The holiday season marks a great time of year to not only purchase gifts for family members and friends in your life, but it also provides a great opportunity to thank the people that provide you their services through out the year.
It is important to remember that holiday gift giving and tipping is the perfect way to say thank-you to those that help make your life better through out the year.
Your budget should be the first priority when deciding how much to tip. You should also consider how often you used the person’s services during the year and how close of a relationship you have together. If you are unable to afford to tip everyone, at least thank them with a hand written card, showing your appreciation.
The following is a list of the top individuals that you should remember to give a gift to or tip this holiday –
~ Co-Workers. Give something small that your colleagues can use and appreciate. Some ideas are items for their desk like coffee mugs, monogrammed office supplies, picture frames, calendars or gift cards for a local coffee shop.
~ Assistant. A gift card is an excellent choice if a cash bonus is not something that you feel is necessary.
~ Boss. It is not expected for you to give your boss money or an expensive gift for Christmas. Start a gift pool with colleagues to donate towards a community gift, or give a charitable donation in their name.
~ Child’s School Teacher. Do not give cash. The best idea is to purchase a gift card to a supply store where the teacher can buy items to use in the classroom.
~ School Nurse. Gift card.
~ School Principal. Holiday card and coffee mug filled with single served coffees or tea.
~ Your Professor. Holiday card with no gift.
~ Nanny or Day Care Provider. $50.00
~ Babysitter. Cash in the amount of one night’s services.
~ House Keeper. Cash up to one week’s pay.
~ Live-In Help (Cook or Butler). Cash between one week and one month’s pay.
~ Pet Groomer. Cash in the amount of one visit, which is normally between $20 and $50.00.
~ Dog Walker. Cash in the amount of one week’s pay.
~ Pet Sitter. Week’s pay and thank you note from your animals.
~ Barber. Cash in the amount of one cut.
~ Hair Stylist. $10 – $50.00. And don’t forget to give the shampoo girl a token of appreciation too. These individuals should receive $10 – $20.00 for their services.
~ Home Health Nurse. Cash in amount of one week’s pay.
~ Nursing Home Staff. Gift basket full of flavored coffees and teas that everyone can enjoy.
~ Massage Therapist. Cash equivalent to one session.
~ Newspaper Deliverer. Between $10 – $30.00.
~ Package Delivery Man. Either offer a small gift or $20.00.
~ Mail Carrier. The USPS has restrictions on allowing their carriers to accept monetary donations during the holiday season. For these individuals, the best gifts are cards.
~ Personal Trainer. Cash in the amount of one training session.
~ Golf of Tennis Pro. Gift card with a value of one session.
~ Garage Attendant. Between $10 and $30.00.
~ Landlord or Building Manager. $50.00
~ Doorman. Between $20 and $50.00.
~ Handyman. Between $20 and $100.00, depending on how much you have utilized their services this year.
~ Trash Collector. $10 – $30.00.
~ Pool Maintenance Man or Lawn Care Worker. Between $20 – $50.00 each.
Although this list may seem long, remember that it is these individuals that have offered their services all year long, which have made your life run smoother. The holidays are the time to give them each a token of your appreciation for all of the hard work and dedication that they have provided.
