Should you skip the tipping this year? If you do want to tip, how much should you give everyone? While tipping can vary by region, here are some basic guidelines to help you along.
Baby sitter
A good guideline for a baby sitter is to tip the same amount as you would give for one session’s earning. For a frequent baby sitter, you should consider tipping at least one day’s wages. And, if you are in a situation where you have a regular or live in nanny, a tip of up to a week’s salary may be appropriate, especially if he or she has been asked to do overtime on occasion.
Day car provider
With a day care provider, a smaller tip is required. You should tip your child’s primary care giver $10 to $20 or a small gift that costs about that amount. More than one care giver? Split the tip among the workers or bring in a gift that can be shared.
Trash collector
The trash collectors around here are pretty bold. They leave their own tip envelopes just in case their customers might forget. $10 to 20 is customary, although not everyone agrees with tipping the trash collector.
Postal worker
Because postal workers are government officials, they cannot accept money as a gift. Instead, you can give them a small gift valued up to $20. Our postal carrier sends us a glowing thank you card after receiving a tin of homemade cookies or muffins or a store gift card.
Personal service employees
Personal service workers include anyone who does your hair, your nails, etc. A good tip ranges from the cost of one visit to $25, depending on how often you visit.
Newspaper delivery person
Don’t forget the paper boy or paper man in your holiday tipping. A guideline here is $20 for daily delivery and $10 for weekend only delivery.