Help Them Make Their House a Home: 7 Tips for Housewarming Gifts
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How to Properly Tip Your Movers
Tipping doesn’t have to be complicated. Here is a quick guide that will help you when tipping your movers, hotel staff, and just about anyone in the hospitality business.
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Feel good tips to tipping
Did you know tipping can actually make you feel better? It’s true. We know this because-science! A recent Association for Psychological Science article said tipping (which it's essential to do properly), is good for your health. Here’s why: The endorphins we get from rewarding someone for a job “well done” can help you feel awesome too.
PRO TIP:
They are human–just like you! Offer service workers a cool glass of water or lemonade on a hot day–or hot coffee on a cold day.
Probably not smart to toss Benjis like Anna Sorokin–but your generosity will shine through whenever you give your service workers a good tip. Whether you consider yourself to be frugal, generous, or a hybrid of the two–put yourself in your staff’s shoes. Doesn’t a tip seem like a good idea from over here?
Important to Note: Civil servants are not allowed to receive cash tips. It’s okay to tip your mail carrier up to $20 cash. You are not expected to tip your attorney but if you are lucky enough to get some pro bono advice from an attorney–give them a nice gift such as a bottle of scotch or a gift certificate for a massage at your local spa.
10 Things to Think About When Deciding How Much To Tip:
- Calculate how much to tip based on original prices, even if your order has a discount.
- When it comes to restaurant tipping, never skip the tip. While other countries have different rules, in the United States, it is customary to leave 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax total of your bill.
- Factor in Uncle Sam. Service people have to pay taxes on tips equaling a minimum of 8% of their employer's monthly sales.
- Set an example. When paying for a restaurant or spa service as part of a group, remind everyone to include the tip in their calculations. Maybe even help them do the math?
- For rideshare services like Uber or Lyft, give at least $2 per ride–and consider gas prices when making a decision.
- DoorDash, Grub Hub, Uber Eats, and grocery delivery services should get a 20% tip, but never less than $5.
- Leave your hotel housekeeping at least $2-$5 per day. Don’t tip one large sum at the end of the week since different people may clean your room daily.
- Beauty services including hair, nails, lashes, brows, and waxing should get 20%.
- If you have kids, always overpay your babysitter. Is there any more important job? Round up and tip generously. Entrusting the care of a nanny or sitter while you leave your littles is a BIG ASK. Show you care with a serious tip.
- Wondering how much to tip those who care for your fur babies? See #9 above. Your fur babies are your children, too–make sure they get the best care and be willing to tip generously for it.
PRO TIP:
Looking for ways to show gratitude to the mail delivery carrier or another service pro? A heartfelt card, a freshly baked batch of cookies, or a bottle of wine gives a personal touch.
Wondering What To Do If You Receive A Gift Card?
If you are lucky enough to receive a gift card for any service, make sure you give a tip on top of that when you use it to get your nails done or get a massage. When giving a gift card to a friend, family member, or colleague, consider adding the tip to the card. If you do so, be sure to note it to your recipient with a quick note that reads “the tip is already covered.”
Do You Know What The Word TIP Stands For?
According to some literature, the word Tip is an acronym built of three letters TIP, which stands for:
To Insure Promptness, Performance, and Prompt Service
However, a quick fact check reveals this is just a wives' tale. “Tip” is an old word, and it has nothing to do with either acronyms or attempting to influence the quality of service. The word actually means “to give to or share with.”
Tipping is all about the experience and the interaction. If someone is genuine and is having fun doing their job–a good rule of thumb is to tip them and make their experience as good as yours was.
How To Tip Building Personelle During The Holiday Season
Wondering how much to give as a tip to your building staff? The past few years have given the people who work in buildings more to do on top of their regular workflow. When deciding how much to tip your residential service staff, consider the size of your building, quality of service, how long you have lived there, and how much you can afford. These people take care of you–so make sure you make their holidays even brighter.
A guide to help you decide how much to tip your building staff during the holidays:
- Super, resident manager: between $50-$500
- Doorman: $20-$1,000
- Porter, handyman, and maintenance staff: $20-75 each
- Garage attendant: $25-$100
- Dog Walker: $25-$50
- Housekeeper/cleaner: The equivalent of one visit. If you pay $150 each time they clean your place, give them $150 for the holidays
PRO TIP:
Some buildings have a tipping pool. In this case, residents pay into the pool, which is then divided among the staff. Most people continue to tip individually as well. Especially if they have favorite staff members.
How To Tip Your Movers
First of all–if you have decided to use professional movers–congratulations. This decision will save you stress and the wear and tear on your psyche and your body. Moving is a physical “sport”–even for the best trained and most seasoned movers. If you choose muuv–your movers are experts in the field and they love what they do. Moving is a career for them–so we love it when our customers thank them with a generous tip.
Tipping is not mandatory but it is customary everywhere in the U.S. and it’s something you should definitely work into your budget. We recommend you tip a minimum of 5%.
Before making a final decision on how much to tip a mover, you should run it by this handy tipping calculator.
Read on for more inspo to make your moving day the best day ever. And you can always reach out to us with questions about making the best decisions and choosing to move with us.
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