks gift card), as long as the aggregate value
of gifts that you gave to the Letter Carrier do not exceed $50.00 in a
calendar year. See 5 C.F.R. § 2635.204. For more info: USPS Law Dept.
Ethics Help Line at 202-268-6346 or send email to ethics.help@usps.gov"
I'm a sucker for gift cards and travel opportunities as gifts. I have been lucky to have received both at various times and hope the trend continues! ;)
I also would feel offended if a guest brought their own food. I see the kitchen and everything in there as communal. I am opening up my house and sharing my food, if you are bringing your own food, you better be open to sharing.
My parents gave me a very generous gift one Christmas -- they gave me enough money to pay off my student loans from graduate school. It was great to go into the new year debt-free.
Employees are given all this vacation and sick time that most people don't use. Really, sick time should be scheduled just like vacation time and used when you need to just get away for a day.
Tickets to see my favorite football team (from/with my wife). I had never asked for them and totally didn't expect them. They were better than anything I thought I wanted. She knew me better than I did. Best gift ever.
a few years after my dad passed away, my mom had come across things in his boxed knick knacks and she found something and gave it to me: my father's sweet handwritten diary from when he was a boy, circa 1952...it's old, but in remarkable condition. it's readable and made me smile broadly. his eloquence and sweet voice at a young boy made me see the same good heart i knew as my father.
Great tips, especially #6. Our society has become accustomed to throwing away everything and buying new, even if it's just a small issue. Our local shoe repair shop has saved many pairs of shoes for us, at a tiny fraction of the cost to replace them.
One of the best gifts I have received over the years was a handmade knit hat and matching scarf. My mother-in-law made them with the most beautiful shade of dark, red yarn that is very soft to the touch. It feels wonderful to wear but the hat is truly a miracle b/c it looks good on me!
The best gift I ever received was a plane ticket to Europe. I got it as a graduation gift, and it really opened my eyes and changed the way that I look at the world and myself.
Ive traveled to Costa Rica along with more places than the amount of fingers on my hands, and I just turning 21. I disagree with this article completely. First of, having bad food depends on which hotel you stay at, keep in mind you're in central America, not north America. Stop expecting high class white food, you get what you pay for, and even then, they don't serve to cater you Cactus Club burgers, here they have exotic tropical fruit that you can only purchase in Canada during the seasonal times, and the fruit are very over priced. Dragon fruit, star fruit, Passion fruit, Granadilla etc. On top of that you have fresh fruit growing on trees. Roads? you're complaining about roads? You're in the heart of the tropical rainforest, where iguanas tan on the road...and monkeys come down to lay on your blanket while eating grapes that you personally feed them.. as you hang out with them.. (white face monkeys) you're in a place surrounded by active volcanoes, and you're complaining about the roads you have to take to visit a crocodile filled lake? or hot organic natural mud baths in the middle of the rain forest, where exotic birds and flying around, and its raining warm rain.. and the leaves are as big as your vehicle, and while you sit in the hot springs, that pour from the active volcanoes, you're complaining about the road? you're complaining about the food while you're standing on a BLACK SAND BEACH....... Have you experienced tropical rain? clearly no.. I've been to 8 tropical places, tropical rain is nothing like you get in North America, sure Costa Rica only has two seasons, so travel during the dry season, and stop complaining.
When I was about 9, I went to Mount Vernon with my Girl Scout troop. While there, I bought a print. Decades later, my husband had it framed for me. It was either that or the Alaska cruise my mother treated the entire family to. That was actually two years' worth of Christmas presents.
A few people have asked about tipping mail carriers since this piece came out.
Gottsman has this to say:
"UPS Mark Dickens, UPS Public Relations Representative says, While our
service providers appreciate the gratitude of their customers, we ask them
to politely decline any material expressions, particularly of a financial
nature.
FedEx Gifts and tips are not restricted, but the amount should not exceed
$75.
USPS No cash. USPS Ethics Council, Letter Carriers are prohibited from
accepting cash or a cash equivalent such as a Visa or Master Card gift card
from Postal Service customers. You may give a gift to a Letter Carrier
valued at $20.00 or less or a gift card to a specific retail venue valued at
$20.00 or less (e.g., Starbucks gift card), as long as the aggregate value
of gifts that you gave to the Letter Carrier do not exceed $50.00 in a
calendar year. See 5 C.F.R. § 2635.204. For more info: USPS Law Dept.
