Now is the time of year when some people choose to add to the holiday cheer by leaving a little extra something out for the folks — doormen, mail carriers, garbage collectors — who make their lives easier during the other 49 weeks of the year. And if you’re going to hand out tips during the holiday season, there are some things you can do to make sure you’re doing it properly.

Over at Kiplinger, they’ve put together some guides on how to handle holiday tipping. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Give the traditional way.
It’s best to give the tip directly to the recipient, along with a personal note. And while Santa may not come until the wee hours of the morning on Dec. 25, you may want to consider giving the tip earlier in the month, as the recipient could be relying on tip money for their own holiday shopping budget.

2. Know whom not to tip.
Some businesses, like the USPS, prohibit their employees from accepting cash and some — the USPS once again — also put limits on the dollar value of any gifts the employee can receive. And then there are people — like police or your kids’ teachers — where handing over an envelope of cash could be misconstrued.

3. Don’t fret if money is tight.
If your budget simply doesn’t allow you to tip everyone on your list, there is no harm in wishing these people well with a personal note or some sort of small gift. Additionally, you can be creative and knit someone a scarf or bake them a batch of brownies.

6 Things You Need to Know About Holiday Tipping [Kiplinger.com]

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