Everyday life in the U.S.: time, money, units and holidays

Step 1 — Set the right time

The United States and its territories have nine standard time zones: Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii-Aleutian, Samoa and Chamorro (eCFR — 49 CFR 71.1). You can see the official U.S. time for each zone at time.gov (NIST — time.gov).

Daylight saving time (DST) is the part of the year when clocks move one hour ahead — “spring forward, fall back” (NIST — DST rules). It starts at 2 a.m. local time on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2 a.m. local time on the first Sunday of November; in 2026, it ends on November 1 (NIST). DST is not observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (DOT — Daylight Saving Time). Computers apply the time zone and DST through their operating system, so NIST says it’s important to keep that system updated (NIST).

You may see news about ending the clock changes. The House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14, 2026 (House Clerk — Roll Call 238), but as of October 10, 2026, it was waiting in a Senate committee and was not law (Congress.gov — H.R. 139).

a.m. and p.m. “A.m.” means before noon and “p.m.” means after noon; NIST calls “12 a.m.” and “12 p.m.” ambiguous and suggests saying “noon” or “midnight” instead (NIST — Times of Day FAQs).

Step 2 — Check your plugs before you charge anything

The Department of Energy says the U.S. uses 110–120 volts at 60 Hz, while many other countries use 220–240 volts at 50 Hz, and it advises travelers to make sure they have an appropriate converter for their devices (DOE — Electricity 101). Standard U.S. plugs have two or three prongs; the third one is the ground, which helps protect you from electric shock (DOE). A general tip: read the voltage on the label of your charger or appliance before you plug it in.

Step 3 — Get to know U.S. money

Bills. The Federal Reserve issues $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes (U.S. Currency Education Program — Denominations). Older designs still count: it is U.S. government policy that all designs of Federal Reserve notes, from 1914 to today, remain legal tender (uscurrency.gov — Older-design notes).

Coins. The nickel is worth 5 cents, the dime 10 cents and the quarter 25 cents; half dollars (50 cents) are usually made for collectors, and dollar coins turn up only sometimes in change (U.S. Mint — Circulating Coins). In 2026 only, dimes and quarters have special designs for the country’s 250th anniversary (U.S. Mint).

The penny. The U.S. Mint struck its last circulating one-cent coin, the penny, on November 12, 2025 (U.S. Mint — press release). Pennies remain legal tender, and businesses can still price goods in one-cent steps (U.S. Mint).

Cash isn’t always accepted. No federal law requires a private business to accept cash or coins, though some state or local laws may (uscurrency.gov). A general tip: carry a card as well; our guide to opening a bank account explains how to get one.

Spotting a fake. The U.S. Currency Education Program shows the security features of every note (uscurrency.gov). On the current $100 note, for example (uscurrency.gov — $100 note):

• Tilt it: the bell in the copper inkwell and the 100 in the lower right corner change from copper to green, and the bells in the blue ribbon change to 100s (uscurrency.gov).
• Hold it to light: you’ll see a faint portrait of Benjamin Franklin and a thread printed with “USA” and “100” (uscurrency.gov).
• Feel it: Franklin’s shoulder should feel rough (uscurrency.gov).

If you think you received a counterfeit, the Secret Service says to take it to your local police department; your bank may also help identify it (U.S. Secret Service).

Step 4 — Understand tips and service charges

The Department of Labor’s rules don’t tell customers how much to tip; they cover how tipped workers are paid (DOL). Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a tipped employee regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips (DOL — Fact Sheet #15). An employer may pay a tipped worker a cash wage of at least $2.13 an hour and count tips toward the federal minimum wage of $7.25; if tips and wages together fall short in a workweek, the employer must make up the difference (DOL). Some states require a higher cash wage or don’t allow tips to count toward the minimum wage (DOL); DOL keeps a state-by-state table (DOL — Tipped employees by state).

Two more federal rules help you read a bill:

• Employers, including managers and supervisors, may not keep any part of employees’ tips (DOL).
• A compulsory service charge — for example, 15 percent of the bill — is not considered a tip under the FLSA (DOL).

A general tip: if a bill shows a service charge and you’re not sure what it covers, ask; if you don’t know what’s usual where you live, ask someone you trust locally. If you work in a tipped job yourself, see your rights in our guide to finding a job.

Step 5 — Read measurements and temperatures

U.S. policy permits either metric (SI) or U.S. customary units (NIST — Metrication FAQs), so many businesses use both (NIST — U.S. Metrication). Packaged products covered by the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act must show both metric and U.S. customary units, but USDA-regulated meat, poultry and catfish don’t have to show metric (NIST — Packaging and Labeling FAQs). NIST also notes that U.S. customary units differ from British imperial units (NIST — Metrication FAQs).

NIST’s approximate conversions (NIST — Approximate Conversions):

Temperature. To turn degrees Fahrenheit (°F) into degrees Celsius (°C), subtract 32, then divide by 1.8 (NIST). Some reference points from NIST (NIST — Temperature):

For older recipes, NIST’s table puts a “moderate” oven at 350 to 375 °F, about 180 to 190 °C (NIST — Temperature).

Step 6 — Write dates and addresses the U.S. way

Dates. Dates can be written month first. For example, USCIS tells employees to write their date of birth on Form I-9 as mm/dd/yyyy, so January 8, 1980, becomes 01/08/1980 (USCIS — Handbook for Employers). A general tip: check which order each form asks for, and read dates on letters and receipts carefully.

Addresses. In the U.S. Postal Service’s addressing standard, the delivery line starts with the house or building number, followed by the street name and the street type (USPS — Publication 28, section 231). An apartment or suite number is best placed at the end of the same line, after a word such as APT, STE or UNIT (USPS — Publication 28, section 213). The last line has the city, the two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP Code (USPS — Publication 28, section 224). To find the ZIP Code for a street address, use the USPS ZIP Code Lookup (USPS).

Save your full address, with the apartment number, in your phone. You’ll need it often, including in an emergency; see who to call.

Step 7 — Plan around federal holidays

Federal law (5 U.S.C. 6103) sets the public holidays for federal employees (OPM — Federal Holidays). On those days, many government offices and some private businesses close (USA.gov — Federal holidays). Federal wage law (the FLSA) doesn’t require pay for holidays not worked; that is generally agreed between employer and employee (DOL — Holiday Pay). States may also recognize their own holidays, and some well-known days, such as Halloween, are not federal holidays (USA.gov).

The 2027 federal holidays, as OPM lists them for most federal employees (OPM); Washington’s Birthday is also known as Presidents Day (USA.gov):

“Observed” means the holiday itself falls on a weekend, so most federal employees get the Friday before or the Monday after (OPM). Not every organization does the same: in 2026, OPM treated Friday, July 3, as the Independence Day holiday for most federal employees (OPM), but post offices were open that Friday and closed on Saturday, July 4 (USPS). Still to come in 2026: Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11), Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 26) and Christmas Day (Friday, December 25) (OPM).