You and a friend are splitting the check right down the middle, and it's time for you to tip. Do you a) Discuss the amount to leave with your friend? Or b) Tip whatever you normally would and leave it be? Well, if you're Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm, you try and force your lunch date to tip exactly the same as you are :)

A recent episode had him and Jason Alexander (aka George Costanza) fighting over the amount to tip on a meal they agreed to split down the middle. Larry suggests they tip the same amount so that one doesn't leave a lesser tip than the other (making that person look bad), but Jason wasn't having it. He felt tipping was personal and wanted to leave whatever he deemed appropriate - which, of course, drove Larry all kinds of crazy. You can see a clip of it here on youtube (start at 2:02).

It's a rather interesting predicament though, and oddly enough I was put in this EXACT same scenario 2 days after watching it! I couldn't believe it. After a friend and I had lunch, we decided to split the bill right down the middle and she looks up and goes, "Do you think we should leave the same tip? It would look pretty weird if we didn't, right?" Haha...I was dying, and of course told her about the show. I don't think she found it as exciting as I did (we're not all PF addicts), but we did agree to leave similar amounts...or at least we said we would ;)

Is there a right or wrong answer here though? Nope. Just like with everything in finance it all comes down to your own comfort level. I personally enjoy talking openly about money & tipping as I find it kills the awkwardness and allows people to share their own view points (like my 20% tipping rule), but not everyone does. When that's the case, it's usually best to leave things alone and do your own thing.

But what do you guys think about it? Are you cool with splitting the tip evenly if you've already done so with the bill? Or do you prefer to do your own thing and not discuss it? In any case, PLEASE don't be like Larry David ;) He's a funny man to watch on screen, but my damn he's annoying sometimes.

Labels: tipping

I'd like to share a few tips when driving around in cabs...A friend of mine lost his iPhone in a cab the other day and was going frantic. Not only was he on his way out of town for 3 weeks, but he's currently unemployed and was dreading the idea of picking up a new one. As with most people, his cellphone is his lifeline - esp when away from home.

But guess what? The cabdriver/good samaritan found it in his back seat! Not only did he remember my friend for the nice conversation they had, but he made a point to tell his girlfriend (who met him to get it back) that he was an excellent tipper :) While it wasn't the only reason he gave it back, the generous tip certainly stuck in his mind. So tip #1: Tip your cabbie well, especially if given good service.

Oddly enough, that same girlfriend had previously lost a wallet in a cab herself (different cab). AND, he too returned it with all id's and bills intact. Besides tipping well herself, she was also sitting in the front seat - making it super easy for the cabbie to find it! This brings us to Tip #2: Sit up front whenever possible. Your stuff will be found much easier if you leave it behind.

Of course, you could also just NOT lose anything, but we all know life doesn't work as nicely as that. Better to control those things you can, like tipping & sitting in the front seat :)

Labels: advice, in the real world, tipping

I'm tired of figuring out who gets what, and why. Plus, it'll make the math all that easier ;) So from now on it's a flat 20% wherever I go - no more ifs, ands, or butts about it!

And can you blame me? Wherever we go these days someone, somewhere, "deserves" a tip for something and i'm done thinking about it. Servers, cabbies, doormen, delivery men - they all get the same tip from me now - 20%.

Sure it may not be the *best* idea out there, but you know what? It makes life simple, and sometimes you just have to do what's right for the brain! It's definitely worth at least considering. Hell, you might already be doing it! If you're trying to calculate a 17% tip on a $24 meal, odds are you'll round up and get close to the 20% mark without even realizing it.

