Tipping- Part XLV

[GullFoss]

I've was eating out lunch 5x per week, door dash 2x per week, dinner our 1x per week, coffee out 10x per week until early-2023...$200 per week easy.

But now...Between tipping and menu prices inflation, I feel ripped off whenever I go out. And when going out becomes a demeaning and off-putting experience, you just do it less and less. I only grab coffee when it's with a friend now. Deleted the delivery apps. Go home for lunch 3x per week. And are only going out for dinner for date night (1x every 2 weeks). My demand is way down.

Paying $3.50 for a drip coffee + tip prompt? No thanks. I'll just make coffee at home and stock an energy drink in the work fridge for after lunch.

Paying $15 for a shawarma + tip prompt? No thanks, I'll just go home for lunch instead.

Paying $60+tip at earls? No thanks, I'll just make dinner at home.

I know what these items cost to make. I know commercial rent hasn't increased. I know wages haven't gone up that much. So how exactly can menu prices go up 30% in 3 years?

All I know is that if prices go back down, my behavior has changed forever.

[Kidder]

I used to get Subway on occasion.

But the last time I went there and got a twelve inch sub with the cookies/drink combo, the screen had one of those “choose a tip” option screens with a minimum 15%.

Feeling obliged rather than finding the manual tip option for less, that’s the one I chose, bringing my total over $20.

And being able to remember the 5 dollar foot long days, I couldn’t justify it, I kinda decided then and there I’ll never return.

So Subway gained their employee a larger tip that day, but lost a customer for life.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Yeah, that's dumb.



There is some truth to the fact that restaurant profit margins are terribly small, if the establishment is profitable at all these days. Recent data suggests that 51% of restaurants lose money. Paying the employees more would kill much of the industry. It's already getting too expensive for average people.



Having said that, maybe the industry should die. Obviously the current restaurant model doesn't work well in 2023.

Is this really true though? Or do they only lose money after the majority of the cash is tucked away in the safe? Is this just like saying carwashes have small profit margins or other cash intensive businesses?

[troutman]

Tipping in Europe
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-ti...ping-in-europe

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

I've was eating out lunch 5x per week, door dash 2x per week, dinner our 1x per week, coffee out 10x per week until early-2023...$200 per week easy.

But now...Between tipping and menu prices inflation, I feel ripped off whenever I go out. And when going out becomes a demeaning and off-putting experience, you just do it less and less. I only grab coffee when it's with a friend now. Deleted the delivery apps. Go home for lunch 3x per week. And are only going out for dinner for date night (1x every 2 weeks). My demand is way down.

Paying $3.50 for a drip coffee + tip prompt? No thanks. I'll just make coffee at home and stock an energy drink in the work fridge for after lunch.

Paying $15 for a shawarma + tip prompt? No thanks, I'll just go home for lunch instead.

Paying $60+tip at earls? No thanks, I'll just make dinner at home.

I know what these items cost to make. I know commercial rent hasn't increased. I know wages haven't gone up that much. So how exactly can menu prices go up 30% in 3 years?

All I know is that if prices go back down, my behavior has changed forever.

I pick up lunch 5x a week and do pick up in the evening 5 x a week (single guy who would rather not cook). I never tip for take out, ever.

I don't drink coffee.

I dont find my routine uneconomical, especially considering I'd throw out my left overs a good part of the time when I cooked.

I think always picking it up yourself and avoiding tipping along with also avoiding paying for inflated drink prices by eating at home goes a long way.

[curves2000]

I have a lot of friends of mine who do the exact thing you describe and I find it somewhat perplexing. I am a single guy as well, go out but also enjoy cooking.

I would think it would make it a lot more economical, healthier and smarter to try and do some very basic meal planning without really doing any cooking.

It's amazing to me when my friends who eat out daily never think of their next meal, which 99% of the time, is eating out. They don't get the logic of ordering a larger pizza for leftovers for the few days.

To each their own I guess but eating that much restaurant food all the time catches up with you in a lot of ways. It's just way too much salt, sugar, fat, low quality oils and killing of nutrients that isn't very good. It does cost a lot of money as well when you sometimes can make the easiest version of what you just ordered in literally minutes.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by curves2000

I have a lot of friends of mine who do the exact thing you describe and I find it somewhat perplexing. I am a single guy as well, go out but also enjoy cooking.

I would think it would make it a lot more economical, healthier and smarter to try and do some very basic meal planning without really doing any cooking.

It's amazing to me when my friends who eat out daily never think of their next meal, which 99% of the time, is eating out. They don't get the logic of ordering a larger pizza for leftovers for the few days.

To each their own I guess but eating that much restaurant food all the time catches up with you in a lot of ways. It's just way too much salt, sugar, fat, low quality oils and killing of nutrients that isn't very good. It does cost a lot of money as well when you sometimes can make the easiest version of what you just ordered in literally minutes.

I get enough pizza for left overs when I get pizza.

The restaurant food I get is not unhealthier than what I'd eat at home. Ethiopian, greek, thai, Vietnamese, burrito bowls etc. I dont eat fast food or drink alcohol or pop. I don't own a car and run/bike every single place I go. I do yoga and work out at the gym several times a week. At age 40, I've never felt healthier in my life (I was a varsity athlete in university).

