Tips for holiday tipping, doorman
Masterfile
You've made your holiday budget and checked it twice, but have you included the cost of tips and gifts for those important people who help you out all year round? Holiday tipping can be a confusing business so this year we we've drawn from tipping websites, Tipping.org, Consumer Reports and the venerable Emily Post Institute to help you figure out what, how much, and to whom to give your gifts and tips.
A few general things to consider first: when debating whether or not to tip and how much to give, make sure you think about how often you use the service. If you seek their services regularly throughout the year, then a tip or gift is in order. Also think about how important a person has been over the past year, such as a really great teacher who has gone above and beyond to help your child or a routinely helpful concierge? These people are definitely worth recognizing at holiday time - after all, as the Emily Post Institute says, it's not really holiday tipping, it's holiday thanking!
So, with that in mind, here's our basic guide on appropriate tipping amounts:
Personal services
Hair stylist - $20
Manicurist - $15
Massage therapist - $15 or a gift (note: the tip can go up to the cost of one session)
Personal trainer - The cost of one session or a gift
Home care
Nanny - Up to one week's pay plus a special gift
Babysitter - If it's a regular sitter, one or two night's pay and a gift from your child
Day care staff - $25 to $70/each and small gift from your child
Teacher - Gift *For teachers and daycare staff, consider pooling your resources with other parents and collecting for a group gift.
Housekeeper/cleaning person - 1 week's pay or more (depending on length of service).
Concierge or doorman - $20 to $30 depending on how much they help you out through the year.
Other services
Newspaper delivery person - $15 to $25 for daily service, $5 to $15 for weekend service.
Parking attendants - $10 to $20 each.
Nursing home employees - A gift.
Pet groomer - A gift or cash of up to the cost of one session.
Dog walker - The cost of a week's services plus gift.
More from Chatelaine:
- Do you tip for home services?
- How long the average person spends prepping for the holidays
- 30 genius tips that will save you money this holiday!
- Holiday shopping apps that will save you big money!
- Seven holiday spending strategies and money-saving gift ideas!
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