Holiday Tipping Guide: Everyone You Should Tip During the Christmas Season

holiday tipping guide
Photo credit Getty Images
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The holidays are a time of cheer and good will, so show some Christmas spirit to the people who help you out every day of the year.

A holiday tip shows you appreciate the hard work of your super, doorman, and mailman, and the extra money may even help them finance their own holiday gifts. Don’t let awkward etiquette stand in the way of this warm-hearted seasonal practice. Here’s exactly how much to tip everyone you know.

A doorman carries bags from the trunk of a mini van
Your doorman does everything Photo credit MCT / Imagn

Apartment Building Staff

Your Super
How much to tip: $20-80
If you live in an apartment building with a superintendent, it’s best to throw the everyday hero a little change around the holidays. When your pipes burst the following spring, that gift might mean the difference between a five-minute response time and a week.

Doormen / Elevator Operators
How much to tip: $20-100 (whatever amount you can afford to pay everyone the same)
Large apartment buildings only run with the help of a lot of crucial staff members, from the person opening the door to the one selecting your floor in the elevator to the person cleaning the carpet in the halls (it doesn’t clean itself!), so spread the seasonal love around to everyone.

A newspaper deliverer wheels a trolley of newspapers through the snow
Delivering the news in the snow Photo credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images

City Workers

Mail Carrier / Newspaper Delivery Person
How much to tip: $20
Delivering mail and your daily paper is a brutal gig in the winter, when a few feet of snow and slush could pile up in front of your house. Pay for the extra effort with a note from President Jackson.

Trash Collector
How much to tip: $10-20 per person
Assuming you’re even allowed to tip your garbage collectors (not all municipalities allow public service workers to accept tips), it could make their holiday season to receive a few extra dollars.

A house cleaner holding a bucket of supplies
Cleaning your house is hard work Photo credit Povozniuk / Getty Images

Home Helpers

Housekeeper
How much to tip: One week’s pay
You could leave a nice little gift for your house cleaners, or you could get him/her/them what everyone really wants -- cash.

Gardener
How much to tip: One week’s pay
Treat the holidays like an extra week of garden maintenance, even if your gardener isn’t doing much this time of year.

A baby sitter sits with several children around a table with paper and colored pencils
Your kids are hard work too Photo credit MelkiNimages / Getty Images

Caretakers

Babysitter / Child care
How much to tip: One day’s pay
Whether your babysitter comes to you or you drop your kids at a daycare center, the employees who watch over your precious darlings deserve a holiday bump.

Pet Walkers / Groomers
How much to tip: The cost of one session
You tip the people who take care of your biological children, so you should tip the people who take care of your furry ones too.

Teacher
How much to tip: Donation to the school
Don’t be that weird parent who tips the teacher for “special consideration” for your kid. Instead make any sort of donation you can to the school to benefit all the kids, or just send your kid in with a sweet treat for the whole class.

A barber trims a client's beard with an electric razor as he lies back in a chair with a smock
A nice shave deserves an extra tip Photo credit shironosov / Getty Images

Barber / Hairstylist

How much to tip: $20-50
Palm a little extra to the person who maintains your locks right after they give you that stunning look for your holiday card pic.

A man carries a tree with a couple following behind
Carrying that heavy tree Photo credit gpointstudio / Getty Images

Christmas Tree Attendant

How much to tip: $20
Assuming the guy isn’t cutting the tree down in the forest, a 20 should do nicely for helping you load your Christmas tree onto your car.

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