Ethics Help Line at 202-268-6346 or send email to ethics.help@usps.gov"
Happy holidays!
Thank you for your detailed reply, Terry. Your advice to switch "but" for "and" is very useful and effective.
Two handmade dresses!
I'm a sucker for gift cards and travel opportunities as gifts. I have been lucky to have received both at various times and hope the trend continues! ;)
A tilley hat
I also would feel offended if a guest brought their own food. I see the kitchen and everything in there as communal. I am opening up my house and sharing my food, if you are bringing your own food, you better be open to sharing.
My parents gave me a very generous gift one Christmas -- they gave me enough money to pay off my student loans from graduate school. It was great to go into the new year debt-free.
Employees are given all this vacation and sick time that most people don't use. Really, sick time should be scheduled just like vacation time and used when you need to just get away for a day.
My favorite gift was the Kitchenaid mixer my husband got me for Christmas about 10 years ago. I use that thing almost daily!
The best I've ever received was a puppy!
I would use the $1000 to buy gifts for my family as well as toys for Toys for Tots. It would make everyone's holiday so much merrier!
The birth of my 2 girls
Tickets to see my favorite football team (from/with my wife). I had never asked for them and totally didn't expect them. They were better than anything I thought I wanted. She knew me better than I did. Best gift ever.
a few years after my dad passed away, my mom had come across things in his boxed knick knacks and she found something and gave it to me: my father's sweet handwritten diary from when he was a boy, circa 1952...it's old, but in remarkable condition. it's readable and made me smile broadly. his eloquence and sweet voice at a young boy made me see the same good heart i knew as my father.
The best gift I ever received was a DSLR camera
Great tips, especially #6. Our society has become accustomed to throwing away everything and buying new, even if it's just a small issue. Our local shoe repair shop has saved many pairs of shoes for us, at a tiny fraction of the cost to replace them.
One of the best gifts I have received over the years was a handmade knit hat and matching scarf. My mother-in-law made them with the most beautiful shade of dark, red yarn that is very soft to the touch. It feels wonderful to wear but the hat is truly a miracle b/c it looks good on me!
This article was very one sided and showed the author knows very little on the subject.
The best gift I ever received was a plane ticket to Europe. I got it as a graduation gift, and it really opened my eyes and changed the way that I look at the world and myself.
Ive traveled to Costa Rica along with more places than the amount of fingers on my hands, and I just turning 21. I disagree with this article completely. First of, having bad food depends on which hotel you stay at, keep in mind you're in central America, not north America. Stop expecting high class white food, you get what you pay for, and even then, they don't serve to cater you Cactus Club burgers, here they have exotic tropical fruit that you can only purchase in Canada during the seasonal times, and the fruit are very over priced. Dragon fruit, star fruit, Passion fruit, Granadilla etc. On top of that you have fresh fruit growing on trees. Roads? you're complaining about roads? You're in the heart of the tropical rainforest, where iguanas tan on the road...and monkeys come down to lay on your blanket while eating grapes that you personally feed them.. as you hang out with them.. (white face monkeys) you're in a place surrounded by active volcanoes, and you're complaining about the roads you have to take to visit a crocodile filled lake? or hot organic natural mud baths in the middle of the rain forest, where exotic birds and flying around, and its raining warm rain.. and the leaves are as big as your vehicle, and while you sit in the hot springs, that pour from the active volcanoes, you're complaining about the road? you're complaining about the food while you're standing on a BLACK SAND BEACH....... Have you experienced tropical rain? clearly no.. I've been to 8 tropical places, tropical rain is nothing like you get in North America, sure Costa Rica only has two seasons, so travel during the dry season, and stop complaining.
A water flosser. I hate flossing but the water flosser makes it fun. I like practical gifts that promote good health.
Chase bank has zero liability on my debit card
When I was about 9, I went to Mount Vernon with my Girl Scout troop. While there, I bought a print. Decades later, my husband had it framed for me. It was either that or the Alaska cruise my mother treated the entire family to. That was actually two years' worth of Christmas presents.
The best gift I ever received was a diamond engagement ring and a wedding proposal on Christmas Day!
The best gift I ever received was a trip to Vermont.