Stepping up in these challenging times

T

trader1

#1
#1
How many of you have stepped up lately offering larger tips or other gracious actions to someone who may be deeply affected by lost wages, lost job etc...

Lately, I have found myself stepping up quite a bit at the salon, restaurant, etc when offering tips and so forth.. Gotta believe that employees in service and hospitality are affected tremendously

I even gave some extra $$ to the local legit massage place masseuse

I can still be a cheap bastard when it comes to other things, but giving is nice
 
Leobloom

Leobloom

#2
#2
trader1 said:
How many of you have stepped up lately offering larger tips or other gracious actions to someone who may be deeply affected by lost wages, lost job etc...

Lately, I have found myself stepping up quite a bit at the salon, restaurant, etc when offering tips and so forth.. Gotta believe that employees in service and hospitality are affected tremendously

I even gave some extra $$ to the local legit massage place masseuse

I can still be a cheap bastard when it comes to other things, but giving is nice
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Yes, I try to show my appreciation for people who are putting themselves on the line with high-exposure jobs. On tipping providers, there's a bit of a conundrum. My regulars with one exception have returned to the level of service they were previously providing. I drove one home the other night and she kept her mask on in the car and talked about COVID a bit. Given that we'd just had BBFS, DFK and no masks, I had a sense of disconnection. I think we both know that this is sub-optimal (ok, fucked up) but there's a sense of complicity. I tip her the same as before which was already overly generous. She has a five year old daughter. Another provider in a semi-legit place who used to allow DATY now wears a mask and only limited roaming. I tip her less and she seems to understand. I've paid my cleaning woman at the height of the pandemic when she wasn't coming in because I was ok and someone shouldn't have to put her life on the line to vacuum my place. It's tricky to indulge one's vices and be generous when you've only recently returned to work after a very long interval.
 
mugi

mugi

#3
#3
In my far away place from the New York area, on the street strolls, meeting up with ladies that serviced me well and sometimes not so well in the past, but just loving them for still being around to banter with me and laugh in the street and remembering old times, I slip them a few bucks or buy them something. (a flood of memories gush forth, upon seeing them, of all our many encounters, both bad and good, and I am able to see them all as sweet memories of involvement and communication with a beautiful female)

In the end, when all is said and done, I have spent some quality time with these ladies and we know each other very well. I would have not much humanity to pass them by like I don't remember having intimacy with them. They certainly remember me. To carry on and wish them well, handing out a gift as one might treat a child to an ice cream and see them so appreciative and smiling, that just gives me great satisfaction. They are some of the women in my life. We played with each other fairly and respectably. We are all in this community together. They have shared their love and affection with me when it was truly needed.

Until the fortunate day arises when this "monkey on my back" disembarks, it is best to play with those still in the game with respect, admiration and loving kindness.

I believe that someday just prior to my departing this fine world, I will have the opportunity to review my life from start to finish, no longer having the ability to engage, but just to watch. During that review process, I hope to see a movie that exemplifies decency and respect for others, even in places where the world by consensus has labeled certain activities falling short of respectability.
 
genius

genius

#4
#4
trader1 said:
How many of you have stepped up lately offering larger tips or other gracious actions to someone who may be deeply affected by lost wages, lost job etc...

Lately, I have found myself stepping up quite a bit at the salon, restaurant, etc when offering tips and so forth.. Gotta believe that employees in service and hospitality are affected tremendously

I even gave some extra $$ to the local legit massage place masseuse

I can still be a cheap bastard when it comes to other things, but giving is nice
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Although I am not willing to take the risk (my age puts me, and if I get infected my SO, at risk) of being in a small room in close proximity for an hour with a masseuse nor with a provider, I have been outdoor dining and getting haircuts. For the haircuts, the place now always has a fraction of the usual precovid customers and my tips are close to the price of the haircuts (I pay with a larger bill and tell them to keep the change so whatever it turns out, it turns out, but it is a big % tip). The restaurants I go to all had outdoor dining precovid (either on the water or with a scenic view — I don't see how anyone can enjoy a meal where the tables have been moved to the sidewalk where trucks, motorcycles, etc. are rumbling by, horns honking and loud radios playing ) and I have been paying cash (so the place doesn't have to give the credit card co a cut) and tipping cash and my tips are at least 25% depending how the large bills I pay with round up.
Also when I bring my cars to the shop for maintenance/inspection (a guy I know for years and trust and whose business is down dramatically) I had him do some extra maintenance that wasn't really due, i.e., could squeeze out an extra 6 months, such as cabin filter, wiper blades, air filter etc.

I've always been generous with the mailman, trash collector guys, my paper carrier and will not tip extra this year as they haven't been affected as much as other service people.

I don't give a shit about helping Sirius, optimum, the newspaper companies.
 
I

iwantagoodhj247

#7
#7
genius said:
these guys are barely clinging on for dear life.
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SO IS EVERYONE.
It's a two way street. Every dollar i earn comes with an extra price nowadays. They want "extra" out of me? Fuck them. Let's see them understand that EVERYONE is "clinging on for fear life", and keep prices as they were. I'm not making more money from this, why should they.
 
MayorSimpleton

MayorSimpleton

#9
#9
iwantagoodhj247 said:
SO IS EVERYONE.
It's a two way street. Every dollar i earn comes with an extra price nowadays. They want "extra" out of me? Fuck them. Let's see them understand that EVERYONE is "clinging on for fear life", and keep prices as they were. I'm not making more money from this, why should they.
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I can't speak for all the increases but printing $3 trillion is inflationary. The dollar is weak and we import so much it makes sense to me that this is part of it.
Can't wait for the effect of the next $2 trillion.
 
genius

genius

#10
#10
iwantagoodhj247 said:
....... I'm not making more money from this, why should they.
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Are you making less?

