cheapskate wife

My wife is a lovely woman, but she does one thing that bugs the hell out of me. When we're in a restaurant she tips generously enough, but she bases the tip on the price of the meal or service pre-tax. She says that you're not supposed to tip on the grand total. I say she's being cheap and continue to tip on the final total, which I think drive her crazy.

Is our marriage doomed?

x

You don't need to tip on the tax. The servers don't pay taxes on it. Onlythe subtotal.

xxx3

Yep. tips should be based on the pre-tax total. Sorry, she's right on this one.

Wendy

In WA our tax is 8.6% so I double the amount of tax and round up to the nearest dollar for an easy 17-18% tip.

Cheryl

Have to agree with above posters - your tip is based on the cost of the meal/drinks, not the tax that was added to that.

xx

I agree that pre-tax is the way to go, but considering that sales tax/food tax is usually 5-10%, does it really make that much of a difference? It would be the difference between a tip on a $20 tab vs, say a tip on a $21 or $22 tab--do you calculate your tips so exactly...???

ohforland

Your wife is wrong. You should tip on the whole bill. ("But why should you tip based on something you didn't actually get?") Because you just do. It's easier that way. Don't be such cheap b*stards.

Lenore

xx - You're right! The difference between a $100 dinner before and after tax (tipping at 20%, which is generous) is less than $1.50 (depending on your local tax rate of course). Don't sweat the petty stuff!

Tip

Majority rules here. No tip on tax!

JJ

You're only obliged to tip on the pre-tax total. In places where the tax is 9-10%, a lot of people just say "double the tax" to figure the tip.

But me? I ALWAYS tip on the total -- the difference means less to me and more to the server. You can get all persnickety with your calculators and your column-A and line-B figgering, but the literal bottom line is that you are spending a lot of time to save a quarter or two.

Servers: do you look carefully at the tip to decide whether you got 15% on the total or 18% on the pre-tax total?

Spoilsport

How white trash of your wife!

server

Yes we do. In fact many systems actually print out on your checkout report, what your average % tip was for the day.

tipper

Before tax.

Eater

Server, how would the checkout report know what your tips were if they were left in cash?

aaaaaaaa

In Mass the tax is 5% easiest to just multiply by 4 or less depending on service.

Kissmygrits

Eater-
Most restaurants use Squirrel(a touch-screen computer) and one enters their tips into the computer to "close out" open checks.

kkj

You don't tip on tax. It isn't that much of a difference, but you only tip on the non-tax costs. If you need proof, when we book group meals at restaurants etc. the gratuity is already calculated by the restaurant and they never tip on tax.

Carrie

Here's a bigger question, do you tip the same percentage on alcohol as food? If I order $30 in food and a $30 bottle of wine, what should my tip be?

Maxie

Well, let's assume to check is $100. A 15% tip would be $15. And, let's assume the tax is 9% which would render the total bill $109 and a 15% tip $16.35, or an additional $1.35. You say your wife "tips generously enough". What does that mean? Or, does she figure 20% "before taxes"? Regardless, would she even notice if you threw a few ones down on the table as you're departing? Would she mind? Would you care if she did? Would she deprive you of anything at all thereafter for doing same? Your wife pays whenever you dine out? If she's paying, she tips. No reason why you can't always have a supply of one dollar bills to supplement her tip with - eh?

Tom

Well ho, ho, ho! You claim your wife i a "cheapskate" all the while she's PAYING and figuring the tips! I'd say she's more than "lovely" if she's always paying, and you have no right whatsoever to complain. If she's so "lovely" and PAYS, I, personally,cannot imagin why you anything "bugs" you. Since you are quite obviously in charge of nothing here, you have no right whatsoever to "bugs". HAH!