Tipping is not a uniquely American practice, but we tip more often and in larger amounts than just about any other country. The practice is so established that many workers’ wages are based on the anticipation of tips.
Holiday tipping is a bit different. It’s a way to thank the people who work in your home during the year, says Lizzie Post, great-great granddaughter of Emily Post and author of “Emily Post’s Etiquette, the Centennial Edition.” The list includes house cleaners, babysitters, carpenters and landscapers, she says, but there are many others as well.
A cash gift is typically the best way to give a holiday tip, but it’s not always allowed. Postal workers aren’t permitted to accept cash, and it’s not a good idea to give cash to your child’s teacher. Mail carriers are allowed to accept gifts that are worth no more than $20, such as travel mugs or hand warmers. And consider asking the teacher to suggest a helpful year-end gift instead. Classroom supplies, for example, could make a good gift, because many teachers pay for them out of pocket.
How much to give? Think about all of your regular service providers when allocating funds for holiday tipping. And with inflation at record levels, consider tipping a little extra to give a proper thank you.
For a newspaper delivery person, grocery delivery person, or trash and recycling collector, set aside a tip of $10 to $30. For a dog walker, a child-care provider or a personal caregiver, you’ll want to tip at least a week’s pay. To show appreciation for other personal-service providers, such as dog groomers, hairstylists or a regular manicurist, tip up to the cost of one appointment.
A holiday tip equal to the cost of one session is also suitable for a personal trainer or a regular personal massage therapist, if you have one. To tip a nursing home worker, check the company’s policy. If the facility offers round-the-clock care, be sure to cover every shift.
For service providers who often work in groups, such as landscapers, gardeners, carpenters or cleaning people, a tip of $20 to $50 per person would be appropriate around the holidays. But if you have just one person who comes regularly as a landscaper, gardener, cleaner or carpenter, the cost of one session or one week’s work is again an acceptable holiday tip.
If you’re living on a tighter budget this year and can’t afford to tip as much as you’d like—or at all—express your gratitude with a handwritten note, says Post. On the flip side, if you were unable to tip someone previously because of budget constraints, it’s never too late to express your appreciation by mailing them a tip or including it with this year’s gratuity, along with a note.
(Emma Patch is a staff writer at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.)
