How to Tip During the Holidays

This year, avoid the quagmire that is holiday tipping with our How to Tip During the Holidays guide. The people you rely all year round deserve your thanks, and now you'll know exactly how to it.

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Holidays | Christmas | Living | Finance | How Tos

This year, avoid the quagmire that is holiday tipping with our How to Tip During the Holidays guide. The people you rely all year round deserve your thanks, and now you'll know exactly how to it.
Introduction
- Last year, Americans tipped an estimated $26 billion, says Michael Lynn, an associate professor of consumer behavior at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. Be sure to reward those you couldn't live without with a holiday gift or cash tip this time of year to say thank you. Read on to find out exactly who, what, and how to tip during the holidays.
Step 1: Decide Whom to Tip
- Determining the list of people you should tip this season is your first big step.
1. In general, it's correct to tip "anyone who makes a regular appearance" at your home, like babysitters or nannies, housecleaners, your newspaper delivery person or dog walker.
2. If you live in an apartment building, doormen and building superintendents should also be a high priority on your to-tip list.
3. Anyone in your style posse deserves something extra this season: hairstylists, waxers, cobblers, manicurists, facialists, or anyone else that keeps you (and your shoes) looking good.
4. Use the following guidelines to decide who deserves something extra this season, and for a full list, see Emily Post's suggestions:
- - The quality and frequency of the service
    Your relationship with the service provider and how long you have worked together
    Your budget
    Regional customs
Who Doesn't Need a Tip
1. Your accountant.
2. Your lawyer.
3. Your dentist.
4. Employees at your gym (if you pay a regular fee to belong).
5. Professionals you only see once or twice a year.
6. Your children's teachers—though a handwritten note or gift is appropriate.
7. Your mail carrier—United States Postal Service employees are not allowed to accept tips.
8. Your assistant at work. Though in this case, a gift should be mandatory.
- - "Not to give anything to your assistant is not only mean but stupid. Have you forgotten all the things she knows about you?" notes Francesca Beauman, author of Everything but the Kitchen Sink: What Every Modern Woman Needs to Know.
Step 2: Make a Few Exceptions
- Anyone who went above and beyond for you this year deserves recognition.
1. If you couldn't live without a particular person—the seamstress who is always available for a last-minute alteration, even if it's only a couple times a year—this is the time of year to acknowledge him or her.
2. Someone who provided exceptional service this year in particular might deserve more than his or her regular tip.
Step 3: Determine the Right Amount
- Deciding how much to tip can be the trickiest part of holiday tipping. Here are the general rules.
1. Remember that the list below is merely a guideline.
2. Many of the services below may not apply to you, or those providing this service do so infrequently and do not need a holiday tip.
3. If you've had exceptional service from someone this year, you may wish to do more.
4. Consider what is customary in your area; asking close friends what they've done in the past is perfectly acceptable.
5. Be sure to factor tipping into your holiday budget. You shouldn't be blowing the whole budget on tipping before you've bought a single gift for your family.
6. Above all, use common sense!
Step 4: Make it Count
- How you present your gift sends a message, too.
1. Present your gift with a handwritten note saying thank you for the year's service.
2. Give your tip in person whenever possible.
3. If a child is giving a gift to a teacher or nanny and is too young to buy something, have him or her make a gift. This task will help your children understand how to treat someone who matters in their lives.
4. Choose bills carefully. Using the largest note possible (so a $100 bill for a $100 tip, or two $20 bills for a $40 tip) shows you took time to prepare your gesture.
5. Crisp new bills also come across as more thoughtful than what you might have crinkled up in your wallet.
6. Write a check for amounts over $100 or for any tips you send through the mail.
When to Tip
- Anytime between Thanksgiving and December 25th is within the expected window for holiday tips. Of course tipping early may make the holidays easier for some.
Step 5: If You Can't Afford to Tip
- Cash is not the only way to show thanks during the holidays.
1. "Forget about what you ought to do. Do what you can, and do it in the nicest way you possibly can," says Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute.
2. Focus on a useful item if you can't afford a big cash tip. Gift cards for the local coffee shop are always popular, even in small amounts.
3. Homemade gifts still show you are thoughtful when you can't afford to give cash tips.
4. Be careful with edible tips. Your yoga instructor might not want fudge for the holidays, right?
5. "Give a small token now and a bigger tip at the Fourth of July to smooth out your budget," recommends Jodi R.R. Smith of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting.
6. Better yet, make tipping a year-round practice and you'll feel less guilty about the amount you give come year-end.
Step 6: Final Considerations
- There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to holiday tipping. Do bear in the mind the following considerations, however.
1. You don't have to give as much to a new service provider since you have yet to form a relationship.
2. On the other hand, some people believe that a good holiday tip will ensure good service for the coming year, and the consequences of a bad tip aren't worth it.
3. Alcohol is not recommended, as it is difficult to know if someone may not drink.
4. While some homemade gifts are nice, don't give anything too eccentric.
5. Also avoid gifts that may seem too intimate for those with whom you don't have a personal relationship. For office gifts, Hilka Klinkenberg, founder of Etiquette International, says, "If it touches skin, it's too personal."
6. Says Simon Doonan, creative director at Barney's, it's also crucial to keep good records. "You have to keep meticulous records on your computer. Because if you tipped less this year, it would be horrible! They'd think they'd done something dreadful. Efficient tipping requires good recordkeeping. It's like a whole other job."
Resources for How to Tip During the Holidays

Categories

Introduction

Step 1: Decide Whom to Tip

Who Doesn't Need a Tip

Step 2: Make a Few Exceptions

Step 3: Determine the Right Amount

Step 4: Make it Count

When to Tip

Step 5: If You Can't Afford to Tip

Step 6: Final Considerations

Resources for How to Tip During the Holidays