Saving money while eating out

[lisajane]

Tipping is optional, but I'll always tip for great service. Bad service get's you 1 penny to prove a point.

[niki_the_tiger]

If you don't tip, then don't get upset if you get rotten service the next time you go out to eat there. :P

If you don't want to tip, eat at McD's or some other fast food restaurant where tipping isn't expected!

[lisajane]

The method above, always proved a point, and in fact when I actually did tip 1 penny (my fiancee did). The next time we came in she provided excellent service and in fact has now gotten 5 dollar tips for 20 dollar meals.

[niki_the_tiger]

Oh just to be clear, I do agree with doing the penny thing or a lower tip if the service is rotten.

[cercis]

We use restaurant.com for our area. There are only 2 restaurants that participate but both are really good. One restaurant even covers drinks (though it says they don't, they will).

The best way to save money on eating out is to do it less often. That's something we have to work on. Find restaurants you like a lot that are lower priced (there are two seafood restaurants in town, both are good, one is about half the price - why eat at the more expensive one?).

In the US, don't follow Bruce's advice. Waitstaff is paid $3.12/hour. They are taxed on that income plus 10% of the food they served (so if you tip only a penny, they could lose money on your meal).

[lisajane]

They may only get paid $3.12 and hour. But they call it a tip...

Because it is an addition to services rendered, but not obligatory. It may be considered rude to some. But if the policy of government has made them get paid such a low rate because tips are "expected". Then a tip isn't really a tip at all.

A tip is a free will payment for great service, and/or bad service when one wishes to make a point.

Mind you I always tips if the service is fair, but I will make a point of not tipping to those who are outright rude or inconsiderate. Why, because they have to learn to treat customers properly. Tipping is not a law, so they must understand good service = good tip.

I'm not talking about forgetting something with the meal, but when they get mad at you when you tell them they forgot. That sort of thing.

[lmlhlinc]

I would like to clarify my position:

* The original post was asking for suggestions of ways to save money when eating out. A suggestion of "don't tip" was posted.

* I am saying, if you go out to eat in the US, in the type of restaurant where tipping is expected, and you do NOT tip strictly because you are trying to save money .... then I feel what you are doing is WRONG and NOT an acceptable way to be frugal. To me, this would be like stealing the toilet paper out of a public restroom to save money, or exaggerating an insurance claim to get a bigger settlement. It is unethical and unacceptable, and here's why:

* It is a FACT that workers in the US, in positions where tips are normally received, are paid far less than minimum wage, because the tips are supposed to make up the difference. If you want to verify this, check with the Labor Department in your area. If you disagree with this policy and feel it should be changed, speak to the managers of your local restaurants, write a letter to your congressman, speak out at public meetings .... but don't go out to eat and NOT tip because you think you can justify it as being frugal. You can't.

* If you receive service that is so lousy that you feel justified in tipping a penny, or in leaving no tip at all, then you need to complain to the management so that they can address the bad service issue. If you receive outstanding service, you should ALSO tell management about that.

* If you are looking for excuses to not tip, you shouldn't go to that type of restaurant -- PERIOD. Go to a self-service place instead, or eat at fast food places, or get takeout food, or -- here's a novel idea -- cook at home.

* In some places, including parts of Europe, tipping is NOT expected and the workers are paid a decent wage. So I suppose if you really want to save money on eating out, you could fly to Europe to eat so you won't have to tip. The flip side of this is European tourists who come to the US, receive good service at restaurants, and still don't tip -- either because they are unfamiliar with the custom here, or because they see "optional" tipping as a loophole and think they can justify it.

* There are many logical and acceptable ways to save money and still eat out -- like ordering water instead of paying for a beverage, using coupons, skipping appetizers and desserts, etc. None of these methods penalize the restaurant workers. Use these suggestions rather than trying to justify not tipping.

[lisajane]

I'm in Canada, I'm not referring to US laws. But the problem is with the government. Tipping is not tipping if it's expected. Period.