The turmoil over tipping
October 6, 2009
The topic of tipping always manages to raise everyone’s dander. It seems like everyone has their own idea of whom and how much one should tip.
I believe in tipping generously, especially in restaurants where the servers don’t make minimum wage, and, in some cases, split tips with other staff like bus boys and dishwashers. I consider 20 percent to be the standard tip for good service.
Sit down restaurants are pretty easy, but it’s getting increasingly difficult to navigate the waters when it comes to tipping in other establishments and types of services.
Tip jars have popped up everywhere. And in some cases, I’m not sure the person deserves a tip. For instance, if I go to a restaurant or café where I stand at the counter, order my food, pay for it there and stand and wait for someone to pass it across the counter, does that mean I have to leave a tip? I tend to say no.
Recently my mother and I got into a discussion about tipping the pizza deliver person. I said I usually leave a standard tip of $4 or $5. (If I order pizza in particularly inclement weather, I tip more. I figure if the pizza guy is going to risk life and limb to bring me a pizza in a snow storm, he deserves extra.)
My mother tips based on the total cost of the order, as one would do at a restaurant. My point was that if she orders a plain cheese pizza, and I order a gourmet pizza, the pizza delivery person drives the same distance whether or not there is cheese or artichokes on the pizza, but the cost of my pizza is more. Her point was that it’s the same in a restaurant if she orders chicken and I order filet. Touché!
I’m not even going to get into all the other areas of tipping, but it seems more and more those in areas of customer services are expecting, and in some cases, demanding, tips.
Apparently I’m not the only one who has noticed or takes exception to this. MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston wrote this article about tipping. She found herself in a particularly awkward situation when it comes to tipping.
What are your thoughts on tipping? How much and whom do you tip? What do you think about tip jars?
Fuel economy and air conditioning
August 13, 2009
I know summer is sadly coming to a close for many of us, but let’s face it, the weather hasn’t exactly been typically warm this year. However, the next few days (in western
I tend to be anti-air conditioning. I’m always cold. Unless it’s very hot, I usually prefer to drive with the windows down. Then I end up wondering if I’m being more or less fuel efficient.
It’s fairly common knowledge that using your car’s air conditioner zaps your fuel efficiency. However, I’ve also heard that driving with your windows down creates more drag on your car that can also reduce your fuel efficiency.
I came upon this Slate article this morning that gives the rundown of how using the AC versus driving with your windows down can affect your vehicle’s fuel economy. It’s worth a quick read if you’re interested.
Of course, if it’s a 95 degree day, my guess is that you — and me, too! — will care more about not melting into the seat than fuel economy and will most likely turn on the air.
Time and good habits will fix your credit score
July 31, 2009
Recently I’ve heard from more and more people who want to know how to “clean up” or “fix” their credit reports.
With lenders using stricter standards to screen out risky borrowers, credit reports and credit scores seem to have taken on a whole new importance for people.
The bit of bad news is that if you’re someone with a bad credit history, there is no quick fix for your credit report. Only time can remove negative items that are accurate from your report.
In general, negative items will remain on your credit report for seven years. A bankruptcy can remain on your report for seven to 10 years.
You should review your credit report from each of the three credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) once a year. You can get a free copy of your reports at www.annualcreditreport.com. If you do see a negative item that is on your report in error, you should dispute the item with the credit reporting bureau. If you get your reports online, you can also dispute any incorrect items online. The web site will guide you through the process.
As time goes on, the negative items will carry less weight. Though it won’t remove the negative items, it may be helpful to pay any accounts that are past due and/or are in collections.
After that, the best thing you can do is to begin to rebuild a positive credit history.
Start by making sure that you pay everything on time. Past due accounts and collection items really hurt your credit score. You need to show potential future lenders that you are responsible and pay your bills on time.
If you have outstanding balances on your credit cards, pay off the balances. Once your cards are paid off, use them sparingly. Charge only a small amount each month and pay that amount in full.
With a little patience and wiser use of credit you can raise your credit score and make yourself more credit worthy.
More employers running credit checks
July 28, 2009
More and more employers are starting to do credit checks on their job candidates. This seems to have led to uncertainty on the part of job seekers who wonder why their potential employer is conducting a background check and what effect that check will have on their credit.
Employers may check your credit history for a variety of reasons. In particular, if you have applied for a job handling money, your employer will likely want to know how you’ve handled your own finances. Other jobs, such as with the federal government, may be high security, and you may be considered at risk to take a bribe if your finances are poor.
You must sign a form giving the interviewer permission to pull your credit reports, so you will know if the employer is going to run a credit check.
If you have a poor credit history, be prepared to answer any questions your potential employer may have.
These types of credit checks do not hurt your credit score.
There are two types of inquiries that can show up on your credit report, hard inquiries and soft inquiries.
Hard inquiries are the credit checks that are made when you’ve applied for credit. These types of checks could be made by a credit card issuer or a bank if you have applied for a car loan or a mortgage. Hard inquiries do put a little ding in your credit score.
Soft inquiries are credit checks made by you, your potential employers or creditors you already have accounts with. These soft inquiries will not have any effect on your credit score.
Coffee on a budget
July 20, 2009
Many people are trying to turn over a frugal new leaf lately. Faced with the possibility of job loss, wage reductions, increasing costs and an unstable stock market, even people who are doing okay are trying to buckle down.
There are tons of web sites dedicated to frugal living. One topic that seems to garner some attention is the cost of coffee. Like people on opposite sides of the political aisle, there are people on opposite sides of the coffee aisle.
You have the people who are coffee connoisseurs and especially love good quality coffee. Those people are often willing to pay for it. Then you have the occasional coffee drinkers, or those who see little to no difference between a cup at the gas station versus the brew served at a specialty coffee house.
I would put myself into the first category. I love my coffee. I love good coffee. And I can tell the difference between a good and bad cup of coffee, regardless of where it came from or how much it cost. And I should note that with coffee, like with wine, cost is not necessarily an indicator of how good the product will be. I just have certain brands that I like the best, and some are more expensive than others.
The expensive coffee critics love to cite the infamous $4-a-cup Starbucks coffee. That’s a bit of an urban legend. A regular cup of coffee at Starbucks is less than $2. The drinks that push the $4 price range are the large, fancy espresso drinks.
I say drink what you like … as long as you can afford it!
Even if you have expensive coffee taste but money is tight, you can still indulge your gourmet tastes on a gas station coffee budget.
If you buy a pound of coffee from a coffee house to brew at home and you pay $12 a pound, you can average approximately 56 cups of coffee from that pound. (That’s if you like your coffee on the strong side.) That averages out to 21 cents a cup. Not a bad price.
One other thing to watch out for is the actual amount of whole bean or ground coffee you are buying. I’ve noticed in some stores you’ll see a package of coffee for $8, but you’re only getting 12 ounces of coffee, not a full pound. If you’re comparison shopping by price, make sure to compare apples to apples, or, in this case, ounces to ounces.
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Recent Posts
- Find reputable mortgage assistance
- The turmoil over tipping
- Filing for bankruptcy: Some things to keep in mind
- Beware of false promises from debt relief companies
- Be aware of your rights when dealing with debt collectors
- Fuel economy and air conditioning
- Time and good habits will fix your credit score
- More employers running credit checks
- Find reputable foreclosure help to keep your home
- Coffee on a budget
