The Guerrilla Guide to Cheap (and Sometimes Free) Eats
There is no shortage of cost saving tips these days. They mostly focus on simple ways that consumers can reduce costs by cutting out the purchase of things that are not absolutely necessary. But for those who still like to eat out, those who have busy lives’ that dictate their eating on-the-go, or for those who are currently really feeling the strain of the current financial situation, there are alternatives. There are ways to cut down or, in some cases, eliminate food costs while not cooking every single meal at home. Of course, some examples require a bit more creativity, or even some pride-swallowing. In any event, these should be considered fun ways to save money, and for those really in a bind, they can actually be quite useful. This is the guerrilla guide to cheap (and sometimes free) eats.
Eat at Non-Restaurants
(Above: an Ikea Smorgasbord. Source)
There are many nationwide non-grocery chains that offer cheap eats just to get you in or near there doors. Examples include the food court at Costco, and the cafeteria at Ikea. At these types of places, it’s not uncommon to find a meal for under $1.00, with usually a more-deluxe version of the mea costing about $.50 more. The food is usually pretty good too– as evidenced by the usual long lines.
Order Kids Meals
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While we do not advocate anything unlawful, most restaurant employees do not care if patrons order off the kids meals. Some will even let people order off the senior menu! In most states it is unlawful to exercise price discrimination, so just politely ask if you can order off a particular menu – you’ll maybe even get a free toy with it.
Get your Fast Food From a Grocery Store
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If you are on the run, it is easy to think of fast food restaurants as the only option to quickly filling that empty stomach. However, grocery stores offer much larger selection, and you’ll be surprised at how affordable it is to run in and grab some fresh fruit and/or something else light. It will be much healthier too.
Cut out the Soda
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The bottom line is, soda is bad for you. Therefore, you should attempt to cut out your consumption of it, or at least practice moderation. If you are at a restaurant – fast food or sit-down – ordering a water instead of a soda, is one way to shed a few dollars from your total bill.
Go Out to Lunch Instead of Out to Dinner
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A lot of people realize that dinner menus and the lunch menus are priced differently, but they usually realize it when they are at dinner. For some reason, dinner prices can range 25-30% than lunch, for the same food items; but the only real difference is that they are being consumed at night. Going in at lunch keeps the price low, as well as the gratuity.
Participate in Community Events With Free Food
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Most communities have numerous events that are open to the public. This can include, church or rec center pot lucks, fire department BBQs, conventions, and even strangers’ birthday parties in the park (half—joking). If there’s free food available, chances are that the people who bought the food bought in bulk, and they got a good deal. Why not help them consume all the extra?
Say its Your Birthday
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Plan your eating out around your birthday or the birthday of your friend. There are lots of restaurants that will offer you a free meal or at least a free desert on your birthday. Some people also make a habit out of doing this, even when it is not their birthday – it can be embarassing if the server asks for an ID, however. Use discretion.
Order Soup and Salad – Fill up on Bread
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Lots of restaurants offer affordable soup and salad combos. One good way to make this cost efficient, is to share this with another person – think affordable date night. You can typically also fill up on bread to subsidize your half-meal.
Become a Mystery Shopper
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One great way to get food for free is to become a mystery shopper. In many cases, you can get paid for it. Lots of these programs give their participants a dollar amount they are to spend say $5.00, and $20.00 to spend it. They are often allowed to keep the difference, along with the purchased item. Imagine getting paid money to buy food, and then getting to eat food.
Free Samples
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Free samples, alone, equal one morsel of tasty goodness. However, 20-30 free samples can equal a filling meal – that is entirely free. Many places such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or Costco have more samples than usual during the busier retail hours/days. Figure out which days these are, and make your rounds: Costco on Satudays, and Whole Foods on Sundays.
Themed/Discount Nights
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Lots of restaurants try to make special themed nights on what are typically the slower days of the week. For example, a Mexican restaurant may have a ‘Taco Tuesday’, and a bar may have a ‘Thirsty Thursday’. This can mean $1.00 tacos, or a $1.00 cocktails – typically much cheaper than what the products are sold for on other days.
Take it To Go
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If you are in the mood for a gourmet meal, and don’t want to cook, there are alternatives to eating at a restaurant. Order to go, pay with a coupon and pick it up at the restaurant. You can have wine or your beverage of choice much cheaper at home, and you’ll also be able to avoid the larger dine-in gratuity. Its a big way to cut your bill nearly in half.
