This man decided to not tip anywhere; here’s how much he is saving every week

Amid the dilemma over where to tip and where to skip, what if you choose to not tip at all, especially at sit-down restaurants? A guy in Los Angeles decided to find out. The short answer: you save a lot of money but some people may not think highly of you. This anonymous TikTok user, identified as @idontip got the idea after visiting a bakery in Los Angeles. He analyzed how much he could save by not leaving tips.

“When I saw the options to tip $1, $2, or $3 on a $3 Danish, I thought, why tip the same amount as the item itself? That’s when I started the NoTip journey,” @idontip told The Post. On his TikTok videos, @idontip reveals how much he spends at various coffee shops and eateries throughout Los Angeles. At the end of each video, he calculates how much money he has saved by not tipping whether it is for a $389 meal with drinks and truffle pasta or a $12 latte.

He claimed in a TikTok video that went viral with over 82,000 views that he saved $152.92 in just one week by not tipping, a practice that is typically considered socially undesirable. The video provoked heated controversy in the comments section. The top responder congratulated him, writing, "You're an inspiration to us all."

Many respondents liked the concept of bypassing tips at coffee shops or fast-casual restaurants, where tipping was uncommon until recently. However, most consumers believed that not tipping servers at sit-down restaurants went too far. "You gotta tip at sit-down places where they serve and clean up after you. If you can’t afford to tip 15% at least try 11-12%?" one user said.

Not everyone agreed. Another user said, "I get no tip policy if they are not serving, but no tip on a regular restaurant is devious." “I understand not tipping where service isn’t expected but skipping tips at a regular restaurant feels sneaky,” remarked one user. The man behind this controversial account who preferred not to disclose his name and remain anonymous acknowledged the distinction between not tipping at restaurants versus coffee shops but emphasized his mission remains unchanged for both.

“I’m advocating for freedom from societal pressures,” he explained. “At coffee shops, people often feel pressured by others in line and by baristas waiting for a tip before making their drink. In restaurants, it’s more about how the waiter perceives you.”Despite criticism, he maintains, "I feel perfectly fine not tipping, no matter where I am."

While tipping is not legally required, many employees rely on it to boost their hourly salaries. In the United States, the federal minimum wage for employees who receive tips is $2.13 per hour while those who do not receive tips earn $7.25. In New York City, tipped employees are guaranteed a minimum hourly wage of $10.65, but they must earn at least $16 with tips. California provides a higher minimum wage of $16 per hour for tipped employees, which is the same as the majority of the state's workforce. However, fast-food employees in major California franchises must be paid at least $20 per hour. 

Follow @idontip for more such videos and content.