CR's Holiday Tipping Cheat Sheet

Unlike the extras we routinely give taxi drivers, restaurant servers, and some other workers each time we pay them, holiday tips are a once-a-year gesture to acknowledge and thank the people whose work supports us on an ongoing basis, says Pamela Eyring, president of the Protocol School of Washington, which provides training in international protocol and business etiquette.

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how much you should tip at the holidays, but some tipping norms have become a social convention. For example, giving your barber a holiday bonus equal to the cost of one haircut has become a customary way to show thanks for year-round service. (See "Your Giving Guide," below, for more examples.) Still, experts say that tipping remains a highly personal matter, and if your budget is stretched to the fa-la-la-la-limit this year, you’re not without options.

For one, you could skip the tip entirely. "If a client gives me a holiday tip, it means a lot and I never forget it," says Pamela T., a pet sitter in New York state. "But I have no expectation that I’m going to get one." It’s never considered rude not to tip, Swann says.

If stuffing envelopes full of cash isn’t in the budget this season but you still want to spread some holiday green, Swann suggests using what she calls the "20-30-50 rule." Here’s how it works: For someone who has provided good service throughout the year, give a tip of 20 percent of whatever they typically charge for a single service; for excellent service, give 30 percent; and for exceptional service, give 50 percent.

For example, if you pay your landscaper $100 per visit, at the end of the year you’d tip them $20 if they always showed up, $30 if they trimmed all the edges neatly, and $50 if they pruned your rhododendron without being asked and without charging extra.

For workers you don’t pay directly, Swann recommends using the following ranges: $10 to $30 for people who provide services at regular intervals, such as garbage collectors; $30 to $75 for those who provide more steady support, such as building superintendents; and $75 to $100 for workers who provide "high contact" services, such as a building concierge or doorman. Again, the amount you choose should be based on the quality of the services provided.

Eyring recommends also taking into account the frequency of the services and whether you already regularly tip them. "A hairdresser would appreciate a holiday tip, but your house cleaner provides their services more often, and if you don’t already tip them, they might appreciate it even more," she says.

Just like the jolly guy in red, anyone who doesn’t get a cash tip will appreciate a gift of home-baked cookies or other thoughtful goodies accompanied by a card. "I’ve had clients give me homemade candies and cakes instead of cash at holiday time," says Abbey Allen, a licensed massage therapist in Ohio. "I always appreciate it when they give me something homemade because it means they took the time to think of me and it’s coming from their heart."

Swann and Eyring emphasize the power of a personal note that expresses gratitude—not just for the service provided but also for the relationship itself—especially when it’s someone you tip throughout the year.

Eyring says that the note should reference a specific act of kindness or standout service from the year, such as the time your dog walker waited out a thunderstorm or the cleaner spotted a leak before it became a problem.

"I’m telling you, a handwritten note is rare these days," Eyring says. "Think about the last time you got one. They really go a long way."

Our etiquette experts suggest these amounts to say thank you at the end of the year to all the service providers on your list.