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As a senior at the University of Arizona who tends bar and serves food at a Midtown restaurant, Celina Blouin relies heavily on tips to pay for her education.

But with a dragging economy, Blouin, 28, said that source of income has taken a hit.

"When people used to come in, they would regularly tip 20 percent, but now it seems people are struggling to pay 15 percent," she said.

Bartenders, waiters and waitresses, hairstylists, cabdrivers and other workers who depend on tips for much of their income are among those who say they are seeing decreases as customers feeling the economic pinch trim their gratuities — or sometimes omit them entirely.

Blouin, 28, has worked at Elle Wine Country Restaurant, 3048 E. Broadway, for about two years, and she said it seems like business is a bit slower this summer than it was last year.

Her co-worker, Joe Huntsman, 31, agrees. He's also seen his tips drop from the 20 percent range down to 15 percent, and he's completely dependent on that source of income, he said.

What's more, people seem to be more careful when it comes to what they order to keep the price of their bill down, he said. Even when restaurants offer special discounts, people still don't always splurge when dining out, he said.

The problem isn't isolated to Tucson.

At the Corner Pub on Cincinnati's west side, bartender Melissa Metz can count the cost of the economic hangover in the stack of bills she has at the end of a shift.

Those tips make up the majority of her income, but they've been dwindling for months amid rising gas prices and other economic woes. Right now, her weekly income from tips is down about 25 percent.

"Some people are coming in less and maybe not staying as long when they do come in," Metz said. "And normal customers who would normally tip $5 are tipping about $2 now."

The pinch can come from many sides, as customers are also cutting down on how often they eat out, have their nails done and get other services that typically involve tipping — or spend less each time, meaning a lower total to tip on.

How much it's hurting is hard to tell, since agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Census Bureau that collect employment information don't break out tip data.

The National Bartenders Association says the amount of tip income can vary by type of bar, but tips across the board probably make up about half of many bartenders' income — and based on what it's hearing from its members, tips are down.

Association President David Craver said the economic pressure on bars and restaurants now is high, especially in very competitive markets.

"There is less overall business to begin with, and then on top of that, people are a little tighter with their money," Craver said. "Someone who might have tipped $5 may only be leaving $3 now. The next thing you know, everybody's making 25 to 30 percent less on a monthly basis than they normally do."

Hairstylists at Chappies Hair Design in Crescent Springs, Ky., say they haven't seen a cutback in individual tips, but see people waiting longer between appointments — cutting down the number of times they tip.

"Some who might have come in every four weeks for a haircut are trying to stretch it out and come in every six weeks," said general manager Carla Frazier.

But Trichia Rose, the owner of a Tucson hair and nail salon, said she's seen just the opposite occur. Her regular customers still come in, but they don't open their wallets for tips.

"Sometimes they apologize; we tell them not to worry about it, that they can tip us better later," Rose said. "We'd rather have them come in to get their hair done and not tip, than not have them come in at all."

Rose has owned Carol-Lyn Hair Designs, 2808 N. Country Club Road, since 1999, and this is the worst she's seen the tips get, she said. But she said she understands that everyone is struggling with the rising costs of gas and food.

Michael Lynn, a consumer-behavior professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, has studied tipping behavior and isn't surprised workers are reporting that it's declining. Since his studies show that people with high incomes tip more than people who earn less, he said, it follows that people tip less when the economy sours and their income drops.

"Paying $80 to fill up your gas tank can really put a chill in people," said Anthony Townsend, a professor in the College of Business at Iowa State University. "And people react to more apparent times of economic distress by tending to economize around other issues."

By occupation, the number employed and their median hourly wage, including tips:

• Waiters and waitresses: 2.4 million; $7.62.

• Bartenders: 498,090; $8.22.

• Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists: 343,320; $10.68.

• Taxi drivers and chauffeurs: 165,590; $10.01.

• Manicurists and pedicurists: 52,730; $9.60.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

In addition to showing appreciation for good service, tipping is accepted and encouraged in the United States because:

• Hourly wages are typically significantly less in the service industry, since tips are considered part of servers' income.

• Your server pays income taxes. In absence of proper documentation of tips, the government will look at the server's food and beverage sales (reported by the employer) and base taxable tip income on a percentage of it. So if you do not tip the server, it has actually cost the server money to serve you.

• Your server has to tip, too. It is very common for waiters and waitresses to have to tip out their supporting staff (bartender, bussing person, food runners and others). Bartenders may have to tip out their helpers, as well.

Source: www.tip20.com

• Wait service: 15 to 20 percent, pre-tax.

• Bartender: $1 per drink, or 15 to 20 percent of tab.

• Taxi driver: 15 percent, plus an extra buck or two if the driver helps with bags.

• Hair dresser/manicurist: 15 to 20 percent.

Source: Emily Post Institute