Comments on: Leaving the Frugal Life Behind

By: Pamela

Pamela — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:24:46 +0000

I have to add this to the conversation: Like many others, I worked my way through school by waitressing at what the original writer considers a ‘posh’ restaurant. I received tips, some more appropriate than others. However, please keep in mind that at many restaurants, the waitresses’ tip isn’t just the waitresses’ and is split amongst the busboys, the hostesses, the bartender, etc. I completely agree with Rochelle: waiters and waitresses make surprisingly little and cannot count on tips, as it could be a good night or a slow night. Furthermore, it’s a job that’s very hard on your body and is stressful–no one appreciates being demeaned due to a delay in soup or entree.

By: Rachelle

Rachelle — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:35 +0000

Concerning tipping, don’t always assume! I worked lunches at a really nice steakhouse/wine bar in Arizona and only made $2.13/hour in 2004. There were some days I would only make $20 in tips or less just because it was so slow. Night crowds are obviously better, but it was really discouraging. We had “coupons” for a promo that gave customers $10 off their lunch bill and I had people come in, order something cheap, use their coupon, and literally leave me $.50 for a tip. And this was a “fancy” restaurant.

I agree with whoever above said that if you can’t afford to be going to the restaurant and cannot afford a decent tip, then just don’t go. It’s discouraging to the staff who work really hard to give you a wonderful dining experience.

And FWIW, I was always extremely honest in claiming my tips.

By: kimc

kimc — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:45:16 +0000

Leslie,
I wonder how the average waitress/waiter wage is calculated? Back when I was waiting tables, I was admonished by the others that *nobody* reports the full amount of their tips and I certainly shouldn’t either. The other waitresses said standard practice (not to be confused with the law) dictated that we should report just enough tips to bring our pay over the minimum wage threshold so that our employer didn’t get in trouble.
Having said that, in my previous comment I was not trying to discourage anyone from tipping or suggesting that we don’t tip well ourselves. We figure the cost of a tip into the meal; if we can’t afford to tip, we can’t afford the restaurant and go elsewhere.
I’m just saying I would be very surprised if a waiter in a posh restaurant didn’t make a generous wage. As a novice waitress in a very small town where tips averaged less than 10%, I still made well over minimum wage even on a slow day.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:04:30 +0000

Kimc, theoretically that could be true (but it’s not, the average wage/tips work out to be about $7.14 an hour), but what if everyone was thinking the same way as you – that someone else was giving generous tips, so you don’t have to? Even in expensive restaurants, waiters and waitresses aren’t going to retire early on their hard-earned tips. Plus, it’s a grind of a job. On your feet, dealing with unhappy customers, etc. Sure, some nights, a waiter can clear $20 an hour for a 5-hour shift, but those “awesome” nights are few and far between.

Susan, It’s not just the food you are paying for, but the ambiance, the skills of the chef who created the menu and creates “specials of the day”, the entire experience. Before I stopped working (due to illness), my husband and I used to go out to dinner frequently – once a week, I’d say. Maybe once a month we’d do a night out like the author wrote about. At the time, we were both wine enthusiasts, and lived in an area with amazing restaurants and chefs. Life is different, now. I am unable to drink wine and also have problems digesting foods, so it’s usually not worth it to go out for dinner.

By: brittany

brittany — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:09:09 +0000

Frugal vs. Miserly: You be the judge!

I hope you tipped your server well. Remember, you’re supposed to tip based on the original price, not on the discounted or gift-certificate-supplemented price.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:12:32 +0000

I found this discussion fascinating! I am a mom with five kids on a modest, single income and we generally “eat out” (if you can call it that!) at places like McDonald’s when we’re on the road. However, two weeks ago, my attorney brother decided to host his siblings and their spouses and take them to an UBER-nice restaurant in our state’s capitol, where he lives. What a night! My husband and I couldn’t get over what everything cost and know that the bill for our table easily hit at LEAST $350.00-$400.00! Wow!! I kept thinking throughout the night, “Isn’t money a strange and funny thing? Everyone sees value in such different ways!” My husband and I don’t drink, but my brothers love a wonderful bottle of wine; each of the bottles brought to our table cost upwards of $100.00. The appetizers were in the $15-$25.00 ballpark. And the meals themselves were in the $35.00-$50.00 range. Since my husband and I never go to restaurants like this, we were wondering if this is what is normal or if we’re just so “out of it” that we don’t know what people normally spend on meals like this. And while we did have a wonderful time with all of our family, I can honestly say that both my husband and I felt like we could have done almost as well ourselves if we had made the same meal at home and bought excellent quality ingredients. I know that the purpose of a night like we had is that you get to enjoy being together without having to worry about the cooking and the cleanup, etc, but is a meal REALLY worth THAT much??! I have thought about this a lot over the past week, and wonder what other people think about expensive food like this.

By: kimc

kimc — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:38:13 +0000

Leslie,
Absolutely true, but somehow I doubt that the waitstaff at the restaurant in question have any trouble making a decent hourly rate with their tips.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:22:34 +0000

I do hope that you left an appropriate (at least 15% tip for your waiter/waitress). Even with a gift card, you should always tip.

Fifteen percent of $80 is $12. You don’t have to share what you tipped (I would love to know), but I sure hope it was the minimum of what is culturally acceptable. Waiters and waitresses often make well-below minimum wage base pay (like $2.65 an hour), because it is expected that they earn their wages in tips.

By: DL

DL — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:35:54 +0000

Margo, the phrase, “debt snowball” has been coined by Dave Ramsey and refers to his method of paying off debt. daveramsey.com would be the best place to seek a description.

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:27:01 +0000

I’m all for enjoying the finer things in life (if you can afford it) as long as you’re taking time to bless others along the way. Giving a $10 tip sounds like a great way to bless someone else!

Some aspects of frugality can be fun (camping, libraries, and parks as mentioned by Heather up above), but other aspects of frugality aren’t fun, they’re just plain tedious, boring hard work, and I’m more than willing to leave those aspects behind.