Wager Mage
Photo by MART  PRODUCTION Pexels Logo Photo: MART PRODUCTION

Is tipping 15% too low?

And while there are no set rules for tipping, a gratuity of about 15 to 20 percent is generally expected, according to the etiquette experts at The Emily Post Institute. That range is supported by a CreditCards.com survey that pegs the median tip in the U.S. at 18 percent.

Is playing darts good for your brain?
Is playing darts good for your brain?

Improved Brain Function Playing darts challenges your brain in a number of ways, and increases aim and hand-eye coordination. Getting a bull's eye...

Read More »
What credit score do you need for casino credit?
What credit score do you need for casino credit?

600 If you have never had casino credit before and have reasonable credit (credit score well over 600 with no 60-day delinquents) you can expect to...

Read More »

My brother and I have been tipping the same way ever since we got our first Velcro wallets and bowl cuts, using the method our father taught us some 20 years ago. But after watching enough friends fill out their bills at restaurants, everything I once thought I knew about tipping came crashing down on me. I realized I may have been tipping wrong my whole life. Maybe you have, too. Of course, "wrong" is a subjective term when it comes to a cultural norm like tipping that, for the most part, involves individual customers choosing what amount seems "right." But when I realized my peers had been tipping differently, and potentially saving over $400 a year, it became clear I had to rethink my strategy. Before we get into that, it's important to remember that servers in many instances earn the majority of their income from tips. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act allows restaurants in certain states to pay tipped employees less than minimum wage. In New Jersey, for example, a restaurant can pay a server as little as $2.13 an hour. Map via the United States Department of Labor And while there are no set rules for tipping, a gratuity of about 15 to 20 percent is generally expected, according to the etiquette experts at The Emily Post Institute. That range is supported by a CreditCards.com survey that pegs the median tip in the U.S. at 18 percent. "You're really entering into what we loosely call a social contract that you're going to provide this server with a tip that helps to create their salary, basically," says Lizzie Post, host of Emily Post's Awesome Etiquette podcast. With that understanding, I looked at how people calculate their tips and found two schools of thought. The first is the group my brother and I joined after being indoctrinated by our father. We employ what's referred to as the "decimal trick," whereby we simply move the decimal in the total one place to the left to calculate 10 percent. Doubling that, we arrive at a 20 percent tip. The second group uses the information provided to them on their bill to double the tax (8.875 percent in a place like New York City) and arrive at a tip close to 18 percent. In a state like Maryland where tax is 6 percent, they triple the tax instead. And in a state like Delaware that has no sales tax, I guess they're stumped. Both methods result in tips that are within the acceptable range of 15 to 20 percent. But they are different in one respect that isn't referenced much when it comes to discussing the right way to tip: Whether the calculation is based on the cost of the meal before or after the addition of tax. The tax method is by definition applied to a pre-tax total. But the "decimal trick" uses the post-tax total, in large part because of the way receipts are printed when you pay with a credit card. Even the suggested "20 percent" calculations printed on receipts for your convenience are generally calculated on the post-tax total. It might seem like a negligible difference, but over time the savings can be far from trivial. Take a bill of $100, for example. Tipping by doubling the tax amount to arrive at an 18 percent tip would save a customer $4 over tipping 20 percent by using the decimal trick on a post-tax bill. Dining out a second time that week would increase savings to $8. Continuing the trend for the year and just the one simple change would equate to a total savings of over $400. Something about it might not sit right, especially if you've tipped post-tax your entire life. Yet technically it isn't improper to tip before tax. "From an etiquette standpoint, tipping on pre-tax is absolutely fine," Post says. "As a former server, I will tell you it's always nice when someone tips on the entire amount, but for the most part folks weren't really comfortable with the idea of having to tip on their taxes." People accustomed to tipping on the post-tax amount were not overwhelmingly supportive of the idea when interviewed in New York's Times Square. "Now that I'm thinking about it, it feels a little dirty," one woman who uses the decimal trick on post-tax totals tells CNBC Make It. "It just feels like you're going out of your way to look at the number that's clearly going to give a person less money just because." But in the discussion of tipping, less money is very much a relative term. And, inevitably, less money tipped is more money saved. Reaching some middle ground that respects both servers and the fact that increasing shares of millennials have nothing at all saved could be ideal.

What is a 6x6 forecast?
What is a 6x6 forecast?

The most common in my practice is a 6+6 budget; that is, create a new budget that shows six months of actuals and six months of forecasts. Mar 17,...

Read More »
What is the hardest sport to train for?
What is the hardest sport to train for?

Swimming is one of the toughest sports when it comes to endurance and to prepare for a season requires consistent endurance training including...

Read More »

Changing tipping strategies could save someone who frequently eats out over $400. CNBC | Richard Washington

What is the best way to gamble?
What is the best way to gamble?

15 Powerful Gambling Tips That Actually Work Use a Simple Bucket Budget to Manage Your Money. ... Look for Smaller Jackpots. ... Make Smaller Bets....

Read More »
How much can you claim in gambling losses?
How much can you claim in gambling losses?

Limitations on loss deductions The amount of gambling losses you can deduct can never exceed the winnings you report as income. For example, if you...

Read More »
What does L1 L2 L3 L4 mean on a tennis racket?
What does L1 L2 L3 L4 mean on a tennis racket?

The number next to the 'L' in the grip sizes represents the number of eighths of an inch by which the circumference of the grip exceeds 4 inches....

Read More »
Can you play DraftKings for free?
Can you play DraftKings for free?

Can You Play DraftKings For Free? Yes, you can play DraftKings for free. DraftKings allows you to setup an account for free and play in free...

Read More »