Give Blood (or Plasma)
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Practice moderation: giving blood can be a good way to get a free cookie and feel good about yourself. Selling plasma, can be a good way to do both of the above, and make a few extra books. Most nurses are nice, and will give you an extra cookie if you are polite.
Get Free Baked Goods at Bakeries
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It may still be a secret to many, but those who have worked in cafes and coffee shops know that many of these places get daily deliveries of baked goods. And, at the end of every night, throw or give away the leftovers. Its not unusual to see people at a Starbucks or Coffee Bean at closing ,walking away with a trash bag full of baked goods. For those places that do not give away their food (or prefer to give it to employees) baked goods may be had at half-price towards the end of the evening, or after a certain hour in the day. Either way, ask around.
Some of these are obvious, and some I’ll definitely be using. :-)
Comment by Ian — March 10, 2009 @ 8:59 pm
I am going to have to wholeheartedly disagree with the part about ordering to-go. In most cases the to-go workers at restaurant rely on your tips so they can buy their own meals.
I worked this position at both Chili’s and Outback Steakhouse. In both cases, tips were the major source of my income.
It is acceptable to tip less that the normal 10-15% on to-go but there should probably be about $2 per entree as a tip.
Comment by Vale — March 10, 2009 @ 9:48 pm
Share an unlimited soup and salad and fill up on bread! Insist on being served a kid meal even though you’re a grownup! Do everything you can to lower your gratuity! WOW!
Do these things, and you instantly become the WORST type of restaurant customer, and force hardworking servers like me to have to look for stupid moneysaving tips like this. You’ve obviously never worked in a restaurant before. Until you have, and you’ve had a couple waste your table sharing a soup and salad and leave you a whole dollar for an hour of your time, keep your “advice” to yourself.
Comment by Katie — March 10, 2009 @ 9:58 pm
Also… YOU ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM TIPPING ON A TO-GO ORDER! In restaurants, people working carry-out do quite a bit of work to assemble your order, and their wages are dependent on tips just like any other server.
For the love of God, learn about living in the modern world before you go spouting off like you know something!
Comment by Katie — March 10, 2009 @ 10:01 pm
Vale & Katie: I think what we meant in regards to the to-go order was simply a suggestion to keep tips lower than what you would have paid versus dining-in. I’ll add to the the wording to reflect that :)
As for kids meal, I’ve personally order kids meal during my early college years with my college buddies — although this was at the fast food places.
Also, I see no reason why you can’t share a soup and salad deal, if the specific restaurant has no issue with the patrons sharing the meal. That particular tip wasn’t meant to lower gratuity specifically, just the overall bill. Of course, some restaurants will specifically state that a particular entree or meal can’t be shared.
We’re aware that some of the examples on list above can definitely be a little bit out there for some people, hence it’s a “Guerrilla Guide.”
Comment by BillShrink Guy — March 11, 2009 @ 1:30 am
“ordering a water instead of a soda, is one way to shed a few dollars from your total bill”
That’s not true at fast-food places where a bottle of water will set you back $2-$3.
Comment by Brian — March 11, 2009 @ 9:40 am
Brian: We were talking about getting a water cup etc. If you’re at a fast food joint, you should be able to ask for a water cup and get water from the soda machine.
Comment by BillShrink Guy — March 12, 2009 @ 6:10 am
Tea is the best alternative to soda or water, especially green tea. It’s almost as cheap as water, but with added health benefits that outweigh its costs… and certainly that of soda. I recently calculated with dozens of market prices and the average cost per cup of loose tea (not tea bags which is of lower quality) is around 8 cents, minimum was 4 cents. Costs for boiling and water not included.
Comment by Doreen Kleist — March 16, 2009 @ 4:30 pm
I think sharing a meal in general will help to lower the overall bill, and you get more variety to boot!
And leaving the consumption of liquor until at home is also another way… although for those of us having built up the habit of having a glass with our mains it’s going to be quite a challenge!
Themed nights is definitely a great idea! The problem would be keeping tabs on a lot of restaurants to be able to do this though, as most restaurants offer seasonal specials as opposed to week-by-week ones.
Comment by Franklin — March 18, 2009 @ 8:34 pm
Why aren’t having POTLUCKS on this list? You invite several friends over for a nice dinner – each one of them brings one dish that they’ve made…but everyone gets to share a feast — with friends to boot!
