Tipping

[mountanddo]

Has filing for bankrupcy affected your tipping habits?

I know that before I was in trouble with my credit cards I thought nothing of tipping my hair stylist $5-10 depending on what I got done.

After I was unable to pay for my credit cards and started using cash that amount has drastically been reduced to $2-3.

Now that I am filing C-13 I am seriously considering not tipping at all. I would like that money in my emergency fund rather than someone elses but I still do need to get my haircut and would like to eat out once in awhile. I mean I do pay for the service I just won't be tipping any extra.

How acceptable do you think this is and have your tipping habits changed at all through this whole process. I am also curious if your opinion is swayed if you are in the "service" industry that relies on tips that people give you.

[BKOnce]

Tipping= Random Act of Kindness...

[HHM]

Not tipping in a situation where it is conventional and expected would be bad form (eating out, hair cut, etc). You simply need to factor it in your budget for the service. Basically, not tipping would be like going to the grocery store, drinking half a carton of milk and expecting the store to sell it to you for half price.

So, I think "not tipping" is not the answer.

For most people, there are really only 2 scenarios where tipping comes up, eating out and hair cut. Beyond that, if you are using other services where tipping is expected, you are not serious about budgeting and lifestyle control.

Eating out 15%.
Hair Cut, I am more along the 10-15% opinion.

So, if you plan on taking your family to a sit down restaurant, have the tip factored in the budget.

[zactak]

I agree with HHM. Not tipping when it's conventional is poor etiquette. In regards to getting your haircut, if you can't afford to tip, go somewhere cheaper, find a friend to cut your hair, or go longer between haircuts until you can afford a tip.

In regards to going out to eat, if you can't afford to tip, don't go out. Servers have a far less minimum wage than a normal employee. Friends of mine that are servers get paid just over $3.00 an hour. Your tip isn't going to typically be going to any savings of theirs, it's going to their bills. If you can't afford to tip, give up going out. It's, in my opinion, rude.

I actually typically tip more now on the rare occasion I go out. I know how little these people make and I make sure I can afford a 20% tip before I go out. If I can't afford it, I don't go out.

[banca rotta]

Now that I am filing C-13 I am seriously considering not tipping at all. I would like that money in my emergency fund rather than someone elses but I still do need to get my haircut and would like to eat out once in awhile. I mean I do pay for the service I just won't be tipping any extra.

How acceptable do you think this is and have your tipping habits changed at all through this whole process. I am also curious if your opinion is swayed if you are in the "service" industry that relies on tips that people give you.

The answer is it's unacceptable!!! Especially in the case of a waiter who brings you and your family food and drinks mostly for tips.

My tipping habits did not change in anyway since I think it's immoral to have servants do my dirty work for free of charge.

As HHM mentioned include the average percentage of tip in your budget and just don't eat out as much if you don't have the money.

You have to figure the only reason most eat out is because they don't feel like cooking and cleaning themselves. It's not right to have others do this for you for free.

[helpmeout]

At a sitdown restaurant, I will tip 15-20% depending on how messy my kids are. At a restaurant that has take out, I will tip a couple of dollars if they bring it out to my car. If I have to go in to pick up the food, I don't tip. I only go twice a year to a hair stylist, how much I tip depends on what I have done.

[mountanddo]

I see I have generated quite a bit of emotional response to this question..which is was just a question. That's why I asked.

[bcohen]

Sure, my "tipping habits" changed as a result of being poor--I very rarely go to places where giving a tip is expected. I still tip generously for good service, but I hardly ever eat in a restaurant, and I only get my hair cut twice a year. I like to cook, so whenever I have the time to cook a fresh meal, I do so. Also, I can buy prepared foods in the local high-end grocery store and at Trader Joes that rival the quality of a restaurant meal for a fraction of the cost--and no tip is required.

Heck, in my state, there isn't even any sales tax on refrigerated meals (or any other food product that isn't sold hot) in a grocery store, compared to a 9.1% tax in a restaurant. Adding tax and tip to an already overpriced meal makes eating out even MORE of a waste of money! It's no wonder that restaurants are closing in droves here!

But in answer to your original question, you are right that when I had "credit card money" to pay with, I was much more inclined to eat out and waste money on sh!t that I really don't need, and rarely miss!

[ValleYum]

I still tip. But I now tip based on the quality of service given to me rather than the automatic 15-20% I tipped before.

To not tip at all is not acceptable to me.

I have never worked for tips.

Just so you know, in many states, waitstaff earn a small hourly wage and depend on being tipped to equalize their hourly rate to minimum wage or better. An example: In Alabama, waitstaff earn $2.13 per hour while minimum wage is $7.25. You can see from this more than $5.00 per hour differential that they would have to depend on tips.

I, as many others have stated, just factor tipping into the cost of my rare haircut or meal out.

[frogger]

$2.13 per hour is the rate for waiters here. They do depend on tips to feed their family, so if you can't or won't tip, then don't eat out.

We can eat better at home than eating out, so that's what we do 99% of the time. However, when we do eat out, we tip. If the service is not worth a tip, then we advise management and go elsewhere.

[HHM]

emotional response to this question

None of the responses have been emotional, but if that is what you need to tell yourself to delude yourself that you are still right, then so be it

[AngelinaCatHub]

Before we became BK meat, I always tipped well. It insures good service and appreciation. Now, we cannot afford to go out. Even in our depressed county, a two person meal in a fair restaurant with one mixed drink is about fifty bucks. If we want an occasional pizza, we order it and go fetch it. No tip at all. If I walk in, order it and it is brought out to my car, a buck. My Mrs. now cuts my hair, NO TIP!!! LOL. Once or twice a year she gets hers cut and tips about ten bucks. I am capable of doing all household repair, and of course no tip but what I have saved doing it myself.

Tips are expected where obviously appropriate. However in our area, many family owned food places are going away. 'Hub

[Freddy03]

I tip according to service. I understand wait staff live off tips (been there done that) but lately I have noticed a lot of our regular "chain" resturants the waitress/waiters could careless that you are there. If I have a bad experience I always tell the manager and I will leave just 10%.

[mountanddo]

I don't think anywhere in my post did I elude to the fact that I was right. I was just asking the question. Usually when one puts !!!!! after a sentence it's indicating some sort of emotion and that is why I said that. The main reason why I asked is because I sometimes I go to a chinese buffet and all the server does is initially bring your drink, dissapear and then expect a tip. As for when I get my haircut I normally alway's tip $5-10 even if I don't like it. So I guess I will tip based on service and not what is expected. I'm sorta sorry I brought it up because I'm not cheap, just trying to live within my budget.

[bcohen]

I tip according to service. I understand wait staff live off tips (been there done that) but lately I have noticed a lot of our regular "chain" resturants the waitress/waiters could careless that you are there. If I have a bad experience I always tell the manager and I will leave just 10%.

If I have a bad experience--which is extremely rare then I'd leave zero percent. The tip is not an entitlement; it is given in order to show appreciation for good, prompt service. It is not my problem if the waitress is a single mother living in poverty, etc. If she is rude, takes forever to bring the food, or neglects us even though the restaurant is not crowded at all, then a zero tip is warranted, and I wouldn't feel bad about it or be embarrased because of it since I wouldn't be planning to set foot in that restaurant again.

However, this is not really the topic of the thread. The OP was asking whether he should tip stingily even though he has been treated well and given good service, because of the fact that he's poor. That would of course be wrong, because people who depend on tips need that money to survive, and it's not their fault you're poor.