Table of Contents
- Who to tip this holiday season and how much
- Why tipping caregivers is important during the holidays
- 2024 holiday tip chart: Expert recommendations on who to tip and how much
- What tipping ideas for tight budgets can help during the holidays
- How to prioritize your holiday tipping list
- How to navigate tipping fatigue: Balancing generosity with practicality
- When a gift is better than cash — and vice versa
- Digital tipping: How much to add on an iPad tip screen
- What’s the difference between a tip and a bonus for caregivers?
- The bottom line
While any time is a good time to show your appreciation for someone who regularly makes your life easier and more enjoyable, the holidays traditionally are the time to express your gratitude in the form of cash or a gift. By no means is holiday tipping mandatory, but giving a little something extra at the end of the year to someone who regularly provides you with a service is always appreciated.
“A holiday tip or gift should be given to anyone you do business with on a regular basis — babysitters, gardeners, hair stylists, mail carriers, pet sitters, housekeepers, etc.,” says Aileen Avery, author of “Gift Rap: The History and Art of Gift Giving.”
According to Avery, holiday tips needn’t be over-the-top to be valued — but they should always include a handwritten note, expressing your gratitude. “The point is to show someone they’re appreciated,” she explains.
Feeling a little lost when it comes to who should get a holiday tip and how much the tip should be? This 2024 holiday tipping guide offers expert insight on what’s suitable to give.
Who to tip this holiday season and how much
When figuring out how much to tip and who to give it to, experts recommend taking the following into account:
- The relationship.
- Your budget.
“Make a list of all the people who provide you service throughout the year and decide if you are going to give them a holiday tip and how much,” says Suzy Lins, certified etiquette trainer and founder of The Manners Maven. Lins adds that, for financial sake, the earlier you make this list, the better.
Once you’ve created the list, Lins suggests prioritizing who will get what level of tip. This can be done “based on how often you use their service and your relationship with them.” For instance, if you don’t have the budget to tip everyone (who does?), someone like a regular babysitter would get tipping priority over, say, a one-time landscaper.
Why tipping caregivers is important during the holidays
When it comes to your holiday tipping list, caregivers should be at the top, as they’re not only an integral part of daily life for many, these folks often go above and beyond throughout the year.
“Holiday tips and bonuses serve as opportunities for parents to recognize the huge role caregivers, such as nannies and babysitters, play in their families,” explains Michelle LaRowe, lead trainer at Global Nanny Training. “While it’s not required, issuing a year-end bonus or giving a tip for full- or part-time employees is industry standard. And more so, it goes a long way in sending the message that they’re valued and appreciated.”
The same sentiment holds true for senior caregivers, says Christie Ziegler, director of communications and marketing at Kavod Senior Life in Denver.
“Senior care workers do everything they can to ensure the health and safety of their clients,” she says. “Many aides answer calls from clients after hours, form caring relationships and attend to individual needs not expressly documented in their contracted care plan. Additionally,” Ziegler adds, “these workers may not get paid very high wages, so every bit of extra gifts or bonuses acknowledge these extra efforts.”
2024 holiday tip chart: Expert recommendations
For suggestions on who — and how much — to tip at the end of the year, check out our expert-approved holiday tipping guide.