Comment by EL — March 26, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
So far so good I have a family of 5 thanks for the great advice
Comment by Chino — April 11, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
What’s the issue? It’s not like someone poor waiter has been robbed of their tip, and cashiers don’t get tips, anyway.
Comment by anonymous — April 12, 2009 @ 10:03 am
Potlucks aren’t on here because that would be *healthy* food.
Comment by anonymous — April 12, 2009 @ 10:03 am
I have to disagree with some of the commenters here about tipping for To Go orders. Like a lot of people, I’ve been a tipped employee at one point in my work history, and I’ve noticed an amazing amount of tip inflation, and tip disinformation over the years.
Let me be clear here, I am not saying people should not be tipped or that they don’t work hard for their tips, only that the tip inflation is masking the true problem…restaurant employees are not paid sufficiently. Instead of restaurant owners raising wages, they simply allow tip inflation to make up the difference in cost of living increases. When we tip 15%, 20%, etc and that becomes the norm, it’s really the restaurant that is benefiting, because that extra 5-10% in tips is 5-10% less they have to increase wages.
When I started out, a 10% tip used to be sufficient, and we never got tipped for to go orders. I’m still shocked today when 15%, which used to be considered a good tip, is treated like a spit in the face.
There is a restaurant in San Diego [
http://www.thelinkery.com/ that is experimenting with a pseudo no-tipping policy that seems to be a noble attempt to rectify the current tipping situation. They charge a flat 18% service charge on every bill. If you happen to tip more, it goes into a pool that is donated to a charity at the end of the month.
(disclaimer: a friend of a friend used to be the bartender there, before opening up his own place)
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 1:26 pm
I’m sorry, but you ARE exempt from tips when getting your food to go, just as you are at the safeway, or at any other store.
The tip is for service, and since you
Comment by Michael — November 16, 2009 @ 2:16 pm
Everyone here is sour graping. these are strategies that a lot of people use. Get over yourselves. OH MY GOD HE SUGGESTED PEOPLE SHARE! OH MY GOD HE SUGGESTED NOT ORDERING A DRINK! OH MY GOD HE SUGGESTED PARTICIPATING IN SPECIALS THAT RESTAURANTS ROUTINELY RUN! Seriously all of this is good advice. I’ve worked in a restaurant for over a year and I do many of these things. Everyone stop sour graping. Excellent article I give it 3 thumbs up. Thats right. Three
Comment by Jack Attack — November 16, 2009 @ 2:17 pm
Vale & Katie how do you guys feel about restaurants on average paying under $10 an hour including tip pool to most of the kitchen staff? I know it seems unfair that people try to avoid tipping by reducing their bills or by ordering to go but having worked in kitchens for years I always felt kind of cheated by the wait staff. In the case of a to-go order almost all of the work is done by the guys in the back who get pocket change at best for tips. No drink orders on the to-go no running back to get me anything extra, no ‘bussing’, no cleaning up after the visit. Shouldn’t the tip really go to the back of the house?
Next lets be fair here for everyone, if I order to go I didn’t tip on the quality of the meal (I didn’t eat it yet) and I didn’t tip on the quality of service as chances are my service included picking it up from a counter. So what exactly am I tipping on? I didn’t get the waiter to run to the bar for me 3 times, I didn’t get the waiter to fetch my extra condiments, I didn’t really get much in the case of service. why the expectation that you are owed a tip rather than the argument that your wage should be hired if you are working in a non tipping area of a restaurant.
Comment by Jeff — November 16, 2009 @ 2:26 pm
Saying you should tip for to-go orders is asinine. Grow up. If you don’t like your wage, work somewhere else. You are the asinine participant in the order if you have a problem with it. I will not, not ever, tip for a to-go order. Besides, cooks to my knowledge do NOT work on tips and if they do, it isn’t my problem. I tip the waiter/waitress. There is neither for a to-go order and I’m not paying $3 more for a meal to-go. Get over it. I’m sick and tired of people that were too lazy to get a college education complaining that they don’t get tips.
Comment by Chris Grooms — November 16, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
Don’t forget violently shaking the vending machine, oh and the free food at the furniture stores on Saturdays.
Comment by Bengals1 — November 16, 2009 @ 2:30 pm
Some good tips….
