It is the holiday season and one of the most stressful things is how much should I tip people who have helped me out during the year.  I have hear that tipping is not required but you would never know this from where I live.  

Interesting enough, the word tips is actually an acronym which means To Insure Prompt Service. In the past, you used to tip someone before a meal or a service to ensure that you they delivered the service promptly. Things have changed so must we.

As we spread holiday cheer around to others in our community, the key question is how much to tip my service providers I talked to a whole bunch of people and checked out various websites, includingemilypost.com. As a result, I complied this list.

• Baby sitter – One night’s pay plus a small gift from your child
• Nanny – One week to one month’s pay based upon tenure plus a small gift from your child
• Teacher -- $25 to $100.  A gift certificate is always appropriate.  At our child’s school, the parents collect for a gift for the teacher so it is easy
• Maid/Housekeeper – One week’s pay.
• Gardner -- $20 to $50
• Garbage collector -- $15 to $30 each. 
• Parking Attendants -- $10 to $20 each
• Driver/limousine service -- $20 to $50.
• Apartment Superintendent -- $50 to $200
• Doorman -- $50 to $100 (or more) each.
• Handyman -- $15 to $40 each
• Haircutter – Cost of 1 session
• Shampoo -- $10
• Manicurist/pedicurist – Cost of 1 session
• Massage therapist – Cost of 1 session
• Personal Trainer – Cost of 1 session
• Dog groomer – ½ cost of session
• Dog walker – 1 to 2 week’s usual pay
• Postal carrier – Non-cash gifts of $20 more (there is a prohibition against cash gifts)
• UPS/FedEx  -- $25
• Newspaper carrier -- $25 to $50