Here's ya tip

[gemfyre]

One of the reasons I'm kinda afraid to go overseas is tipping.

In Australia prices are listed - tax (GST) is included in the displayed price and tips are not expected. The price you are quoted is the price you pay.

It seems really scary that in the U.S. you are expected to figure out what tax is on an item and factor that in, and the calculate how much tip you should be paying and factor that in as well - you pay a lot more than the displayed price - kind of a hidden cost (at least it seems that way to me) which is fine if you're made of money and can afford to just throw money around, but when budgeting it seems really... scary, and annoying.

My frostbite is almost healed, but I now have this loose skin over the newly healed skin, I just wish it would come off because it's starting to bug me.

I have a Rock Star Popple, a Pound Puppy and a Keyper for sale or trade (beeeadds!! Give me beeaadds!) - anyone interested?

I wonder - when did it become commonplace for people to start shutting out the world. Seems everywhere people are watching TV or listening to discmans or whatever or playing computer games and living in manufactured worlds. There is so much awesome stuff out there that was made by nature, why do so many people refuse to see and hear and smell and feel and enjoy that? It's a bit like food - most people eat processed crap but of course the raw whole foods are always better for you.

Comments

Taxes blow

[pineappleangel.livejournal.com]

Taxes on restaurant items where I live in AZ is pretty easy to calculate - it's about 10% of the displayed price. This does, however, really add up over time. Add a 20% tip on top of all that, and eating out costs far too much. It would really make more sense to just factor the tax into the displayed price but nooooo.

Lose Yourself... :P

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

People have been shutting themselves up in their houses with their TVs for as long as I can remember. The reason I moved away from the suburb of Murdoch was that when I was walking on the streets at night, all I could hear was the empty echo of my own footsteps and the tinny sounds from family TV sets.

I must admit I wear my headphones alot, mostly when I want to not be bugged by other people on the bus (who sometimes even ask me how much it costs to develop film at the shop and that kind of stuff), or when I'm trying to get something done (like when I am stuck on notice-board duty).

[phred-has-sonar.livejournal.com]

Tipping is something I will have to get used to when I go to Washington. Hope I get a hold of the concept sooner rather than later...

[sycha.livejournal.com]

Tipping doesn't have to be to hard to figure out. 20% if it's really good service, 10% for ok service, and whatever change you might have if it's real crappy. I've never needed to stiff anyone yet allthough there's been a few times people have gotten only 0.50 on a $20 bill. Oh and in case you're unsure, you only tip at a dine in restraunt. Anytime you sit and have to be waited on.

[jassalol.livejournal.com]

Don't forget pizza (and other fast food) delivery services. In many cases they deserve the tips even more than the waitstaff :-)

[jassalol.livejournal.com]

customers_suck is a good community for talking to about tipping. I don't know if there are any communities specifically relating to tipping though.

[sugarapple.livejournal.com]

you can look up tipping guides online if you want to be sure about it.
I know that I only tip if someone does things for me so even if I am at a buffet and someone tkes my dirty plate and brings me a drink I am going to give them a couple dollars. Some tipping isnt as well described like for hairdressers. Its all over theplace (I was a hairdresser for 9 yrs) what the tipping ettiquete *sp* for themis tip on total price including hair products etc. Tipping sucks but if you are in a place to recieve tis its good karma :)

[redmalice.livejournal.com]

I realise how much people rely on artifical worlds when i go away with Ric and a lot of the people we see don't bother with half of the things that people that live here use and spend heaps of time on. As for the headphones, i love it because it makes the time go quicker doing pleasurable things like listening to music in a boring situation and its something to help me relax.

[pinkjubie.livejournal.com]

Taxes become second nature when you get used to it, you look at an item that says $4.99 and you think about $6.00 and from that price you deciede whether you can afford it or not. Taxes suck but you learn to live with it. Most items at the grocery stores (here in canada at least) are non-taxable.

Tipping is simple too. Tips are a reward for good service, so when you are impressed or at least satisfied with the service you have recieved, you pay accordingly. If the service is really bad I wouldn't bother leaving a tip, it defeats the whole purpose.

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

In many resteraunts here you CAN tip if you got spectacular service and would like to.

But from what I've read in the U.S. many workers rely on tips because the pay rate is ridiculously low. At least here laws require your wage to be something you can survive on.

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

It is true about US workers relying on tips. Mike Moore interviewed a guy who worked for Disney as a chipmunk character, worked 40 hours a week and still qualified for welfare.