I cooked for a lot of years but am just bored as hell with it. I'm bored with bringing sandwiches to work.

I get a lot of enjoyment from take out food. Financially, I'm still saving and investing about 66% of my take home pay each month (in addition to my work DB pension). Could I bump that up to 70% or higher if I cooked all my meals at home? Sure, but to me, it's an unnecessary sacrifice. This is an area of life I get enjoyment out of. Eating ham sandwiches' for lunch or meal prepping removes one of the few things I look forward to every day.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I get enough pizza for left overs when I get pizza.

The restaurant food I get is not unhealthier than what I'd eat at home. Ethiopian, greek, thai, Vietnamese, burrito bowls etc. I dont eat fast food or drink alcohol or pop. I don't own a car and run/bike every single place I go. I do yoga and work out at the gym several times a week. At age 40, I've never felt healthier in my life (I was a varsity athlete in university).

I cooked for a lot of years but am just bored as hell with it. I'm bored with bringing sandwiches to work.

I get a lot of enjoyment from take out food. Financially, I'm still saving and investing about 66% of my take home pay each month (in addition to my work DB pension). Could I bump that up to 70% or higher if I cooked all my meals at home? Sure, but to me, it's an unnecessary sacrifice. This is an area of life I get enjoyment out of. Eating ham sandwiches' for lunch or meal prepping removes one of the few things I look forward to every day.

That seems to work well for you. You also must save a fair amount of money by not owning a vehicle. Do you find it restricts you in any way? Because from what little I know about you it seems to be working.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Doctorfever

That seems to work well for you. You also must save a fair amount of money by not owning a vehicle. Do you find it restricts you in any way? Because from what little I know about you it seems to be working.

I love it. I can't recommend it enough. If you were to ask me 10 years ago if I'd ever forgo a car and ride my bike places instead I'd say you're crazy.

This may seem counter intuitive but it's freeing. I like biking/running so much more than driving now. It's more enjoyable and I get a good workout. I now hate driving. Sitting in traffic, getting frustrated, looking for parking, can't enjoy the day, etc. I feel free without a car.

Yes, I save a lot of money. I've decided to take a trip to Africa and Asia this winter with the money I've saved (using the average annual cost of vehicle ownership in Canada approx $10,000 per/year)

If you really need to drive somewhere there is uber as well as most cities have car co-ops (in my city I have a membership and can go grab a vehicle and go for as long as I want, generally about $30 for 3 hours) I haven't done it yet, but it's nice to know I can if I had to.

Obviously going car free is much easier depending on how central your neighborhood is. I live in a pretty central neighborhood. I moved to this neighborhood with this way of life in mind.

I joined a soccer team this summer and a bunch of my teammates and I meet up and bike to games together (works great for them as they drink beers after the game, too)

I look at things so much differently than I did before. Drive 20 minutes to the gym and then run the treadmill or ride the stationary bike for an hour? Why not run there? Why not bike there? (if it's safe to lock your bike there). Drive to pick up a few items from the store for supper? Why not swing by on your bike and grab them?

I realize not everyone can do this (if you have a little kid, a physical disability, live a rural life or in the far suburbs) but I can't see myself living in an area where this type of life isn't possible.

I also winter bike and run. You just have to dress for the weather. For me, there's 0 reason to get a car again.

I'm much happier in every aspect.

The only time it's possibly hindered my life is I've gone on some dates where it comes out I don't have a car and my date clearly thinks I'm weird as a result(I guess thats true), but that's ok!

[MoneyGuy]

I’m curious what’d happen if you decide one day to get a car. Not being insured for many years how would that affect your ability to get insurance and your rates?

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

I’m curious what’d happen if you decide one day to get a car. Not being insured for many years how would that affect your ability to get insurance and your rates?

I live in Winnipeg. We have public insurance. I still have a drivers license. My insurance rate isnt tied to insuring a particular vehicle unlike in other provinces.

[Smartcar]

Oh. I thought you lived in Uzbekistan and I was thinking yeah but I bet it's pretty warm there. You really bicycle in the winter in Winnipeg?
I live pretty centrally and use my scooter all the time in the summer but put it away when the snow flies.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by chedder

Is this really true though? Or do they only lose money after the majority of the cash is tucked away in the safe? Is this just like saying carwashes have small profit margins or other cash intensive businesses?

I doubt that is the case, especially with how cashless everything is these days. Everything goes though a POS and the records are typically submitted to an accredited accountant, and eventually has to be reported to the CRA. I also don't think most restaurant owners would trust their employees to do cash only sales without ringing things up and leaving transaction records because they would just be opening up their business to employee theft.

[getbak]

Yeah, I wonder how many of the classic "cash only" businesses are still doing a large percentage of their business in cash. I'd guess it has dropped sharply since the start of the pandemic.

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Smartcar

Oh. I thought you lived in Uzbekistan and I was thinking yeah but I bet it's pretty warm there. You really bicycle in the winter in Winnipeg?
I live pretty centrally and use my scooter all the time in the summer but put it away when the snow flies.

Yes. Winnipeg isn’t that bad. I used to live in Thompson MB (8 hours North) much colder and winter lasted forever compared to Winnipeg.