I don’t know where you folks get the idea you tip for a To-o order! You don’t tip for to-go, buffets or drive thrus…sheesh!
Comment by Sailor — November 16, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
1. Lots of sub shops throw away break at the end of the night. Try hitting up one at 3am.
2. Get a part time job at a restaurant. Even if you work a couple hours a week you normally get a discount on food. Also you can normally steal some snacks during your shift!
Comment by Don Diego — November 16, 2009 @ 2:36 pm
These tips are basically all common sense (to say the least). But when you toss in donating blood for a cookie, the tone of the article as a whole should be more tongue-in-cheek than it is! Is this supposed to be serious or a light-hearted spoof (???).
Comment by Anon — November 16, 2009 @ 2:39 pm
Once again people who depend on tips. Give me ONE good reason why I should subsidize the owner of the restaurant. If you have a gripe, don’t get on ME for not tipping, get on your BOSS for not paying a living wage.
You are there to take my order to the kitchen and bring my food from the kitchen. Why does that deserve a tip? If you’re not happy, find a job that pays you what you think should be paid. Sorry, but true.
Comment by PGM — November 16, 2009 @ 2:40 pm
Tipping for take out is ridiculous. What am I paying for if I need to pay extra for you to put it together? Thats already included in the price. If you don’t like it you should’ve went to school and got a real job.
Comment by pete — November 16, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
I found the list helpful. It even had plenty of healthful options- if you paid attention.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
So your saying tip to go at a regular restaurant….but not at a fast food place there is no difference neither get a tip they should be properly paid for their job by the place they work I should not subsidize their pay. And yes I have worked in the restaurant business for years.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 2:43 pm
Tips to reduce the cost of eating
1) Learn to cook
Its amazing how much you can save and how much better you can eat if you actually prepare meals yourself. A single chicken which in a restaurant will feed 4 people in my house will feed 4 people 3 times. A few techniques in the kitchen and learning when to buy versus when to make can save a small fortune.
2) Get over it
Liver is cheap, dark meat chicken is cheap, many root vegetables are cheap apples are cheap. If you are willing to get over your youthful hatred of many things you will find your food budget can be brought down without sacrificing much in terms of quality. Learn some of the recipes of your grandparents and you’ll be amazed at how cheap some of them are.
3) Work as a team
When I purchase meat I do so with 3 others. 4 people buying meat means that we can buy much larger bulk packs and much larger cuts and then divide them up. Buy shopping as a team we all lower our bills and we are able to purchase larger items that provide us with things we need to make various stocks and soups at basically no cost. As we purchase a larger amount in bulk we also go to a butcher who remembers us and appreciates our business, its amazing how often we get extras for free when we come in 30 minutes before closing.
4) grow it yourself
Many of your common herbs grow very well in the window sill as do sprouts and even some of the lighter leafy greens, $1 in seeds buys a whole bunch of basil.
5) Buy on special and freeze it
Again this is painfully obvious but most people simply don’t use there freezer for anything outside of frozen OJ and ice cubes. This has to negatives first it means your buying according to the spot price and not the lowest price. Second it leads to ‘ordering in’ rather than reheating or defrosting and cooking. A full freezer including some snacks saves money simply because you rarely run out and buy when the timing is wrong.
Comment by Jeff — November 16, 2009 @ 2:45 pm
What? Tip on to go Why cause you put a spoon and fork in the meal? Only if you share that tip with the cook who took a lot more time preparing the meal or the dishwsher or the delivery man who delivers your food.
packaging a to go order is not a tip required event, if outback or chilis doesn’t pay you a living wage quit.
I have talked to owners of restaurants and they have all agreed you do not need top tip on to go orders
I have also worked in the service industry so yes I have lived on tips before
Comment by anon — November 16, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
Is it just me that thinks tips are a huge scam? I do sympathize with the servers that depend on them but why should the customer subsidize your income? Isn’t it the businesses responsibility to pay you? I don’t know if you’ve been out to eat lately but they definitely aren’t passing on the savings in their food prices.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 2:49 pm
Sorry, I worked as a waiter and I have to say that expecting a good tip and delivering no service or bad service is ignorant. I don’t tip at burger king and I’m not going to tip on a pick up order. If you feel somehow that you are wronged because I didn’t leave you $2 for handing food over a counter then perhaps you should find a job where you are rewarded for your hard efforts.