Some of these places and service workers have much, much less revenue coming in and higher expenses further cutting into those limited revenues because of COVID.

My expenses have significantly gone down such as auto insurance rebates, much lower gas prices combined with much less driving, low, er car maintenance costs, much lower heating oil cost, much lower restaurant outings, zero starbucks, nonexistent travel (tolls, hotels, etc) zero mongering expenses — to name a few — money I'm saving that I would have spent if not for COVID . My revenues from investment income, pensions, soc sec have all gone up such that Rev - Exp results in transferring $3K/ out of my checking to savings per month.

I'm riding this out with a plus and mere inconveniences whereas other are "clinging on for dear life" thru no fault of their own.

If COVID would have happened 30 years ago when I was building my business I and all my employees would have lasted no more than two months before being literally wiped out of business and losing everything — not because of bad decisions but because of a f**king virus from China.

I can spare some of what I got. Maybe I'll get some karma from it.
 
U

Uniquelyme

#11
#11
genius said:
Are you making less?

Some of these places and service workers have much, much less revenue coming in and higher expenses further cutting into those limited revenues because of COVID.

My expenses have significantly gone down such as auto insurance rebates, much lower gas prices combined with much less driving, low, er car maintenance costs, much lower heating oil cost, much lower restaurant outings, zero starbucks, nonexistent travel (tolls, hotels, etc) zero mongering expenses — to name a few — money I'm saving that I would have spent if not for COVID . My revenues from investment income, pensions, soc sec have all gone up such that Rev - Exp results in transferring $3K/ out of my checking to savings per month.

I'm riding this out with a plus and mere inconveniences whereas other are "clinging on for dear life" thru no fault of their own.

If COVID would have happened 30 years ago when I was building my business I and all my employees would have lasted no more than two months before being literally wiped out of business and losing everything — not because of bad decisions but because of a f**king virus from China.

I can spare some of what I got. Maybe I'll get some karma from it.
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Great viewpoint. If you are in a position to give a bit more, do so.
 
I

iwantagoodhj247

#13
#13
genius said:
Are you making less?

I can spare some of what I got. Maybe I'll get some karma from it.
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Congrats on all that. Must be nice to be you.
Since everything costs more, by proxy, yes, I'm making less.
And I've never seen a single example in my life of "karma", so i don't believe in it.
You do you, and I'll do me, and that's where this ends.
 
Sophia Belle

Sophia Belle

Trickle Down Economist
#14
#14
genius said:
Are you making less?

Some of these places and service workers have much, much less revenue coming in and higher expenses further cutting into those limited revenues because of COVID.



I'm riding this out with a plus and mere inconveniences whereas other are "clinging on for dear life" thru no fault of their own.



I can spare some of what I got. Maybe I'll get some karma from it.
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Agreed! Wholeheartedly! Tipping is essential and giving back to our community should be too (whatever capacity you can)! Karma is real and what better way to earn good karma than to help the people in your community and surrounding areas! When tipping, I try not to ever tip less than 20% (that’s for ok service)... good service gets 25%... great service is a strong 30-33%... even better, when it’s like a mom and pop type place (small business) I tip even higher sometimes reaching 40-50% ... I just can’t leave a $2 tip for breakfast... it’s so wrong!
 
B

boneengineer

#15
#15
iwantagoodhj247 said:
Where's my discount for stepping outside in this nightmare, to help support your business? I haven't seen any of that, just price increases.
Nah, I'm not doing anymore than i ever have.
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Discount???? What is wrong with you?

I make every effort to give them more not less. And I am by no means rolling in dough. My household income is down 65+% but I still strive to show kindness whenever I can.
The greatest generation is looking down on us now in utter disgust.
 
U

Uniquelyme

#16
#16
iwantagoodhj247 said:
Congrats on all that. Must be nice to be you.
Since everything costs more, by proxy, yes, I'm making less.
And I've never seen a single example in my life of "karma", so i don't believe in it.
You do you, and I'll do me, and that's where this ends.
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I'm making less too. I've been on furlough 8 months now. I go back to work next week. I will make prob 30%+ less than last year. Next year i probably will make what I made in 2018. I was increasing my yearly every year past couple of years a bit.

However I still go out to eat often and tip decent. However if you are making less I understand not giving more.

Lastly I do believe in Karma though.
 
Nutty Irishman

Nutty Irishman

#17
#17
I have to agree with Genius and Trader here especially when it comes to those deserving of help. My dog groomer has a family with a husband that’s been out of work due to Covid and so when she reopened I ask her about bi-weekly bath service for my two dogs so as to bring some more work her way. Likewise Iv had my landscaper do power washing and other things to bring more work his way. I tend to be a gracious tipper for those who work hard so there’s my two cents.
In other news - I am an opportunistic guy and keep my ear open for non-pros hit hard financially and interested in making money but have yet to find any! Anyone else out there ready to help out a girl down on her luck?
Happy Hunting
Nutty Out
 
I

iwantagoodhj247

#19
#19
Uniquelyme said:
I'm making less too. I've been on furlough 8 months now. I go back to work next week. I will make prob 30%+ less than last year. Next year i probably will make what I made in 2018. I was increasing my yearly every year past couple of years a bit.

However I still go out to eat often and tip decent. However if you are making less I understand not giving more.

Lastly I do believe in Karma though.
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Hang in there buddy.
 
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