Extra money has been tight for many Americans this year, and even though we're technically out of the recession, many of us haven't recovered all that much. So this time of year, when we feel obligated to buy presents and tip our various service providers, it can get become difficult to decide who you might have drop from your gift list or reduce in tips if you simply don't have the same amount of money to spread around.
So where should we draw the line on who to tip and how much this holiday season? Obviously the answer is going to be different for everyone, but on average, according to a Money magazine readers' poll, Americans are tipping less for some providers while keeping others are the same level. In some cases, they were tipping more.
It appears your regular cleaning crews and housekeepers are going to get a reduced tip this year. According to the Money survey, readers plan to reduce their holiday bonus by about $10 this year and give their housecleaners on average $65 this year.
Keep in mind that $65 is an arbitrary number and will generally depend on what you pay them on a weekly basis. Anna Post, a spokeswoman for The Emily Post Institute and the great-great granddaughter of Emily Post, says one unit of pay is a good guideline, whether that is equivalent to a week's pay or a day of housekeeping.
If you're lucky enough to have a gardener, Money readers are planning to give their gardeners on average $50 this winter which is the same amount they did in 2007. My question would be what if you live in the north where you don't usually see your gardener until the spring.
I always worry about the mail carrier. Money readers say they plan on giving between $10 and $20 which is what they did in 2007. But did you know that it is against U.S. Postal Service regulations for mail carriers to accept cash? I never did, and even though now I do, I'm in a bit of a quandary. Should I follow the rules and give them $10 worth of cookies and candy? I want to keep my mail carrier happy so I'll probably give him or her the money. I'll be amazed if they give it back.
If you have a personal hairdresser or barber, Money readers plan on giving them $20 this year which is the same amount they tipped in 2007. However Anna Post says the guideline is one unit of pay, which in my wife's case would be a lot more than $20.
I once made a mistake and gave my garbage collector a $50 bill thinking it was $20. Boy was he disappointed the following year when it went back to $20. Money readers plan to give their garbage collector $20 which is the same as in 2007 so I don't feel too badly about it.
If you live in an apartment building you have to pony up tips for the super, the door man and sometimes the super's assistant. Anna Post recommends a tip of $10-$30 or a small gift like homemade cookies. When I lived in Manhattan and gave my super some cookies instead of a tip, I'd never have hot water again.
Where I live, I have two different newspaper carriers. They both expect a tip and if I ever forget, the next time or sometime later, my newspaper is missing some sections, or torn to shreds. I never know what to tip these guys. According to Money, the average reader tips their paper carriers $20, which is actually $5 more than in 2007. Well, since I have two, I plan on giving each one $10 and hope they don't read Money magazine.