That being said, I regularly tip based on service. I’ve left tips over %100 before because my meal was inexpensive but the service was amazing.
As for giving blood. I would suggest selling plasma instead. You get paid more AND have fluid added to compensate for the plasma loss. You get dinner and a lube!
Comment by Rob — November 16, 2009 @ 2:53 pm
I don’t think it’s customary to tip when you get take out.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 3:02 pm
There is no such thing as a “cashier” at a restaurant. Many places use servers at the take-out desk. Many places share the tips between the staff (including cooks), many places also deduct the tip for the cooking staff from the cost of the food, not based on the size of the tip, so if you dont tip, its actually costs the server money, your stealing from them.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 3:02 pm
Sharing a soup and salad seems like a fantastic way not to get laid.
Comment by Rob — November 16, 2009 @ 3:03 pm
Ive never tipped a to go order and never will. Ive never went to a restaurant that acted weird when I didn’t tip them on a to go order and no one I know tips a to go order. They aren’t delivering it to you. They aren’t riding a bike to your house or refilling your water, cleaning a table. All they are doing is handing you the food, which you have paid for. If you aren’t making enough money as a host at a restaurant, then maybe you should work at a better restaurant. It is not the customer’s duty to tip a to go order. Hosts get tipped out by the waiters they work with and get paid more hourly than the waiters. Sorry! But I order to go a lot of times so I don’t have to tip.
Comment by James — November 16, 2009 @ 3:07 pm
The concept of tipping is both rediculous and asinine to someone outside of the US. When will you people stand up for your rights as workers!?!?! You are taking the risk off of the proprieter (has money) and placing it on the table staff (has less money). That is just backwards.
Comment by Non American — November 16, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
Cmon, at least mention cooking for yourself.
Comment by Stevie — November 16, 2009 @ 3:13 pm
Why even tip at all? The waiters should be paid a living wage to start off with. If no-one expects a tip, no-one is obliged to give one.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 3:14 pm
people who dont tip, just dont tip and you should know that if your in the industry.
Comment by chill out — November 16, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
I do not tip someone to hand me a bag of food that I went to pick up.. Congrats you can put a pack of sauce and plastic forks in a bag that definitely deserves a kickback. Its like tipping delivery drivers at places that already include a delivery charge (that money should already be going to the driver). The real problem here is people expect extra for doing their fucking jobs. Imagine you ask for help in a grocery store or big box store and a helpful knowledgeable sales person guides you to the product you want and answers your questions. That person did more work at what is probably a lower wage then either a takeout employee or a delivery driver and no one ever thinks of tipping those people.
Comment by Fucktippingtakeout — November 16, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
You forgot to add, “Get invited to your friends houses for dinner” or “Eat at your parents house”. LOL.
And if you’re a girl, “Go out on dates”. Because most guys are suckers and will pay the bill, thereby lowering their value and trying to impress the girl with money rather than who they are, but that’s a whole other topic…
Lastly, how about “WORK at a restaurant”. Often times you can eat the left-overs. NO, I don’t mean the disgusting stuff off someone else’s plate. I mean things like the eggs from the breakfast bar that are 1 hour old and the restaurant has them replaced every hour. Or a McDonalds/B.K. burger that has sat for more than 10 minutes and so they throw them out. Or other WASTED food that is still perfectly edible (and some animal has died in vane for).
Comment by Moochy Moocherson — November 16, 2009 @ 3:25 pm
I just LOL’d at the person who said you have to leave a tip even on TOGO orders. Are you kidding? Everyone thinks they deserve a tip these days for just doing their jobs…
if you don’t like your shitty restaurant job, the policy, or the way the industry is structured no one is making you work there. you should complain to your bosses to give you raises instead of whining to the general public trying to make us feel sorry for you.
I used to wash dishes in a couple of restaurants, did I ever get a share of the tips? NO. Did I work 3X harder than anyone else in the restaurant, YES. Life isn’t fair, get over it….
Comment by whinybabies — November 16, 2009 @ 3:27 pm
if you live anywhere near a research-oriented university, faculty + postdocs + recruits etc. give talks every single day. almost every seminar includes refreshments and snacks, and any seminar given at noon or one usually includes provided lunch – all free.
