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Holiday Tipping Quiz

How much should you leave for good service?

John Waggoner

AARP

En español

Published December 14, 2021

10 Questions

Holiday Tipping Quiz

[ {
  "question" : "How much should you tip your housekeeper at the end of the year?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "A thoughtful gift",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "A thoughtful gift and one session’s pay",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Nothing",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "One session’s pay",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "According to Care.com, up to one cleaning session’s pay is fine, and a small gift is appropriate.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "How much do you tip a parking valet?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Nothing",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$1",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$2-$5",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "$10",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "According to Emily Post Etiquette, you should tip when the car is returned.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "It’s a busy night at a hot new restaurant on New Year’s Eve. You implore the maître ‘d to find you a table, and she does. How much do you tip?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "$10-$20",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "$5-$15",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$1-$5",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Nothing",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "If a maître d’ goes above and beyond to fit you in on a busy night, tip them. On a regular night there’s no need.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "You grabbed an Uber to get to your friend’s house for Thanksgiving. How much should you tip your driver?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Nothing. It’s built into the fare",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "5 percent; they make more in salary than cab drivers",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "7 percent; hey, they have to make a living, too.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "10 to 20 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Uber and other rideshare drivers must pay for gas, clean the car and pay for tune-ups.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Your meal cost $75, with $6 in taxes. Should you calculate your tip on $75, or $81?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "$75",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "$81",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Tip on the service the restaurant provides. On the other hand, if you tip at 15 percent, you’re saving a whopping 90 cents in this example … during a holiday.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "It’s the day before a big holiday dinner, and the grocery delivery man brings lots of groceries to your door. According to our own pandemic tipping guide, you should tip:",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "10 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "5 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Nothing",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "You may be able to include the tip when you submit the order.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "As of November 2021, how much is the federal minimum hourly wage for tipped employees?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "$15.00",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$7.25",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "$2.14",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "$5.50",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "In most states, if the employee does not receive enough in tips to equal the state minimum wage, the employer must provide the difference.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "You’ve decided to go to Paris for the holidays. How much do you tip your waiter?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Nothing. There is no tipping in France or the Eurozone.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Five to 10 percent.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "At least 25 percent.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "As with any restaurant, you can tip as the spirit moves you, but the French expect 5 to 10 percent for good service.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Should you give an in-home nurse a tip?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Yes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "No",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Give a gift instead",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Traditionally, a thoughtful gift is a better way to show your appreciation for an in-home nurse or other caregiver.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What should you tip a bartender?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "1-5 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "5-10 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "15-20 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Bartenders work for tips, and a good bartender often treats good tippers better than non-tippers.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Holiday Tipping Quiz

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John Waggoner was AARP's money editor from 2019 to 2024, covering everything from budgeting and taxes to retirement planning and Social Security. He was previously a reporter for Kiplinger's Personal Finance and  USA Today and has written books on investing and the 2008 financial crisis. Waggoner's  USA Today investing column ran in dozens of newspapers for 25 years.