76
Who are you tipping this year?
Check your regulars, tap a suggested amount, and watch the total stack up against your budget.
FREE CALCULATOR · MONEY
Holiday Tipping Calculator
December tipping has exactly two questions — who makes the list, and what does each person get? Check the providers you use through the year, set amounts with one tap, and see your total against the budget before a single envelope is sealed.
How it works: every checked row contributes its amount to the total; unchecked rows are skipped entirely. The average divides the total by the number of checked people, and the budget line subtracts the total from your budget — positive means breathing room, negative means trim. Suggested amounts follow common etiquette conventions (one visit, one week's pay), and the mail-carrier row carries the USPS no-cash rule.
How the holiday tipping math works
Holiday tipping has two moving parts — who makes the list and what each person gets. The checklist turns both into arithmetic: the total is the sum of the checked rows, the average is the total divided by the headcount, and the budget line tells you whether the list fits before any envelope is sealed.
The formula
total = sum of every checked tip · average per person = total ÷ people · under / over = budget − total
Worked example: the $360 list
A household tips six regulars: housekeeper $150 (a week's pay), hairdresser $75 (one visit), dog walker $75 (a week's walks), mail carrier $15 (a non-cash gift, under the $20 USPS cap), trash collector $20, teacher $25 gift card. The total is $360 across 6 people — $60 each on average.
Against a $400 budget the list lands $40 under. Drop the dog walker and it becomes $285; add the nanny at $200 and it jumps to $560 — the checklist makes each addition's cost visible before it is committed.
That visibility is the point: most people don't overspend on any single tip, they overspend on the count of tips.
Where this comes in handy
- Building the list from the regulars rule: if someone provides an ongoing service through the year, they belong on the list; occasional providers get a smaller amount or a card.
- One-tap suggested amounts: each row's suggested chip fills the standard etiquette number, so nobody has to guess at the register — or the envelope.
- Catching the mail-carrier rule: USPS carriers cannot accept cash — the row flags it before cash goes into an envelope.
- Trimming to budget: over the number? Uncheck a row or step an amount down and watch the total move in real time.
- Splitting building-staff tips: doormen, supers, and handymen often share a pooled fund — the custom row covers whoever the list missed.
- Keeping teachers non-cash: the teacher row defaults to a gift-card amount, not cash, with the school-policy caveat in the guide.
For the full etiquette — the one-visit rule, the no-tip professions, and cash-vs-gift guidance — see the guide How much to tip this holiday season. For the restaurant side of tipping, use the tip & bill split calculator.
Holiday tipping — frequently asked questions
Who should I tip for the holidays?
The regulars rule: anyone who provides you an ongoing service through the year — housekeeper, nanny, hairdresser, dog walker, mail carrier — belongs on the list. People you see occasionally get a smaller amount or a heartfelt card instead of a full tip.
How much should I tip my housekeeper or nanny?
About one week's pay for a regular — that is the most consistent convention across etiquette guides. For a nanny, many families add a small gift from the kids on top. Someone who comes once or twice a year gets less.
Can I tip my mail carrier?
Not with cash — USPS rules forbid carriers from accepting cash or gift cards, and cap non-cash gifts at $20. A small physical gift (baked goods, a candle) under the cap is the move. Private carriers like UPS, FedEx, and Amazon drivers are likewise discouraged from taking cash.
What about teachers?
No cash — a gift card of about $25 or a small consumable gift is the standard, and many schools cap what staff can accept, so check the policy first. A handwritten note from your child carries more weight than the amount.
Should I give cash or a gift?
Cash where it is allowed — it is almost always the most appreciated. Where cash is off the table (mail carriers, teachers, doctors, lawyers), give a gift or a gift card instead, and always pair it with a handwritten note. The note is the part people keep.
When should I give holiday tips?
Early to mid-December, before the break — for personal-care providers, at your last appointment before the holidays. Waiting until January makes the gesture feel like an afterthought.
What if I can't afford to tip everyone?
Trim the list to the regulars, use smaller amounts, and let the note do the heavy lifting — nobody reasonable resents a modest, sincere thank-you. Never put holiday tips on a credit card you can't pay off; generosity that becomes January debt helps no one.