No. If your money is tight, theirs is tighter, they live off of tips. Something is better than nothing.

No, if money is tight, eat at home. The ONLY acceptable reason for not tipping adequately is poor service.

If you can't afford to tip, your should not be eating out. Unless there is poor service, tip, tip, tip.

If you can't tip don't go out. I tip even if service is poor.

Not really. You can always leave change (more than 50 cents), but if money's THAT tight, you probably shouldn't be eating out, anyway. (If it's lunch, during work, brown-bag it. If it's family supper, make it - hot dogs or bologna sandwiches will do when money's tight.)

NO. That means you shouldn't go out. the tip is part of the cost of the meal

Say NO to giving tips like a prick, I always say.

If you don't have the cash, what are you doing ''dining out'' yo?...

No if money is tight cook at home. Waiters have a living to earn too.

Why should it be okay for you to pass your money problems off to the waitress? they get paid about 3 dollars an hour. You shouldn't eat out if you can't afford to tip 15%.

I agree with most posts here- if you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out. This also goes for bars- tip ~at least~ $2 per drink. If you can't afford that, go to the store, buy some booze and drink at home.

if money is tight you should not be going out in the first place and everyone deserves something for a service.

If money is tight, you shouldn't be going out to a restaurant to eat, where the food is of lower quality and costs higher than food bought at a grocery store and is prepared at home.

Even when money was an issue for us we never left a restaurant without tipping. We cut corners in other ways.

No, it should be figured into the amount yu will be spending for the meal. Choose something cheaper to make sure you will have enough for a tip. They need to live too and you are taking up a table that they could be making more money on.

No. If money is tight order dishes that will leave you with a 10 % for tip but not leaving a tip is just not done.

Depends which country you are in. Assuming you are American, then it is definitely not ok. Servers in the States rely on your tips to make up a basic living wage.

If money is tight you should not be going out to dinner

No, it is not ok. Servers get paid around $2 an hour (maybe more by now, it's been a few years since I waited tables), and the tips are supposed to make up for not being paid minimum. They get taxed on total sales, and if you come in and spend $50, the government expects the server to have made a minimum of $7.50 from you. If they didn't get the tip, they are then taxed on income not received. It is never cool to stiff a server. If you can't afford the tip, then go where there isn't a wait staff.

wow reading these answers i have a question: are waiters/ss paid that badly?! y do they do the job if its really that bad? im from the UK and here they get paid quite decently (ok yes not 'lots' but enough) 3 dollers an hour?! wow here tipping is not that much of of a big deal and most people only tip if it was exceptional service not just standerd. i was a waitress for a few months and only every other person or so tipped and normally only 2 pound (about 4 dollers) .

Never, never, never. Waiters/waitresses have one of the toughest jobs in the world. If you can't tip then you shouldn't be eating out.

No, that's just wrong (really, really wrong).

Go to a cheap place where there's self service if money is tight.

Only if you are a cheapskate. You should stay at home if you cannot afford to eat out. Servers live on tips.

If money is that tight, consider calling your order in ahead of time, pick it up and take it home to eat it.

When money is tight, why go out at all? The ladies and gentlemen in the Food SERVICE business work long hard hours for the short pay they get. You work hard for your money, don't you? I'm willing to bet you do. You have bills and expenses, don't you? Sure you do. Waiters and waitresses ("servers"), bus persons and bartenders work hard for their money, too. Did you know servers, bus persons and bartenders don't even get paid minimum wage? All of them depend on their tips to help them pay their bills and expenses. AND based on their gross sales, they pay taxes on those tips. A VERY basic EXAMPLE: On one single evening, a restaurant has total gross sales of $1,000. Granted, the restaurant has to pay for all it's expenses from that money: food, liquor, wages, utilities, the cooks, dishwasher, hostess, etc. There are 3 servers, ome bus person and one bartender working that evening: Server 1 has $200 in total checks: He/She gets $20 in tips. Server 2 has $300 in total checks: He/She gets $30 in tips. Server 3 has $500 in total checks: He/She gets $40 in tips. ALL have to declare a percentage of those total sales as their tips. Let's say 10% Server 1: $20 Server 2: $30 Server 3: $50 - I think I know what you're thinking: "BUT Server 3 only had $40 in tips". The IRS knows that, but they don't care. They want the taxes on that $50. AND each server has to tip the bartender 10% and the bus person 15% So the bartender gets tipped $10 The bus person gets tipped $15. AND THEY have to pay taxes for those tips. I hope this small explanation and example gave you a little more insight into the workings of how hard those folks work and how little they get paid. Here's a suggestion and a possible solution: When the check is presented and you know you don't have enough to leave that well-deserved tip, 1] Ask the server for his or her name. 2] The very next paycheck you get, put a personal check in an envelope with that person's name on the envelope. 3A] Hand-carry that envelope into the restaurant. 3B] Ask for the manager. Get the name of the person you gave that envelope to. 4A] Call back later that day or evening or on the day when that person you made out the check to is working. 4B] Ask for that server. When he or she answers the phone, identify yourself and ask if he/she got the check. With that one simple example, and what I told yuu in this answer, if you came in the place where I worked and didn't tip me (Server 3) when it was well-deserved, I would probably remember you the next time you came in. Thanks for asking your Q! I enjoyed answering it! VTY, Ron Berue Yes, that is my real last name! Sources: My wonderful family! Was in the Food and Beverage business over 26 years. "THE University of Hard Knocks" also known as ("a/k/a") "life's valuable lessons"

I wouldn't go somewhere I'd be expected to tip if I was low on cash.

