Inflation is hurting holiday tipping. Here's what Americans plan to give this year.

Dec 07, 2022

The highest inflation in four decades is undermining the custom of tipping everyone from housekeepers and childcare workers to teachers and landscapers for the holidays.

Even so, more consumers said they plan to hand out holiday tips this year compared with 2021, which could help balance out the smaller gratuities, noted Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for Bankrate.

For instance, about 56% of people said they will tip their housekeepers this year, up from 47% last year. .

"People have less money to go around, but there is this civic duty that people realize this is a shared burden: 'I have to give something, although maybe I can't give quite as much as I want or as much as last year'," Rossman said.

For instance, only half of Americans plan to give their children's teacher a tip this year, while about one-third said they'll give to their mail carrier, Bankrate found. .

One reason may be anxiety over how much to give and whether such tips are appropriate, Rossman noted.

"We found 26% of people tip more when presented with pre-set tip amounts," Rossman said.

Here's how much Americans plan to tip for the holidays this year compared to in 2021: