Tipping is not a typically American practice, but we tip more often and in larger amounts than in almost any other country. The practice is so established that many workers’ wages are based on the anticipation of tips. Holiday tipping is also a traditional way to show your gratitude to people who have done you a favor throughout the year. And at the time when inflation is booming, you may need to adjust your donations a bit to compensate.
Read on as we review 15 categories of people in your life who might deserve some holiday advice.
Suggested tip: A small gift with a maximum value of $20. Certainly not in cash.
Although the Postal Service is no longer a federal agency per se, its employees still follow many government rules and guidelines, and one of them concerns tipping.
Cash is specifically excluded in the guidelines, but “carriers are permitted to accept one gift valued at $20 or less from a customer per occasion, such as Christmas.” by USPS. This value has not changed for at least 10 years. If you feel compelled to go higher, note this additional caveat: Each worker cannot accept more than the equivalent of $50 from a single person in a calendar year. So that you can offer Again for example, National Letter Carrier Day – February 4.
What about gift cards? They’re fine, as long as they have no monetary value.
Suggested tip: A basket of pre-packaged products.
Labor rules prohibit FedEx drivers from accepting payments from customers; UPS drivers are not prohibited from accepting tips, but they are encouraged to say no. For them, you can leave a basket of pre-packaged goods at your door as a tip. Amazon drivers are allowed to accept tips, but it is not expected.
Suggested tip: $10 to $30.
If you use grocery delivery or curbside pickup services, consider a generous tip in recognition of the vendor’s hard work this holiday season. A relatively new addition to our lives, grocery delivery and curbside pickup have exploded during the pandemic and are here to stay. “Consider tipping with a card during the holiday season, if you regularly use curbside pickup or grocery delivery,” says Post. Instacart users can tip their shopper in the app, but cash is also acceptable.
Suggested tip: $10 to $30.
Are you still subscribed to a hand-delivered printed newspaper? Good for you! If you tip regularly throughout the year, only tip your newsie a few dollars. Or, instead of cash, you can give a small gift, according to the Emily Post Institute.
Some newspapers, such as The Washington Post, allow you to tip your delivery person online via your subscriber account. But even if you go digital with your tipping, you might consider giving your operator a nice note, both to express your appreciation and to make sure they know you tipped them.
Suggested tip: $10 to $30 each.
You might hear them coming and going every trash day. But instead of rolling over and hitting the snooze button, this time of year, consider putting on your fuzzy slippers and bathrobe and spending some face time with your garbage collectors. You should give them their tips directly in an envelope with a nice note or greeting card. If you can’t meet them in person, find the company’s address, where you can mail or deposit a card and check. Be sure to include your address so there’s a chance they can match your gift to the itinerary.
But first check the rules in your municipality. Some jurisdictions prohibit workers from accepting cash, according to the Emily Post Institute.
Suggested tip: A thoughtful gift.
As with postmen, cash is prohibited for teachers. But a small gift accompanied by a note or drawing from your child is a nice thank you for the hard work of an educator.
Or pool your resources with other parents to buy the teacher a gift card. Just be sure to check your child’s school policies first: if gifts are prohibited, a note of appreciation is always appropriate.
Suggested tip: The cost of a visit.
This amount is considered appropriate if visiting every week or every two weeks, says Rosanne Thomas, author of Excuse Me: The Survival Guide to Modern Business Etiquette. Increase the amount for someone who works more often or who has provided you with service for several years.
Suggested tip: The cost of a visit.
If multiple salon staff members work on your hair (for example, one person shampoos and another person cuts), the Emily Post Institute advises that you split your vacation tip in the same proportions you would follow for a visit regular. Is the hair washing task rotated between staff members? Ask the front desk how they handle tipping.
If you have a stylist who also doubles as your confidant or therapist, you may want to consider including a small personalized gift — you could even theme them to the secrets you share.
If you don’t visit your hair salon regularly throughout the year (let’s say you’re a bit of a nomad), you may prefer to tip around $20 during your visit in December to the person you visit for a cut nearby. vacation.
Oh, and if someone does your nails, the same rule applies: the cost of a visit as a tip.
Suggested tip: Up to the price of a session.
Just like you need to take care of the person who takes care of your hair, you need to think about the person who takes care of your pet’s mane. If you take your pet to the same person all year round for grooming, a cost of between half and the full cost of a session is appropriate. Or a personal gift may be enough.
For a dog walker, you might consider tipping a day’s pay unless they walk your dog five days a week or more, says Jodi RR Smith, president of etiquette consultancy Mannersmith. In this case, donate up to a week’s salary or a small gift.
Suggested tip: One week to one month’s salary.
A senior carer personally employed by an individual or family may be eligible to earn at least one week’s pay as a holiday bonus. For a caregiver you work with through an agency, you will need to check the company’s policy. The same goes for nursing home workers. In some establishments and agencies, workers can receive tips from a fund managed by the central administrator; in others, gifts and tipping may be prohibited.
If you’re not allowed to tip, a special treat, like cookies or homemade fudge, is a good way to thank someone who has been exceptionally kind and thoughtful. However, when you bring savory items or homemade baked goods to a nursing home staff who cares for your loved one around the clock, “make sure you cover every shift,” says Diane Gottsman, an expert in label. This might mean a lot more cooking, but remember that someone is always there when you’re not.
Suggested tip: Up to the price of a session.
After sweating it out with your coach all year, you may find that you have become very close. Consider tipping generously, especially if you have an ongoing relationship with the professional and believe you received above-average service. Plus, you might need it to give your sessions a little boost after gobbling up some of those holiday treats and treats.
Suggested tip: A nice gift.
Golf, pickelball and tennis pros are employees and do not expect tips for their services. In fact, they might even be insulted by such a gesture, says etiquette expert Diane Gottsman. But after you’ve upped your game with another year of classes, you might consider giving them a thoughtful gift or a batch of baked goods to show your appreciation. The same goes for your children’s various instructors.
Suggested tip: $10 to $50.
Do you frequently park your car in the same public garage? Consider tipping each attendant who regularly provides you with services.
Consider this even if you don’t park in a place where attendants drive your car; it’s still a service when a human takes care of your keys and your ride.
Suggested tip: $25 to $100 each.
The high end of our suggested range, or even higher if you can afford to be very generous, is for those who help you the most or provide exceptional service (think: grocery bag heavyweights or taxi experts). And in upscale neighborhoods (hello, Upper East Side), doormen may be accustomed to pocketing those bigger tips. “When in doubt, ask around,” says Lizzie Post of the Emily Post Institute. But if a neighbor tells you she tips twice as much as you can afford, don’t feel obligated to match her.
Also be sure to check with your building association first. You may be able to contribute to a collective fund which will be distributed appropriately to staff members. “Night staff are often overlooked if you don’t see them often or don’t know them well. You want to make sure you cover everyone,” Post says.
Suggested tip: $20 to $100.
For a handyman in your building who regularly carries out repairs for you, a tip is a nice gesture. Angle your tip toward the higher end of the range if the worker is available at all hours and performs repairs at any time. But if you live in an apartment, be sure to check your real estate association’s policy before tipping one of their employees. Some may collect lump sums from residents and then distribute the contributions among those involved.
If you tip yourself, you may also want to reward other people who help you in your apartment or condo building. A superintendent should receive approximately $25 to $100 each (the highest tips go to those who help you the most or provide exceptional service throughout the year). You can give between $20 and $50 to a custodian.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.