Holiday Tipping Guide 2017: Your Cheat Sheet for the Giving Season

Barbers and nannies and mail carriers, oh my! Many of us like to tip a little extra during the holiday season. But it can be confusing to decide how much to give to whom. Follow these guidelines for appropriate holiday tipping.

Should holiday tips be cash or gifts?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to give cash tips to service providers—like babysitters, doormen and dog groomers—and small, thoughtful gifts to professionals, like teachers and postal workers.

Holiday tipping suggestions

It can be hard to remember everyone you need to thank over the holidays. Use the holiday tipping checklist below for a general list of people to consider, and a suggested amount to help you plan the perfect holiday tipping amount.

Person to tip	Suggested amount to tip
Babysitters and nannies	The average pay for one day or evening, and a small gift made by your children.
Daycare providers	An amount up to $50 per person, and a small gift made by your children.
Teachers	A small gift from your children.
Private nurses and home health employees	A nice gift from you, and possibly a cash tip depending on their involvement.
Housekeepers, landscapers and yard workers	The cost of one session.
Hairdressers and barbers	The cost of one session or haircut.
Personal trainers and massage therapists	The cost of one session.
Dog walkers and pet groomers	The average pay of one week of dog walking, or a session’s pay for a groomer.
Building employees (garage attendants, elevator operators and doormen)	Up to $100, depending on employee involvement.
Mail carriers	A small personal gift, as post office employees are only allowed to accept a gift worth $20 or less.

Many of the tipping guidelines above are primarily based on unit of pay. For example, if you pay your babysitter $50 an evening, you might give him or her $50 around the holidays (and perhaps a homemade gift from your child). Service people with whom you have occasional contact, like trash collectors and newspaper delivery people, would receive smaller tips ranging from $10 to $50.

Check policies before tipping

It’s important to remember that some employees are not allowed to accept certain gifts. As you can see above, the U.S. Postal Service prohibits mail carriers from accepting gifts of more than $20 in value. Check with your school district, daycare facility and home health agency to find out if they have similar restrictions before giving a holiday tip.

Remember that it’s up to you to give what feels right and what you can afford. Whether you give crisp bills or a beautifully wrapped package, don’t forget to include a handwritten note.

For more gift giving tips, check out our 10 ways to save for the holidays to help you plan your budget for the holidays.