Your 2017 Christmas Tipping Guide

Do you want to tip the mailman and the other professionals that play a pivotal role in your life but don’t know how much to give? Our Christmas tipping guide will help you know exactly how much to give, so you don’t end up looking like Mr. Scrooge.

What To Tip Your Favorite People

Not every tip needs to be cash. You can also give gift cards, handmade goods, or even small store-bought items including tins of chocolate, cookies, or those premade gift sets you might see like a hot chocolate kit.

Read our tips on how to get discounted gift cards to make your tip go even further this Christmas.

People Who Help You Through The Year

The first section of this tipping guide will show you much much to tip the people provide a service to you on a regular basis during the year.

Apartment Doorman and Concierge

If you live in an apartment or gated community and communicate regularly with the doorman or concierge, tipping them between $20 and $175 is sufficient. How much you tip them largely depends on where you live. A doorman in New York City will receive a larger tip than one living in a city with a lower cost of living.

Barista

If you have a barista that knows your name and starts making your drink as soon as you walk through the door, an extra $10-$20 tip is great.

Hairdressers and Nail Technicians

You can tip your hairdresser or nail technician between 10% to 25% in addition to your usual tip or a non-cash gift are acceptable. On average, most patrons tip between 15% and 20%. Some clients will tip their stylist the entire cost of a typical session if they go at least once a month.

Letter Carriers and FedEx/UPS Workers

If you like to leave a tip for your mailman, United States Postal Service workers can receive a tip up to $20 at once. The USPS gift policy does not permit letter carriers to accepts cash and gift cards.

FedEx and UPS have more lenient tipping policies. Both companies prefer non-cash gifts, but you can leave a tip with a cash value up to $75.

While you might tip you letter carrier during the year for your heavy Amazon Prime deliveries, Christmas can be an excellent time to tip as well.

Newspaper Delivery Person

It’s customary to tip your newspaper delivery person between $10 and $20. You can give cash, gift cards, or another gift if you choose.

Massage Therapist

When you see your massage therapist on a twice-a-month basis, it’s recommended to leave a tip equivalent to one session.

Pastor and Mentor

If you have a pastor or mentor that plays a pivotal role in your life, consider giving them a gift as well. Since they might receive a gift from several others, a non-cash tip of $20 or less is acceptable. Or, maybe you can treat them to dinner either during the holidays or in the new year once their schedule opens up.

Personal Trainer

Tip your personal trainer the equivalent of one session.

People Who Care For Your Loved Ones

If you have babysitters and pet sitters, don’t forget to leave them a tip as well this Christmas.

Babysitters

How much you tip your babysitter depends on how often they look after your children.

Part-time sitters can receive a tip of $25 to $50.

It’s acceptable to tip full-time sitters and nannies up to a full week’s salary.

Dog Walker and Pet Groomers

If you have somebody walk your dog or care for your pet during the workday or while you travel for work, you can tip them between one day or one week of wages for their hard work and attention to detail.

Home Health Care Aide

If you or a loved one receives in-home care, you can give them a tip based on how long they have been with you. Tip them half of their week’s pay when it’s been for half a year or an entire weekly salary if they have been with you the entire year.

Nursing Home Workers

If a nursing home cares for your parents, consider giving a dessert tray or a small gift that the entire staff can mutually enjoy. Since nursing homes operate 24/7, making a tray for all three shifts will ensure each worker can receive a Christmas tip.

Teachers

The cliche gift of giving a teacher an apple is acceptable, but any gift or gift card smaller than $20 is acceptable for your child’s teacher. You might also see if the other classroom parents are chipping in for a larger gift; if so, you can still give your own, smaller individual gift as well.

Those That Keep Your Home Looking Good

The final category focuses on the professionals that keep your home in tip-top shape so you can walk in and relax.

Landscaper and Groundskeeper

If you have someone that regularly mows your lawn, plows your driveway, or looks after your landscaping, consider tipping between $10 and $20 per person for basic work and up to $50 for more advanced work that requires professional training.

Handyman

A $20 to $50 tip is sufficient for the handyman you call to fix your leaky faucets, pressure washes your house, and all those other homeowner tasks you don’t have time to complete.

Housekeepers

Depending on how often someone cleans your house, tip them up to one week’s salary. If they clean your house on a regular basis (even once a month) consider tipping them up to half of their normal wage.

Pool Cleaner

You can tip your pool cleaner up to one week’s wages. Properly maintaining a swimming pool can be a science at times and the tip is one way to show your appreciation.

Who Shouldn’t You Tip?

There are two groups of people you shouldn’t tip this Christmas.

The first group is people you don’t see them on a regular basis. For example, you might not tip the UPS driver if they only deliver a package to your house a few times each year or when it’s a different driver each time.

Salaried professionals like your family doctor or dentist don’t need to be tipped either. However, you can give them a small gift of cookies, chocolates, or their favorite coffee as a token of appreciation.

Summary

Some people call Christmas the “Season for Giving.” If you want to do more than saying thanks to the people that play a pivotal role in your life, the Christmas tipping guide can help ensure you don’t forget anyone.