Thursday, March 27

7 Situations You Can Skip the Tip (Without Guilt!)

Did you know that sometimes you can just skip the tip?

Sometimes you might feel like the tipping culture in the U.S. is a bit out of control because people are leaving tips for literally everything. No matter where you go or what you purchase, you might feel forced to leave a tip.

Well, we are here to tell you that this is not true for every situation. There are moments when you can simply skip the tip and move on. Yeah, in these cases you should leave the guilt behind and just live your life. Unfortunately, most people are now aware of these instances.

So, stay here and read on because you are about to find out more about this. It’s finally time to conserve your cash and stop wasting money on tips you are not required to offer. Also, sometimes when you don’t skip the tip, things might get awkward fast. Let’s avoid this and learn more about what is acceptable and what is not!

skip the tip
Photo by Igor Normann from Shutterstock

Weddings with an open bar

Ok, so you’ve been invited to a wedding once again. Well, this is not a problem, but all of us know how expensive it can be to go to a wedding. The clothes you need, the road trip, and the gift; all of these mean money you spend.

Hopefully, if the wedding you go to has an open bar, you can skip the tip. You will notice that most of the time the bartender will put a tip jar on the counter, and this can make the guests feel guilty. They might feel like they need to contribute with a few bucks, but we want you to know that this is not mandatory.

The couple getting married probably already tipped the bartenders, and the guests are not forced to tip. Occasionally, guests may choose to tip at the beginning of the night, contributing $5 or $10 to the jar as a gesture of goodwill towards the bartender.

For legal services

Hiring a lawyer? Good news! You can skip the tip without feeling guilty. Yes, this is not the same as for restaurant servers or hairstylists, and this is mostly like that because attorneys charge hefty hourly fees. Some of them even charge a few hundred dollars per hour!

Because of this, you can skip the tip, but even more important is that legal professionals would probably be confused if you tried tipping them. This is not a common practice, and you should skip it if you don’t want things to feel awkward.

That said, if your lawyer went above and beyond and helped you like no other and you feel like showing them some appreciation, you can choose to offer them a small non-cash gift. A bottle of wine, a nice pen, or even a handwritten thank-you note are all more than perfect.

Delivered packages

If you’ve ever felt guilty about not tipping your Amazon or UPS driver, don’t worry; everything is alright. This is another case when you can skip the tip because company policies are strict and encourage couriers to not accept tips.

Their wages and benefits are covered by their employers, so you’re not obligated to add extra cash on top of your purchase. But if you want to show your appreciation and you have a regular delivery driver or mail carrier you can give them a small holiday tip or gift.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), for example, doesn’t allow cash tips, but a small gift worth $20 or less (like a coffee gift card or snacks) is acceptable.

When tipping prompts are everywhere

Right now, tipping screens are everywhere, from your morning coffee to the bottle of water you buy on your way to work. Everyone wants a tip, but you should not feel forced to give it. Sometimes you can skip the tip when this happens because no actual service was provided.

The truth is that you are NOT obligated to tip just because a screen asks you to! Yes, tipping is amazing when you want to show appreciation when staff goes the extra mile, but what some digital screens show is not fair.

For example, some screens push high percentages or fixed amounts (like $1, $2, or even $5) for minimal or no service. If you are buying a snack at the airport, you can skip the tip. There is no table service or even a real interaction here. Keep your money in your wallet and only tip when it truly feels right!

When going to the doctor

Considering that tipping culture is wilder and wilder each day, some might think that tipping the doctor is a good idea. Maybe this happens because a great visit or specialized treatment made them feel like their doctor needs some appreciation, but this is a hard no! Always skip the tip when you go to the doctor.

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals do not expect tips, and in most cases, accepting one would be considered unethical. They are paid through salaries, insurance, and patient fees, so there’s no reason to offer extra cash.

The same goes for nurses, physical therapists, and other medical staff. You should never tip them!

When you hire a plumber or engineer

This applies when you hire any skilled professional; you just skip the tip and let them do their job. You might think they are expecting a tip, especially if they’ve done hard, physical work, but the truth is that there is no tip needed!

Plumbers, engineers, electricians, and similar professionals set their own rates, and they charge you exactly for what they are doing. expertise, time, and labor; they include all of them when calculating their rates. So that hard physical work you see is already a part of the price you pay. Unlike waitstaff or delivery drivers, they don’t rely on tips to make a living. There is no pressure to add that extra cash.

It is also true that there are a few exceptions where a small tip might be nice. Let’s say that a plumber comes out in the middle of the night, on a weekend, or during a holiday to fix a burst pipe; a little extra appreciation (like $10–$20) can go a long way.

skip the tip
Photo by Jacob Lund from Shutterstock

When you take a flight

Yeah, we know that flight attendants do a lot of work, from serving drinks and snacks to emergency intervention; they are the ones who handle the needs of passengers. But unlike waitstaff on the ground, they don’t expect or accept tips. So, when you fly, you can skip the tip and not feel guilty about it.

Their job involves customer service, but tipping is not a practice on airplanes. Even more, most airlines strictly prohibit their flight crews from accepting cash tips. If you want to show your appreciation, you can simply be a polite and respectful passenger. Following their instruction and always saying “thank you” is more than enough.

Do you need a new wallet? This one might be a good choice if you don’t plan to spend a fortune on it: Chelmon Slim Wallet ID Window with RFID Blocking Front Pocket

If you enjoyed this article, you should also read: 12 Smart Places to Hide Your Money

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