Holiday tipping guide

Fresno, CA There's the hair stylist that makes you look fabulous year-round your manicurist, too. And what about the housekeeper who keeps things spic and span … or the nanny who looks after your clan? And lest you forget a critical one, do mail carriers get in on the holiday-tip fun? A survey by the consumer reports national research center set out to determine who gets tipped and what's given. More than 18-hundred people were asked about holiday tipping in 2008.

Donato Vaccaro, Consumer Reports said: "Tipping was much leaner last year. We 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, too. The most commonly tipped turned out to be housekeepers, child-care providers, teachers, and hairdressers. Who got the most?

Donato Vaccaro, Consumer Reports said: "Our survey found that house cleaners got the biggest tip on average $50 dollars. And they were followed by child-care providers, who got an average gift value of $40 dollars."

And if this year is like last, $20 dollars 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. So most of those surveyed gave teachers gave a noncash gift.

If you're not sure what to give someone who provides a weekly service, Consumer Reports says a good rule of thumb is to tip a week's worth of pay.