Hi Lovelies! I still cannot believe that December is already upon us! I hope you’re all enjoying some decorating, baking and preparing for the holidays. We now have just 3 weeks left until Christmas Eve! I wanted to resume our regularly schedule Manners Monday posts. As I mentioned in my previous Tipping Etiquette post, a Facebook reader (Amber Y.) asked if I could provide some insight on the topic as well as what the proper protocol and amounts are for tipping service workers during the holidays.
Whether you want to give your hair stylist a little extra something this Christmas to show your appreciation for making you even more beautiful or plan to provide a special treat for your mail carrier who never leaves your packages at the wrong house, here is a detailed list and some guidelines to consider as you decide how to thank the people in your life, if you’ll be spending money and if so, how much you’d like to spend.
First and foremost, holiday thanking and tipping is a kind gesture and not an obligation, it’s not something to be done if it will take you outside of your budget. If your holiday budget does not allow for tipping this year but you still want to do a little something extra, homemade gifts are a great option-sweet treats, bath salts or a beautiful knit scarf are presents from the heart that don’t have to cost anything out of pocket to you except for a little time and your supplies on hand.
No matter what gift or tip amount you choose, be sure to always include a handwritten note of appreciation of a few sentences. Some things to consider when tipping are how often you tip the service provider already, how often you receive the services provided, your relationship with the service provider, the length of time you’ve used the company’s or individual’s services and the location in which you live (tipping tends to be higher in large cities). Below, you’ll find guidelines for 25 key service providers, what’s appropriate to give and to whom.
If you have some unique gift ideas or handmade items that you give to the service people in your life, I’d love to hear about it. Do you bake a special dessert or treat? Maybe you know of a great unisex gift? Share it in the comments below so we can all benefit from your idea. 🙂
Thanks for reading! There will be a lot more holiday and Christmas-related posts coming soon, I hope you’ll check back in again soon. If you liked this guide, share it via Facebook, Tweet about it or Pin to Pinterest!
XO
We always do the 12 Days of Christmas for our mail carrier. It's just little things like chapstick, hand sanatizer, candy, etc. But the last gift is usually something a little bigger. This year I'm doing “Pampering in a Jar” which I found on Pinterest – cozy socks, lip balm, lotion and a piece of chocolate. My husband found out she likes Girl Scout Cookies, so for the past few years we did that as day 12, but this year we didn't get any cookies 🙁
Sylvie, thank you so much for taking the time to share these creative and thoughtful ideas!! 🙂 I love both the idea of the 12 days of Christmas and the Pampering in a Jar. I'm sure she'll appreciate whatever you gift to her. If you know the flavor of the Girl Scout Cookies such as chocolate mint thins perhaps you could give her a box of chocolates such as Andes thin mints for example.
Great, great post.
We always do the 12 Days of Christmas for our mail carrier. It's just little things like chapstick, hand sanatizer, candy, etc. But the last gift is usually something a little bigger. This year I'm doing “Pampering in a Jar” which I found on Pinterest – cozy socks, lip balm, lotion and a piece of chocolate. My husband found out she likes Girl Scout Cookies, so for the past few years we did that as day 12, but this year we didn't get any cookies 🙁
Sylvie, thank you so much for taking the time to share these creative and thoughtful ideas!! 🙂 I love both the idea of the 12 days of Christmas and the Pampering in a Jar. I'm sure she'll appreciate whatever you gift to her. If you know the flavor of the Girl Scout Cookies such as chocolate mint thins perhaps you could give her a box of chocolates such as Andes thin mints for example.
Great, great post.