A lot of my friends order water instead of a fountain drink because the tip for the drink costs more than the cost of the drink to the restaurant. I order water when the drink is $2.00, which is at least 15 times the cost to the restaurant. Now figure in tax at 6.5%, $2,00 X 20% X 6.5%(.16) =$2.56. This is another reason more people opt for takeout and drink their 10-15 cent drink from home. Saving over $5.00 just for 2 drinks. I have 2 more restaurants that I frequent that are at $1.99 and will cost their servers $2.00+ in tips, unless I decide to leave more than 15/20% tip. Your thoughts? We eat dinner out 7 nights a week, breakfast at least 2 times, lunch not so often. Figure the savings just by drinking water.

You really figured this out? Wow.

I order what I want. When it's water, fine. When it's a Coke, fine. I don't remember EVER looking at the price on a menu. If I can't afford it, I stay home. I eat out 2x a day as well.

Sometimes it's the principle, I don't like to be gouged. If I worried about the cost, I would never eat out. I was trying to explain why some are negative about tipping. Don't forget that taxes are never paid on about 60-70% or more of tips.

Sidepockets, if I began to spend time figuring out things like that, I suspect I'd be spending far more than those "unnecessary taxes and tips" on my ulcer medicine alone. You really sat down and worked that out? I thought most people ordered water because they wanted water, not because they figured out they'd save money over ordering what they really want. Why don't you just stay home where you could have whatever you want?

Sidepockets, how do you know the cost of the drinks?

Did you add in the cup, the straw, the water, the ice, the electricity to produce the ice, the rent for the ice machine and the soda machine, the fraction of the liability insurance and the operator licenses that applies to the drink, the cost of the employee wages to make the drink, including employer paid taxes and worker's comp insurance?

I didn't think so.

Sidepockets, are you retired?

My thoughts? I think you're nuts. You asked...

Sidepockets -

Life is way too short to worry about $2 - even twice a day!

ok, everybody lighten up - everyone is obsessive/compulsive about something!

But gypsy, I'm obssesive/compulsive about Sidepockets obsessing over the price of water!

What Sidepockets also forgot to figure in what that most restaurants offer free refills on those $2.00 drinks and the average joe certainly has at least one refill, usually more (if you are like my husband, you end up drinking about a pitcher of tea at one sitting). That cost adds up for the restaurant as well.

Watch your pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.

$-)

Either this is a troll posting or one of the competitors in the "Most Inane Thread" competition. Come to think of it, even if it is a troll posting, it still is a leading entry in the competition.

I'm wondering why you eat out seven nights a week, and what you could do with the money you saved if you only ate out two.

But what if you ate out only three nights a week and took all the bread with you and didn't eat your salads but took them home and split an entree one of those nights out therefore you could save four entrees a week at an average savings of $10.00 per entree with $1.50 tip plus $0.50 tax for a weekly savings of $48.00 per week on top of the $35.00 per week you save on sodas is equal to $83.00 per week or $4,316.00 per year that you've just added onto your income!

Oops. I forgot to add in the cost of ordering only one entree one night per week so you need to add an additional $624.00 per year bringing you total savings to $4,940.00 per year.

LOL. GoTravel, you are bad.

oh, lordy, GoTravel...
YOU'VE TRAVELED WITH MY MOTHER, HAVEN'T YOU!

my dh is almost too embarrased to go out to eat w/my parents because they carry off ANYTHING that wasn't consumed during the meal.

have a great weekend!
d

OK, I'll take it all back. This thread is funny!

and don't forget to order your soda with little or no ice! You get more for the money! LMAO!

I resent that idea that we are all obsessive/compulsive about something! I've been thinking about that all day since I read it. So I sat down and made three lists: One is things I might be obsessive/compulsive about -- one is things I know I'm not obsessive/compulsive about -- and one for things I'm undecided. Then I reviewed each one seven times, trying to justify ways I have or have not been true to those things and adding details to each list. I emailed 35 of my closest friends and asked for examples of my being or not being obsessive/compulsive about them. I am starting to collect the responses and I'm putting them into stacks -- three categories for each of my three original lists. First category -- those who are in total agreement about my behavior. Second category -- those who are in total disagreement with that particular behavior. Third category -- those who give examples yes and no to that particular behavior. As soon as I get all the responses, I will tally them, do the statistics and make a judgement. But so far, it looks like I do not have any obsessive/compulsive traits. Thank goodness, I'd worry myself sick if I thought I might be obsessive/compulsive.