Here's a tip for you

Bridal Bun
Originally uploaded by ladyb.

As the Christmas season approaches, and people around me spend a fortune on gifts and parties, I found it amusing to read an article in Chicago's "Red Eye" (the equivalent of "The Messenger" ), about holiday tipping.

Now the custom of tipping is something that I'm slowly getting used to. I understand that in a cab, you take the final fare, round it up, and then add a dollar. A restaurant waiter should receive at least 15% of the total bill in tips. And the newspaper article made it clear that, at Christmas time, customers should be a little more generous than usual with their tips. After all, it said, "it's Christmas".

Fair enough, say I. So I read the article's guide with interest. But when I read in that same article, that you should tip your hairdresser 40% rather than the usual 15-20%, I nearly choked on my venti non-fat latte from Starbucks.

Because I know that the usual practice is to tip your hairdresser and your colourist separately. That revelation itself nearly killed me, particularly when I realised how much coiffing my hairdo costs in this country! And at the time of my last appointment, I thought it would only be right that I make a return appointment for Christmas, so that at least my holiday photos look pretty. But this whole "tip up to 40%" sounds a bit steep to me. What facial expression do the financially bankrupt pull?

So I'm going to have to think about whether a 24 December hair appointment (just a cut, no colour this time) is such a good idea. I can afford a 40% tip on top of my cut fee, that's not the problem. Unless my hair is going to be cut and then set to resemble a Christmas tree to put New York's Rockerfeller Centre pine to shame, then why should I give in to pressure and tip any extra than I normally would?

Sensible suggestions please (it's too cold to shave my head, so that's not an option....Dad)