It's not the custom to tip in our country although in certain circumstances people do, and as wages for this kind of work are generally not that well paid, it's appreciated but not expected. If it's expected and the wages mentioned here seem outrageous to me, then I think you should follow the custom. I've only personally experienced this once when I did a holiday job driving a complimentary van. I was really well paid for the work I did but people kept trying to tip me, I kept trying to give it back, and in the end I just kept it. But I think that's a different situation that when it's your living. Good service deserves a reward.

if you can not tip at least 18-20% you should not be eating out. it is rude and inconsiderable. waiters and waitresses make about $2/hour and without tips, they do not make any money for the job they are doing FOR YOU

You can leave the coins if there are any in the money packet otherwise, pack it if you feel that waiter or waitress should not be given tip

Its probably tighter for them. Order something cheaper next time and leave them their tip. Restaurants don't have to pay even minimum wage to wait staff. I know years ago when I was making $3.35 an hour delivering pizza (minimum wage at the time) wait staff were being paid $2.00 an hour.

I would feel guilty if I were unable to tip a waitress/waitor, but would always want to. Even if their wages aren't brilliant, customers are not required to give tips; people do it out of kidness and generosity.

A waiter/waitress works very hard and more times than not, for less than minimum wage. It is never okay not to tip them, unless the service is terrible..and if the place is really busy, less than perfect service is no excuse for not tipping. If you can't afford a tip, get your food to go or stay home and cook.

Absolutely NOT! If money is that tight, eat at home. You should consider tip money in the budget for the evening.

Well, yeah, I think that would be alright. Noone tells you to tip them, after all, and isn't the amount you would usually give only symbolic anyway?

Dont go out if you cant tip. Its not the waiters fault. They need to make a living too. Most people dont know they have to split their tips a couple ways. Busboys , and bartenders.

Yes. You can't be expected to help others out if you can't help yourself. But Designer4theking is right. If money is that tight, you shouldn't be eating out.

Nope. We've gone out when money was tight for us but I still tipped at least 20% anyway because I knew that our situation was temporary, whereas their's probably wasn't.

NEVER!!! Under no circumstance is it ever okay not to tip based on money issues! If money is that tight, then don't go out to eat!! How rude.

Money is just as tight for them, and they often are paid less than minimum wage so they depend on those tips. If the service is poor though, don't tip.

If you cant afford a tip then maybe you shouldnt be eating out. buy from the grocery store and cook at home. its amazing what $15 can buy you. You can feed 3 people with that if you make it at home.

If money is tight then dont go out to dinner. But NO it is not alright to not pay someone for doing their job. Waitresses get paid very little, Tips are how they make money. How would you feel if you didnt get paid this week because money was tight for your boss.

of course not! they LIVE off of tips. Most servers are only paid about $4 or less per hour. They rely on tips to pay their bills. if money is that tight, don't go out to eat.

Hmmm...that's a tough one...but I'd say if money was THAT tight, you probably shouldn't be going out to eat.

I was a waitress for a year while in college and I got paid $10/hr plus tips...so I don't know where you get that they only get paid $2/hr. Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

No. If you can't afford to eat out, don't eat out.

Never! The only time I would not tip my server is if the service was crappy and she/he was just plain rude. I might forgo tea or dessert if money were THAT tight, but I would never not tip a good server. I've worked in the profession and I know how hard the job is.

If money's tight you should be spending it on more important things than restaurant food..... like blow.

No, if you can afford to go out for a meal you can afford to pay for the service as well as the food.

i guess so if you're paying in cash and the bill was more than what was expected and leaving you with no money to tip.

The only time it is ok not to tip a waiter/waitress is if you do not get good service, planning on the tip should be part of your eating out plans.

In the U.S., NO it is never okay! If someone cannot afford to tip, then they should not go out to eat. I hate when people do this. Especially when i go out to eat with them, and they wont tip. Its rude and selfish to expect someone to wait on you and then not give at least 15%. However, tipping is getting out of hand. Now, everyone throws up a tip jar when tips are not even appropriate. Like going to subway and ordering a sandwich. There is no reason to tip the subway guy.

Of course it's okay. If the server ignores you or gives you a bad time, if they mess with your food or do other uncouth things to it, it'd be stupid to tip such behavior. I worked in the service industry, and would certainly not expect a gratuity for inferior service!

