How Much Is Right? Let Your Goodwill Be Your Guide.

"There is no rule, but a week's salary for every year the nanny has been with you" is one guideline, says Barbara Kline, owner of White House Nannies in Bethesda. That can seem astronomical for a longtime nanny, she says, but "people need to look at this seriously because nannies are the people who make their lives work." Other ways to say thanks and "please stay with us" include a plane trip home or full health insurance.

Newspaper deliverers

"If elderly people say, 'I need the paper on the porch,' and the carrier

doesn't do that, they won't get much of a response in the little envelope they leave. If the carrier responds, customers are apt to be generous at Christmastime," says Spyros Loukas, a Washington Post circulation division manager, noting that holiday tips to these independent contractors can range from $10 to $30 or $50. And although carriers work 365 days a year in all weather, "we never try to tie service to any kind of financial inducement."

Parcel delivery

"Some but not all of my clients give $10 or $20 at the holidays, and I am very thankful," says a FedEx driver who would not give his name because he is not authorized to talk to reporters. Other clients "give gift cards for gasoline, minor stuff. It's nice."

Personal trainers

At the downtown YWCA, where Mia Rapier is fitness director, clients pay $45 to $60 a session; her private trainees pay up to $85. For both, tipping is age-driven. "The older ones tend to be more generous, usually $100 or $150 if I see them one or two times a week. The younger ones give me a holiday card. Maybe they see me as more of an equal or friend." A bachelor client recently offered to take her to dinner at an expensive restaurant "and I jokingly said, 'Why don't you give me the cash equivalent of dinner?' "

Trash collectors

Most municipalities bar their employees from accepting money and all but token gifts. However, people who frequently put out bulky items or excessive amounts of trash, or are just grateful for the service at all, sometimes give cash -- $10 to $20 -- sweets and libations.