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This is a post by BargainBabe.com reader Yazmin Cruz.
A recent story on holiday tipping from USA Today caught my attention because of the angry comments left by online readers. The uproar got me thinking about holiday tipping in a weak economy. Below I share four suggestions if you want to tip, but are strapped for money.
- Gift cards – Gift cards are super convenient and I feel like it looks better to hand over a card than a $10 bill when I’m low on cash. I’ve given gift cards to my mail carrier and newspaper deliverer (when I still subscribed to a paper). I wait to purchase these when a good deal comes along like getting a free drink with the purchase. I’ve also gifted cards that I’ve earned online.
- Baked goods – A plate or tin box filled with homemade goods shows appreciation and is a thoughtful gift.
- Holiday card – I asked around for ideas and a holiday card with a hand written note kept coming up. I was hesitant to include it because as I mentioned in my post about what to do for a friend who has been laid off, I dislike paying for cards that will end up in the trash. I do like the idea of the hand written note along with a small gift.
- Daily deal certificate – The jury is still out on this one as some consider it tacky gifting a discounted certificate, but I say it’s better than nothing.
A while back I blogged about tipping etiquette to avoid overspending throughout the year. If you were a generous tipper all year, do you think it’s fine to go smaller for the holidays? I would prioritize the most important service providers and give a little more to those who have an impact on making my life a bit easier. How is the weak economy going to affect your holiday tipping?
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Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
I happen to know that my mail carrier often has lunch at El Poilo Loco, so I usually give him a gift card from there, along with any coupons I have for there. Tipping the people who deliver the newspaper depends on whether the newspaper lands on my front walkway, or on the wet grass… the latter is a no-no for me. I tip the gal who does my hair based on what i’ve given her for special occasions during the year, and also because she’s a friend. She loves playing the lotto, so I always get a quick pick, along with a few scratchers, as well as some extra money. For her birthday I gave her a gift card for the market where she shops. If the gardeners have done a particularly good job, I give them something extra at the time. Since my former gardener moved away, I haven’t had the new ones long enough to determine whether to tip or not; but they’ve slipped up on what I consider obvious jobs recently, and I had to point that out to them.