Of course, that alone isn't enough to convince the naysayers, so I've put together a list of PROS and CONS that'll help make it easier for you:

PROS of Always Tipping 20%

• You NEVER have to think about it again! This is a biggie because it's one of the most annoying things you have to deal with after eating/drinking/getting your hair cut/whatever.
• You come off as an exceptional tipper, no matter the case! If people, on average, are tipping 15-20%, you're automatically looking great. Everyone likes to come off as a baller, and this, my friends, helps to maintain this image ;)
• It's easy to calculate! No more whipping out the "tip calculator" on your cell phone. All you have to do is add $2.00 for every $10.00 of service/food/etc. that you spend. EASY! Spend $4o bucks, tack on an additional $8. Spend $47, round up and add $10, or round down to $45 and make it $9 - that's it!
• It FEELS great too. The more you give, the better you feel about it! Anyone who's ever worked in the service industry can tell you that a larger tip makes all the difference in the world, esp. since they're always getting gypped.

CONS of Always Tipping 20%

• You have less money in your pocket. Sure, but it's not ALL that much less, you know? On that same $40 example, a 17% tip would still set you back, what, $6.80? (had to use that cell phone calculator again) That's a $1.20 difference. Yeah it adds up over time, but peace of mind definitely trumps this in my opinion.
• You might overtip for horrendous service! Probably the strongest case against the 20% rule. If you were treated like a jerk the whole time, it's going to take a lot of willpower to drop a hefty tip for them. Maybe this could be the one exception to the rule?
• You could make your friends look bad. Kind of a stretch, but it's possible! This comes into play more when splitting the bills with those who skimp on the tips. Everyone has their own reasons for the amount they give, but you still run the possibility of making them feel like they "have to" throw in a few extra dollars now.

It's definitely tempting, right? It won't be for everyone, sure, but it's certainly an idea. It's not like i'm the smartest, or even first, man in the world really for coming up with this. But i tell you what, when that check comes floating by next time - you better believe I'll be looking the most relaxed :)

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PS: This also reminded me of the whole "tipping BEFORE you started the service" topic we went over months ago! Remember that? Good times, good times.

Labels: tipping

I've hinted about some of these before, but i guess i'm not done w/ it yet ;)

I can't help it really, anything having to do with tipping or splitting the check gets my blood pumping. It's one of those things we'll forever be debating in the frugal playground of ours.

So I dedicate today's post to my man Student Scrooge who dug up some pretty interesting tipping techniques used by your friendly waiters/waitresses. You might have seen them in the carnival i hosted last week, but i thought they deserved a more thorough looking at. You see, i sometimes have a hard time NOT giving my opinion on things ;)

Here are the 7 "tricks" that were found to be successful.

1. Wearing something unusual. Unless you're wearing your skimpies, this sure isn't going to affect the tip i give you. Not even if you have 37 pieces of flair like that pretty boy Brian.
2. Introducing yourself by name. I can def. see the appeal on this one - getting you to feel all personal and friendly. Not sure it would get me to tip more, but it sure works when i need to call them back over!
3. Squatting next to the table. I cannot stand this one! They do this alot at Hooters (or so i hear), and it always comes across so fake and insincere. Yes we know you have large melons. No you don't need to plop them on the table and beg for more money. It also bugs me at other places cuz now you're literally talking DOWN to them which feels awkward to me. I like looking up and giving my orders the old fashioned way.
4. Repeating customers’ orders. I like this one :) Anything that gets you to bring over the right order is a-okay in my books! this is more about doing a great job overall, though, than any trickery.
5. Smiling at customers. Yes, this always helps! If you look like you're actually in a good mood and happy to be there, then i'm way more inclined to pay up and keep the smiles coming. All about being positive and "caring" about your job.
6. Writing "Thank You" on the check. Sure, why not? A quick little scribble that let's you know they appreciate you being there without getting all up in your space. Student Scrooge even threw out the idea of smilie faces which i just freakin' adore to be honest with you. smiley :) face :)
7. Calling customers by name. Hmm.....i can't tell on this one. it would have to mean that they'd ask for your name at some point, and if there are more than just 1 of you, they'd have to ask for all of them, right? Unless we're talking about a "Thanks Mr. Johnson" after seeing your name on your c/c...in which case it's kinda nice.