No. If money is tight, you should not eat out. There are other legitimate reasons not to leave a tip. For example, in certain countries, waiters get paid a decent wage and do not expect tips unless service is truly exceptional. In the United States, waiters generally cannot live on their wages alone so I would leave some kind of tip unless service was truly outrageous.

I think that's fine. I wouldn't go to a packed restaurant, though, because I would be taking money out of the pocket of the waiter, as the next people at the table would probably tip. It seems a little cheap, but I'm not crying for the waitstaff.

No, just because money is tight for you doesn't mean they're not having a hard time their self. If money is so tight you shouldn't have gone out to eat in the first place. If you have to just don't eat out or reduce the tax a little bit, but just don't leave one unless they were horrible that's just disrespectful.

Unless the service sucks then no if u can afford 2 go out 2 eat then u can afford 2 tip if $ is tight go 2 McDonalds

If they did ok job then it would be wrong not to tip them. If you can't afford to give a tip don't go to restaurants.

My family owns a restaurant and I know from working there that a waitor's living comes from their tips. If you don't tip a waitor, you could be keeping them from eating THEIR next meal.

No, I don't beleive that it is acceptable to not tip someone who did a good job just on the basis of not having enough money. If you are going to eat out, you should be prepared to pay the entire bill and also a tip of at least 15-20%. The only time that it would be acceptable NOT to give your waitress or waitor a tip would be if the service was piss poor. I still give tips to them even if the service was poor, I just never go back to that resturant again. It's just the right thing to do - these people have bills to pay just like you, and many of them rely soley on tip money.

if money is that tight, you don't eat out!

No, you should tip especailly if the person gave you good service.

This is what I dont understand. If waiters and waitresses get paid sub-minimum wage what prevents them from gathering together to petition Congress or whoever makes the rules for higher pay? I am talking about something along the lines of unionizing. They actually have the upper hand because restaraunts want to keep their reputation and image in good standing with their patrons in order to keep the same level of revenue, at least, and its obvious that without waiters/waitresses the image will be different potentially worse than before. I mean its kind of like if you partake in something that has a high probability of death and there is no garauntee of life support or coming out alive yet the reward is sub-minimum satisfaction would any of you do it??? Another question, why is there not the same level of emphasis of tipping a car salesmen? Yea sure some are paid on comission which means it all depends but they are basically giving you the same service as waiters, hosting you as a guest to show you what they recommend and all. Just curious. Personally, I wouldnt mind placing my own order and getting up and going to the kitchen to pick up my order. So if I am inclined as such, I place no value on the service, am i rude for being like that? SHould i then not dine out because of this predisposition of mine? If your answer is no you shouldnt dine out, then is it possible to ask the waiter if I can at least place my order with him or her but after that go in the back to pick it up myself so I can avoid being rude? Most likely he/she will say no or become offended for me asking, or restricted access to employees only and therefore is it wrong, only after i tried, to still not leave a tip? For me I place what I earn as #1 and how I use my earnings determines my level of satisfaction. And people have differences in how they're satisfied, no one person is the same. To address the issue of a tight budget. It seems almost dictatorial to tell someone they should or should not do something with the little money they have left over. For one, it is a fact that its wrong to place different values on "hard work" in and of itself. It is the "nature" of the work that determines the value, not the effort or quality put forth. That is what I have noticed in people, they are confusing this key point. If I work just as hard as the next person for my money then who are you tell me what i should do with my blood sweat and tears i gave for it? This is my thought-process and respectable comments are most appreciated. Does anyone feel and/or think the same way as I do about this issue. Afterall my money is a very sensitive topic to me. I get easily offended if someone tells me what to do with it.

Not OK They be taking care of you, so you take care of them. else wise don't eat out.

They often work for half of minimum wage because it is expected that they will get tips. I personally know that just a few years ago they were paid $2.25 an hour, I was the manager at a restaurant. If you can't afford the tip, you can't afford to eat out or order delivery for that matter because delivery drivers fall into the same boat.

Most waiters(like myself) are college students who cant get a decent job until they get out of college, and how are we going to make money to pay for tuition and housing expenses? To not have pity for "unskilled" workers is absolutely ridiculous. Having a 9 to 5 job must be nice, we works mornings through evenings, weekends especially. And we only get paid $3 an hour to do it. Serving requires a lot of patience, especially to put up with ignorant people who think we are "unskilled" then stiff us. There are customers who are wonderful and make our jobs worth it but most of the time we are miserable. There are many times where I wish I had the luxury of being rude back to a customer but I can't afford to lose my job. If you dont tip dont go out to eat.

It's a gratuity; a gift. Sometimes we have to break with custom.

No. If you cant afford the experience of eating out, then you shouldn't eat at a restaurant. If your money is tight, take the food to go or eat at a cheaper restaurant. If you want to be selfish, then go ahead, but there is a good chance that your server will be subconsciously pissed off about it and give service that isn't as charming as your free service. If you can't tip appropriately, then go to McDonalds.