BellaOnline Forums Money Frugal Living Tipping When You Are Poor

I have not double tipped, but I do take offense at restaurants that put their own gratuity on the bill. That is presumptious and rude, and not restaurants that I would frequent again. Restaurants make a profit just on the food as it is. The person being served should have the call on how much to tip or whether to tip at all, depending on the service.

It's funny, the free samples idea. I went to my local grocer yesterday and I was also hungry. I looked around and had a tiny three course meal for free - there were free samples of some chicken salad at the deli, free cantalope in the produce section, and free pineapple upside down cake in the bakery area. I probably could have tasted some deli cheeses/meats but wasn't up to asking.

That's neat, Jilly. When my boyfriend and I used to go to the grocery store, especially to Sam's Club, he'd always check out the free samples. I never had the urge to do that.

Jilly, so true... Some stores such as Sam's, Wegmans even Target have the freebie food sample tables. You only have to listen to a 2 second talk about what it is, where it is in the store, would you like a coupon and there you go.

I was starved when I went into a super target a couple of weeks ago and the sample ladies were out. They let me sample each flavor of tea and there was a delicious ham and cheese on some sort of cracker. It was so good and filling!

Hello all and Connie,

That is nice especially when there is a team that works together, but more often than not there is just a them and us situation, we in front and you in the back supporting us in the front.

Here is SA things are changing and have changed for many reasons, but there was a time when identifying an employee of the month for singling out for an extra bonus and accolade or certificate etc was a very unusual concept amongst the 'black' cultures.

After all, how can I get the prize for unloading the sacks off the truck? There would be no truck there but for the driver, or the people who grew what was in the sacks, or made the sacks or packed the sacks or or or and so on. In many rural places here in SA the employee of the month can only work in teams. Hope these few words put across the point I am wanting to make and it does make a lot of sense. No man is an island!

Back to tipping, I wonder when tipping becomes bribing? Has anyone thought about that connection - given that there is one? Do we have an ETHICS forum?

Cheers now

Lestie, you brought up some extremely valid points which are part of the reason we North americans need to take a good hard look at the tipping issue. The wonderful melange of cultures and various socioeconomic situations we have limit that way we pay tipping situations into such an odd mess that needs to be changed.

It might well be a form of bribing. More of a 'greasing the wheels' kind of bribery, one that is socially accepted and expected.

I am spending some time at a used bookstore coffeeshop. I am not tipping. I've been buying some teas and pastries now and then to justify my table, and even a few used books, but I really don't think I should tip someone when I stand at a counter and they hand me something.

Right? Wrong?

Right, Jilly. No tipping needed when you stand at a counter to order and pick up your food. Buying something while in an establishment like that is compensation enough.

One thing some of you seem to not know is that the server usually has to pay taxes on a percentage of their receipts, it used to be 8%. So whether you tip or not, the government assumes that they made 8% of the sale price as a tip and they must pay taxes on it even if you gave them nothing. So they can actually end up having to pay to serve you if you're a habitual non tipper.