Your Guide to Holiday Tipping
When it comes to holiday tipping, let the spirit move you. That’s the advice of Susan Huston, a Texas-based etiquette expert who urges you to tip from the heart.
Whom to tip. Who makes your life easier? Be generous with those people. This includes anyone who helps you look better — your hairdresser, aesthetician or personal trainer — as well as those who ease your household burdens — the dog walker, garbage collector, housekeeper or child caregiver. It is also customary to tip your building doorman, newspaper-delivery person and even couriers if they regularly bring your packages. Some people give cash to their mail carriers, though the U.S. Postal Service frowns upon it.
How much should you give? A holiday tip is a reward for a job well done, but the amount depends on the quality and frequency of that job. There are some general guidelines, though geographical differences also figure into the equation (urban dwellers are typically expected to lay out more than those in rural areas). For anyone who performs a specific service for you, the price of one session is a good rule. A day’s pay is appropriate for sitters, housekeepers, etc. For full-time help, a week’s pay is the standard holiday bonus.
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