Your hairdresser, the babysitter, the house keeper... Every December, the same question comes up... How do you take care of the people who take care of you all year?
The list of people you're supposed to tip can be really long. So you've just got to use your best judgement and for gosh sakes, don't ever tip more than you can afford. According to Emily Post, the amount you tip depends on the frequency of service and your relationship.
Example? If you don't know your trash collector's name, well, a tip's probably not in order. Same goes for your letter carrier, who by the way, isn't supposed to receive cash anyway.
For cleaning people, gardeners, trainers or babysitters, the suggested amount is equal to a session of their normal pay… And for a school teacher? A group gift from students and parents is considered correct. Cash? Not so much.
And when you give somebody cash... don't just hand them money, make sure to put it in a card, with a nice, hand-written note. And you know, sometimes you don't have the money. That's OK. If that's the case, just give them the card.
Bottom line? Tipping is a way of saying thank you... but don't ever feel obligated to give a tip. A tip is for exceptional service. We've got your holiday tipping guide at MoneyTalksNews.com, just do a search for "tipping."
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