Comment by h_-ckk — November 16, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
For the waiters bitching. Get a real job and you wont have to work solely on tips. I don’t see any reason to tip for someone throwing a salad dressing packet into a bag and then checking me out when I pick up my to go order.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
Best to go to restaurants where there’s isn’t an official “to-go” job position (avoid franchises). That way you have no fear of being forced to leave a tip.
Also, if you place your order just before the lunch rush and come back for it in 30 minutes when they’re filling up you’ll probably get your food from someone other than who you left the order with. They won’t expect a tip.
If you find yourself going to the same place every day and being served by the same person (hopefully a nice person) put a dollar in a jar just for them. Wait about 4 months (about $80 should by saved up by then) and give them a $30 tip on a really slow day. They’ll love you and continue to serve you happily without tips for a few more months.
Comment by thinsoldier — November 16, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
Dumpster dive. NEVER pay for food again, its not at all gross if you know what your doing.
Comment by anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
Go to any drivethrough (or walk right up to the counter, even) and tell the cashier that someone messed up your order yesterday/this morning/whenever and left off such and such. They will–99 times out of 10–just give it to you. I never even needed a receipt. Don’t believe me? Try it. When I got divorced a few years ago, I lived off this stuff by spreading it out to several dozen restaurants in the South Baltimore area.
Comment by jerry — November 16, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
Dumpster-diving is also an extremely cheap way to get perfectly good food, especially if you’re at a nice place like Trader Joe’s. Don’t knock it till you try it. Just stay away from meat/dairy, and check the produce before you eat it.
Comment by philip — November 16, 2009 @ 3:50 pm
all you guys bitching about the loss of your tip, too bad.
i should be able to count on one hand the number of times i’ve had bad service at a restaurant, i cannot.
you gotta earn those tips!
Comment by john johnson — November 16, 2009 @ 3:53 pm
haha…you should avoid eating at restaurants anyway if you’re trying to cut down on costs. For that reason, the waiters would not get any tip! Or, eat at a semi-fast food joint where you wouldn’t tip.
It should not be a problem to share a meal or a kid’s item, especially if you can’t finish one normal item by yourself. This is one problem with many American restaurants – PORTIONS ARE OFTEN TOO BIG…(and also why we have so many obese ppl, but thatz another story…haha)
If you’ve been to Europe (especially France) or certain parts of Asia, you know exactly what I’m talking about!
Main tip for saving cost on food – STOP EATING SO MUCH FATTY! (By the way, I’ve lost 60lbs myself…so I know what it’s like)
Comment by MC — November 16, 2009 @ 4:03 pm
I don’t understand why servers have the right to bitch about tips. Tips are “To insure promptness” – that’s it. Why do we have to bribe every single waiter in the world to get our food? If you are concerned about your pay – GET A BETTER PAYING JOB. @Katie – “force hardworking servers like me to have to look for stupid moneysaving tips like this” Why are you better than me? Why should I pay more so you don’t have to save? Why do you feel such a sense of entitlement that you have to be bribed by each patron to actually do your job? Tipping is a totally unnecessary practice that at best should only reward outstanding service. As of now it seems to be a form of petty corruption in the food industry, only continued because of fear that terrible waiters will spit in your food if you don’t tip them.
Comment by Annoyed at servers — November 16, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
I will not tip on to-go orders! You haven’t given me any damn service, why should I tip you? Should I tip the pimply teenager giving me a whopper? No! Then why should I tip the 30 year old counterpart? You are getting paid not by my tips, but by your employer! Why does the onus fall on me? I’m already paying for the food.
Realize that this is a guerilla guide to saving money, guerilla implying “by any means necessary.” The people needing to do this do not have a lot of money to begin with, so shut your mouth that you won’t be able to buy the new season of grey’s anatomy on dvd, people are worse off than you. AND if you can’t afford to live solely off your wages, then get a better paying job.
I’m really starting to dislike the fact that tips are not thought of by wait staff as something extra to reward great service, they are thought of as mandatory! Also, don’t forget you came to a website called BILLSHRINK you neanderthal! BillShrink guy don’t feel like you have to edit your own article to conform with these waiters, you should feel free to say that here, if no where else!
Thank you BillShrink, this is the first time at this website and I will be returning in the future for further guerilla tips. Thank you!
Comment by Jewzilla — November 16, 2009 @ 4:18 pm
There is free food everywhere if you know your edible local wild plants (unless you live on the north pole, but then you can always raid santa’s elves for cookies)
Comment by Tommy — November 16, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
Why tip people that don’t pay their fair share of taxes anyway? tipping waiters and waitresses is just a scam.