| PERSON | SUGGESTED TIP OR GIFT VALUE |
|---|---|
| Au Pair | 1-2 week’s pay and an optional small gift from kids |
| Babysitter | Average day/evening pay for regular sitters and an optional small gift from kids |
| Barber | Up to the cost of 1 session |
| Bartender | $20 for someone you see regularly |
| Building Porter / Janitor | $25-$100, depending on involvement |
| Building Superintendent | $100-$200, depending on involvement |
| Cleaning Company | An extra 20-80%, depending on duration of relationship |
| Cobbler | $10-$20 or a small gift for someone you see regularly |
| Coffee Shop Barista | $20 for someone you see regularly |
| Contractor | Don’t tip |
| Country Club Staff | $25-$50 for someone you see regularly |
| Daycare or Child Care Center Staff | Gift card worth around $20 or a small gift |
| Dentist | Don’t tip |
| Doctor | Don’t tip |
| Dog Boarder or Kennel Staff | Handmade or baked goods |
| Dog Daycare | 10-20% of your pet’s stay |
| Dog Sitter | $50-$200 in cash or gift card, depending on frequency |
| Dog Walker | $50-$200 in cash or gift card, depending on frequency |
| Doorman | $25-$100, depending on involvement |
| Driver / Limo Service | $20-$50 or 20% of monthly bill |
| Dry Cleaner | $10-$20 gift card or homemade goods |
| Errand Runner | $50 to 1 week’s pay, depending on how often you use |
| Fitness Instructor | Cost of 1 session or a small gift |
| Food Delivery (Local restaurants, Uber Eats, Doordash, etc.) | $20-$30 for someone you see regularly |
| Garbage Collector | $10-$30 per person |
| Gardener / Landscaper | $20-$30 |
| Gas Station Attendant | $10-$20 for someone you see regularly |
| Hairdresser or Colorist | Up to the cost of 1 session (or a gift if you tip well throughout the year) |
| Handyman / Handyperson | $25-$50 |
| House Cleaner | $20-Up to the cost of one visit |
| Housekeeper | An extra 20-80%, depending on duration of relationship |
| Kids’ Activities Instructor | Small gift from your kids or gift card |
| Kids’ Coach (Athletics) | Small gift from your kids or gift card |
| Live-In Help (housekeeper, senior care aide, nanny, chef, etc.) | 1-2 week’s pay |
| Mail Carrier | Non-cash gifts under $20 |
| Massage Therapist | Up to the cost of 1 session for someone you see regularly |
| Mother’s Helper | Average day’s pay for regular helper and a small gift from your kids |
| Nail Tech / Manicurist | Up to the cost of 1 session |
| Nanny | 1-2 week’s pay (possibly more if the nanny has been with you a long time). For new nannies, one day’s pay for each month of employment |
| Newspaper Carrier | $10-$30 |
| Nurse (in-home nurse, private nurse) | Small gift and a handwritten note |
| Nursing Home or Assisted Living Community Staff | Homemade gift or gift card |
| Package Delivery Person | Small, non-cash gift |
| Parking Garage Attendant | $10-$20 for someone you see regularly |
| Personal Assistant | Up to 1 week’s pay |
| Personal Chef | 1-2 week’s pay or cost of one session, depending on frequency |
| Personal Trainer | Cost of 1 session |
| Pet Daycare Staff | Handmade gift or baked goods |
| Pet Groomer | Up to the cost of 1 session |
| Pet Sitter | $50-$200 in cash or gift card, depending on frequency |
| Pet Trainer | Don’t tip |
| Physical Therapist | Don’t tip |
| Pool Cleaner | $25-$50 |
| Postal Worker / Mail Carrier | Food, such as baked goods, or non-cash gift worth less than $20 |
| School Bus Driver | Small, non-cash gift |
| Senior Care Aide | Up to 1 week’s pay or small gift |
| Snow Remover / Shoveler | $25 |
| Tailor | Small gift for someone you see regularly |
| Teacher | $25 gift card and/or small gift from your kids |
| Teacher’s Aide / Assistant | Small gift from your kids |
| Tutor | Cost of 1 session and small gift from your child, depending on frequency |
| Veterinarian | Don’t tip |
| Waiter / Waitress | $20-$40 for someone you see regularly |
| Yoga teacher / Instructor | Up to cost of 1 session or small gift for personal teacher; no need to tip group instructor |
What tipping ideas for tight budgets can help during the holidays
Many people can’t give a holiday tip to everyone who’s served them throughout the year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still show appreciation.
“The recession has hit many people hard,” acknowledges Lisa Mirza Grotts, a San Francisco-based etiquette expert. “If you can’t be as generous as you were in holidays past, consider giving a homemade gift and note of appreciation.” The key, experts across the board agree, is showing appreciation. “Never let the thought of not doing enough keep you from doing something,” says Heather Wiese Alexander, an etiquette expert and founder of Bell’INVITO. “If all you can do is write a thoughtful note, you’d be amazed at how much it will be appreciated.”
