Holiday tipping is a tradition, but if you start to get sweaty palms trying to figure out who to tip and how much, you're not alone.
A survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center set out to determine who gets tipped and what's given. More than 1,800 people were asked about holiday tipping in 2008. Tipping was much leaner last year. Consumer Reports found a definite drop in the number of service providers who were tipped. Among them, manicurists saw fewer tips. So did newspaper and mail carriers.
Who got the most? Consumer Reports survey found that house cleaners got the biggest tip, on average $50. They were followed by child-care providers, who got an average gift value of $40. And if this year is like last, $20 will be the tip of choice for sanitation workers and hairdressers alike.
Consumer Reports found that while teachers are among the most commonly tipped, some school districts do not allow money to be given. Most of those surveyed gave teachers gave a noncash gift. And if you're not sure what to give someone who provides a weekly service, Consumer Reports says a good rule of thumb is a week's worth of pay.
