December 18, 2023

NerdWallet: 5 questions that can help guide your holiday tipping

Service workers help make our lives easier throughout the year -- whether it's by keeping our lawns immaculate or babysitting during date nights. The holidays are an ideal time to show gratitude for the work they do throughout the year. But how much do you tip service workers during the holidays, and whom should you prioritize? Etiquette experts have answers to these questions and more...

Elizabeth Ayoola

As you plan your holiday giving, you may be thinking about adding service workers to your list of recipients.Elise Amendola ~ Associated Press, file

Service workers help make our lives easier throughout the year -- whether it's by keeping our lawns immaculate or babysitting during date nights. The holidays are an ideal time to show gratitude for the work they do throughout the year.

But how much do you tip service workers during the holidays, and whom should you prioritize? Etiquette experts have answers to these questions and more.

Whom should you tip during the holidays?

Holiday tips are usually for workers who provide consistent help throughout the year. If you need a hierarchy of some sort, consider starting with anyone who assists you within your home, said Thomas P. Farley, an etiquette expert in Manhattan who goes by Mister Manners. That could include a housekeeper, live-in aide or au pair, he said. Then, you can prioritize people who offer services outside your home.

Here are a few people you may consider giving a holiday tip:

Babysitter
House cleaners
Dog walker
Personal chef
Handyman or handywoman
Landscaper
Hairdresser
Mechanic
Physical trainer
Dry cleaner

To help remember whom to tip come next holiday season, consider making a note of the workers you engage with throughout the year, Farley said.

"Keep a spreadsheet, keep some sort of a document that allows you to make sure you don't neglect anyone who really provided you good service throughout the year," he said.

How much should you tip?

It can be difficult to decide on the right amount to tip someone who has been helpful on an ongoing basis. Diane Gottsman, a modern manners and etiquette expert, suggests tipping the cost of one service -- be it a hairstyle or cleaning service. For example, for a nanny it would be one week's pay.

If that's not possible because of budget constraints, Gottsman, who owns The Protocol School of Texas in San Antonio, said to use other variables to determine how much to tip.

"You base (it) on your budget, your comfort level, the relationship that you have with that person and the service they provide," she said.

If you find you have a tight budget this year, you may end up giving a smaller tip than you did last holiday season. Farley said in this scenario, you can consider tipping half of what you tipped the year before.

How do you give service workers holiday tips?

Ideally, a holiday tip should be in the form of cash or a check with a sentimental touch, Gottsman said.

"Not only are you giving them the money, you're also inserting it in a card and with a heartfelt message," she said.

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If cash isn't an option, consider other payment methods such as Cash App, Venmo, PayPal and Zelle. When in doubt, ask them whether they have a preference, in case they don't have access to money transfer and payment apps.

How do you tip on a tight budget?

Tipping may feel stressful when your finances are spread thin. Before giving out holiday tips, reassess how much disposable income you have. To figure out your disposable income, use a budgeting app or spreadsheet. After subtracting your committed expenses from your take-home income, you'll have your disposable income. Decide how much of that leftover cash you want to put toward holiday tips.

Keeping track of your tipping can help you avoid overspending, so consider creating a holiday tip budget. You may put your designated tipping money in a specific account or in envelopes. By getting organized, you can be kind to the people who do work for you and be kind to your finances, too.

As Gottsman said, "I think that's important to be respectful of your own budget."

What are alternatives to cash tips?

If you can't afford a cash tip, consider alternatives such as an inexpensive gift or a thoughtful gesture that doesn't cost anything. Gottsman said you could get the workers in your life something thoughtful such as a gift card for something they like, herbs from your garden or a bottle of home-infused olive oil.

You can also regift an item you haven't used if you think the person would appreciate it. However, be honest and let them know you're regifting the item, Gottsman said.

No matter what you give, tipping can be a thoughtful thing to do, especially during the holidays.

"So it's at the end of the year where we provide that additional thank you for not just what they did for us around Christmas or Hanukkah, or the month of December, but rather how they facilitated our lives throughout the year and made our lives that much more meaningful, enjoyable, and allowed us to focus on other things while they did what they do best," Farley said.

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This article originally appeared on the personal finance website NerdWallet. Elizabeth Ayoola is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: eayoola@nerdwallet.com.