For families who don’t have it in their budget to tip their nanny at all or as much as they’d like, LaRowe says “words of appreciation, a framed photo of the nanny with the children or having their favorite snacks in the house” all go a long way.
If you’d like to still tip even if money is tight, consider tipping one or two people who have had the biggest impact, such as a babysitter or teacher.
“Every year, I give my kids’ teachers a $25 gift card because I know they spend their own money on classroom items that their salaries don’t always cover,” Avery says.
How to prioritize your holiday tipping list
Grotts keeps a running list of people who have provided service to her throughout the year and looks it over every December 1 to determine how to prioritize tipping. If you, like many, didn’t have such forethought, consider writing down the people you regularly do business with and prioritize the people who have had the biggest impact.
“If a housekeeper comes weekly and you have your hair done monthly, those are the people you should prioritize,” notes Grotts. “And the same for caregivers or anyone else who serves you all year long.”
“If you find yourself having a long list of people you want to tip, you may have to give less in order to get to all of those important people in your life,” adds Mariah Grumet, founder of Old Soul Etiquette. “It’s much more so about the gesture of showing your appreciation than it is the exact amount.”
How to navigate tipping fatigue: Balancing generosity with practicality
The holidays are already an expensive time of year, so feeling like you need to tip anyone and everyone can feel overwhelming — but, according to Lins, it needn’t.
“The first thing to do when deciding who to tip at the holidays and how much, is to figure your budget and then work within it,” she says. “What you tip will vary depending on where you live and also your relationship with the service provider. And remember: Not all tips need to be monetary. A thoughtful gift or note is also appropriate for certain people.”
When a gift is better than cash — and vice versa
While it’s not the only way to go, cash is often the preferred gift for many caregivers and service workers, says Grotts. “Cash is king, whether it be the green stuff, a Visa gift card or the like,” she notes, adding that many service workers are paid minimum wage. “And if possible, it’s nice to augment the cash with a small gift and always a personal note of thanks.”
Another consideration is whether someone’s employer allows cash tips at all. The U.S. Postal Service, for example, says that its mail carriers shouldn’t accept cash gifts of any amount (including checks and gift cards), and non-cash gifts should be under $20 (and under $50 from any one customer, per calendar year). Also, some healthcare workers and aides are discouraged by their employer to accept gifts, as it may be seen as a “conflict of interest.”
If you aren’t sure if someone is able to receive a cash gift, reach out to their employer to find out.
Digital tipping: How much to add on an iPad tip screen
Tablets, such as iPads, have become a common way to check out in the last year, with almost all of them asking customers what, if anything, they’d like to tip.
“Tipping was once a way to show our appreciation for good service, and it’s now evolved into tipping in every aspect of our lives — including when paying for a cup of coffee,” says Lins. “Don’t feel pressured to tip in those instances.”
“Tipping is personal and the decision is yours to make based on your budget,” she continues. “My rule of thumb is, if it’s a place a business I frequent often or my order is complicated, then I leave a tip.”
Of course, around the holidays, everyone feels more generous, Lins adds, so leaving a dollar or two for minimal service is thoughtful and sure to be appreciated.
What’s the difference between a tip and a bonus for caregivers?
Technically speaking, an employer gives a bonus to an employee while a customer gives a tip for a service (read: when you dine at a restaurant), LaRowe explains, adding that both are considered supplementary income. So whatever you decide to call your end-of-year caregiver gift, really, it’s just “a matter of linguistics.”
That said, a bonus for a caregiver who is also a household employee is considered part of your caregiver’s compensation and is subject to taxes.
The bottom line
Holiday tips and bonuses are always appreciated, but you should never feel obligated to dole out more than you have, especially since there are other ways to show gratitude.
Says Grumet: “This time of year is more so about the gesture of showing your appreciation than it is an exact amount.”
“Never underestimate the power of kindness,” adds Grotts. “It costs nothing and the rewards are endless.”