All of this is totally a matter of opinion, ofcourse, but i can't help but wonder if these really just work on the less-frugal minded? Any waiters/waitresses have any dirt on this? Or even your own tips & tricks? Curious minds want to know :)

Labels: tipping

That's right buster, what do ya think will happen if you tip FIRST? My man Baily over at the Change Race is trying to re-write the rules, and I think he's got it right!

"...But one of my things in life, is I think we should tip BEFORE we get the service. After the service is done, it isn't going to get any better. Why not tip BEFORE dinner, the thinking being you are probably going to get a bit better service. Make your tip worthwhile."

Interesting concept! I really think he's on to something here. At first i was like, "Oh $hit, that would totally work!" but the more i thought about it, and the more Mrs. Budgetsaresexy started playing devil's advocate, the more diluted our suggested outcomes became. I mean, there are a TON of variables here. I decided to list a handful of them just for fun :)

The "Servicer's" mood.
For example, what if the "servicer" is in a fantastic mood already when you tipped first? Wouldn't that person had served you well no matter when you gave him/her the money, and no matter the size? I suppose giving a more substantial amount might alter it a bit, but that's not really the point here. We're talking about the simple fact of tipping up front rather than later.

Their general work ethic, and overall nice-ness.
This could greatly affect a person's service to you regardless of tipping up front (and sometimes even afterward). Say the servicer is an overall good, and honest, person. In this case, wouldn't the personal already have carried out an excellent service because it's already in their nature? I mean, maybe they'd now feel a little less stressed about how much they'd be getting, but i feel like unless you're dropping incredibly low or high amounts for them, you wouldn't really see a difference.

Now let's say the servicer sucks at his job, and doesn't really give a crap. More often than not he'll serve you the same way every time because his overall mood is horrible. While he'd enjoy getting larger tips, he'd never alter his service...but maybe tipping him first would shock him into reality and subconsciously do the trick? Would be interesting to try, that's for sure.

Using the same servicers.
It would also be irrelevant if you routinely used the same servicers, as they would already understand your tipping habits. If you use the same guy to park your car every day at work, for example, they'll already expect a certain size tip based on all previous encounters with him. So unless you're gonna start paying BIGGER tips up front, i doubt you'd notice any change.

The actual service being requested.
It also depends on WHAT the service actually is. If it's a mere taxi/bus ride, like in Baily's example, the service is pretty clean cut- You drive me from point A to B. Now let's say you're ordering a meal. This changes everything, as you wouldn't even know how much to tip because you haven't ordered your meal & drinks yet. (i guess you could always drop it right after you ordered...that would at least cut the extra variable)

But there's another more obvious downfall that could occur here - you could very well eliminate the servicers motivation!

Think about it. If you've already paid for the "service" you haven't even got yet, why should they go out of their way to help you? They've already gotten what they wanted - a decent tip. Unless you're ballsy enough to ask for part of the tip back (making the experiment even more interesting), you could have very well paid to receive crappy service. Of course, this goes back to the original variables of the person's work ethic & morality.

On the other hand, your initial tip may also suggest that more tips are on their way! I doubt anyone will think to themselves, "Hey, this guy is tipping me BEFORE the service". Thus, increasing the level of service assuming they will get even more tips to come ;) In this case, however, you may come out as a potential a-hole.

As you can see, there are a plethora of different responses you might get by doing this, and i've certainly wasted some time trying to come up with them all! haha...But after all is said and done, I'm willing to bet that you WOULD, in fact, get treated better by tipping first. Perhaps i'm a bit naive, but I'd like to think that the world is a little more "good" than bad when it comes down to it.

I'd like to say i had more factual-based evidence here, but unfortunately Baily's been a bit slacking on showing his results ;) Ya hear that buster? We all wanna know! Shoot us a comment when you get a chance. And in the meantime, I encourage you to give it a shot too. If my goldfish-brain allows me to remember it, I sure as hell am gonna try it!

Update: Baily posted his findings! Check it out...

Labels: randomness 3000, tipping