If you’ve ever travelled through America, you’ll quickly become accustomed to their deeply entrenched tipping culture, which requires you to have a ready supply of dollar notes to tip waiters, doormen, cabbies, housekeepers, hairdressers, beauticians, the list goes on – in fact it seems anyone who provides you with a service, to boost their low wage earnings.

If you don’t have the right cash – or worse, you don’t realise you’re meant to tip generously! - you’re almost in danger of bodily injury. And if you’ve just landed and have only credit cards or large-denomination bills, what then?

A wonderful, inexpensive gift for people travelling to the US, honeymooners, or maybe your twentysomethings on a backpacking trip, is the Where’s My Tip gift card.

You simply hand out the gift cards each time you’re required to tip, and they visit the Where’s My Tip website to request their tip from you, even helpfully(!) providing a suggested tip amount. You then pay it via credit card or Paypal, which will then go to them.

It costs $100 to join, providing you with 100 x Where’s My Tip gift cards, with each extra gift card costing $0.50.

I think this could really catch on, and what a great idea for businesses such as travel agents to include in your suite of touring materials!

Well, not by me but by the US gurus in the wedding industry. These are the predicted hot trends for weddings for 2009:

* Smaller weddings with fewer guests (great for ultra-private Scorpios or for Leos wanting to make an impact for the same money)

* Destination weddings (music to the ears of a Sagittarius) or destination type weddings closer to home (ideal for Cancerians)

* Accent colours on dresses and cakes with the most popular being greens and blues (those sea-greens are often beloved by Pisces)

* Increased reliance on family and friends to help plan, pay, and provide some of the services (money-minded Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn wouldn’t hesitate to get people to chip in or help in some way)

* Increased use of green and eco-friendly products and services (this will probably appeal to the Aquarians)

* Simplified decorations, centrepieces and wedding invitations (Virgo usually can’t bear fussiness and prefers clean and simple)

* Increased use of online RSVPs vs. traditional mail-in RSVPs (could appeal to communication-crazy Geminis or Aries wanting to know the answer NOW)

* Off-peak weddings: mornings, afternoons, Fridays, Sundays, not in March etc – great for Aquarians wanting to be different or Scorpios who don’t want the hordes looking on

* Buffet meals, hors d’oeuvre, and cocktail receptions (Both Aries and Geminis don’t like to sit around all night at a meal so this could be ideal while Librans do like elegant cocktail parties)

* Cheesecakes, cupcakes and miniature cakes (line up, line up Taurus and Libra – the sweet tooths of the zodiac)

* All-inclusive packages (the earth signs again – keeping an eye on budgets).

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, March is the most popular month for weddings. It’s past the downpours of January and February, Christmas craziness in December, and it’s still beautifully warm. So if you’ve got a wedding to attend and you’re trying to decide what to get them from their wedding list – or something not on the gift registry at all, here is a quick rundown to what the bride might like according to her Sun sign. Yeah, well, it’s an unusual groom who is terribly interested what is being put on the gift list…

Aries – buy them an adrenalin-pumping experience – parachuting, scuba diving, flying a helicopter, rally driving etc. Anything that makes them scream with excitement and generates a bit of sexy competition with the groom…

Taurus – they really love their food so a gourmet hamper would be great. Music soothes their soul as does something to do with the garden – a pair of topiary trees or perhaps a beautiful wire or stone wall sconce to provide candlelit dinners outside?

Gemini – they love their books and communication devices. What about a truly beautiful coffee table book? Or coffee table? Some Geminis might be excited to get a new laptop, mobile or iPod.

Cancer – these lovely homebodies really love their house. A snugly cashmere throw, a stunning framed photograph of their family or something to do with cooking – a large Le Creuset baking dish? – could do the trick.

Leo – they love glamour and often imagine themselves as a movie star ready for their close-up. Most Leos love mirrored items so a mirrored jewellery box could be ideal. A leather-bound guest book for the hallway? A couple’s glamour photography shoot?

Virgo – health and work are two of their twin loves. If your budget runs to it, a treadmill would be fantastic. They also appreciate self-help books. They also love a tidy house – what about going in with others on a professional cleaner?

Libra – these guys are the original romance junkies. They can never have too many candelabras, crystal cut vases, or chandeliers to set the mood. Or what about a year’s supply of fresh flowers delivered weekly?

Scorpio – these sexy sorts are notoriously private about their private lives (a home safe could be a cracker of a gift) but a set of exquisite Egyptian cotton sheets could be highly appreciated. A video camera to make um, home movies?

Sagittarius – if they requested no gifts, but money towards their honeymoon instead, I wouldn’t be surprised – Saggies lurrve their travel. Think about a set of Lonely Planet books to destinations they’ve long craved to visit, binoculars, snazzy backpacks or other travel accessories. Go on, give them a gift voucher for Virgin Blue.

Capricorn – keen on their careers and being a pillar of society, they want “establishment” items. If you buy only one thing, make it the very best, but not bling-y. Antiques often go down well.

Aquarius – their friends are their family so think about things that make it easy to have friends over all the time – it could be of those outdoor mushroom heaters you see at bars, a cool BBQ set or what about a great iPod docking station? Those with a humanitarian bent could appreciate a wedding gift whose purchase helps a Third World community.

Pisces – Mystical, musical and/or movie-mad – any of these interests are things Pisces usually likes. Give them a thumping great set of speakers and sub-woofers, a feng shui consultant for their home or what about a boxed DVD set of their favourite movie stars.