Comment by AJW — November 16, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
If you don’t feel like tipping at a to go place, then don’t go. In fact, stop going to these places and eat at home or go to a fast food place and not worry about tipping.
Of course if the restaurant closes because of decreased overall revenues, oh well.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
You guys didn’t even list the best one… partycrashing! =D rock up to wedding receptions and chow down casually, if someone starts talking to you and realises they don’t know you, say you’re Sarahs friend. Or batman if you feel brave.
Oh and in Australia, summer means BBQs on pretty much every street, even stores have them for customers. $1.50 sausage in bread with a tonne of onion, thanks!
At the end of business days, Japanese places tend to pan off their sushi like crazy since its only good for one day. For about $5 you can pick up some trays of completely fine sushi.
I’m not sure which stores exactly do this, but I know for a fact Coles supermarket does here in Australia. If you go to purchase an item which scans at a higher price than what was labelled where it was stocked, Coles promises to give you the first item of that quantity for free and any others you’ve purchased at the lower, labelled price. Its essentially literal bargain hunting, grab a basket and look for food items you know are in the wrong section or at least poorly laid out sections. Again, if you’re really brave, swap some of the little “SALE!” tags around yourself.
And if we’re talking loss-of-dignity-savings, there’s really no roof on the potential savings. Go home and stay with parents for a while, family company and they’ll be doing backflips to cook for you! Pretend you’re a hobo and hit the soup kitchen. Go on an exchange program and stay with a family in another country, after the initial cost, you get to eat free for a year! Whackadoo!
Comment by Lucas — November 16, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
There is no need to tip on a takeout order! Sorry, but the majority of work is done by the cooks in the kitchen. The “waiter” or “waitress” in this case is nothing more than a cashier. Assembling the order…pffffft…grabbing a to-go box and putting it in a bag? Puh-lease. I certainly don’t tip the cashier at my local Publix when I get a sandwich from the deli.
And for that matter – stop tipping everywhere unless you are sitting down at a restaurant! You don’t need to tip at Subway, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, etc. These folks are getting an agreed to wage for their work – not lower than minimum wage as a waiter or waitress receives for their work. It might be nice – but it isn’t required at all.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
You don’t tip at McDonald’s or Subway or any other place where you pick your food up at the counter, so why should you tip on a to go order when you don’t get table service? To me the tip is what you pay for good table service, not because your food was assembled in a cardboard box properly. I can’t imagine someone would expect a tip for answering the phone and putting the food in a box. I have worked a number of pizza delivery jobs where I relied on tip, but I also took the to go orders and it certainly wasn’t as difficult as you make it out to be. I guess I should start tipping the guy at blockbuster because he has to ring me up.
Comment by Mike — November 16, 2009 @ 4:58 pm
Tough shit if the management is scamming you into only accepting wait-staff wages with tips to supplement when you work at a to-go window. I don’t tip the folks at McDonald’s or the chefs in the back of any establishment so I’m not going to tip you just for typing my order into a machine.
Comment by no obligation — November 16, 2009 @ 4:59 pm
Who in their right mind tips on take out? You get paid to serve food. That’s your job. You only get a tip if you give good table service. If I’m taking the food home, I’m not taking up a table, I’m setting my own table, and cleaning up my own mess. I’m sorry, but if you want more money, here’s a real valuable tip: get a better paying job.
Comment by humanfly — November 16, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
potlucks are on the list under community events, read a bit closer =P
Comment by a-n-o-n-y-m-o-u-s — November 16, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
Why don’t restaurants just pay their staff a fair wage and increase the cost of their items 15-20%? Why do the consumers have to look like the bad guys when they don’t properly make up for the wait-staff’s paltry wages?
Comment by jasper — November 16, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
Is it just me who doesn’t give a damn about waiting staff and their tips?
I don’t live in the US, granted, but this advice is on how to get food cheaply, isn’t it? It’s not about how to subsidise the low wages of service-industry front-liners!
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 5:58 pm
Can someone please explain to me why servers act like they are entitled to a tip? It’s not my job to pay your wages, it’s the restaurant’s job.
Comment by Keith — November 16, 2009 @ 6:24 pm
I have never heard of tips for to-go food. It’s definitely not standard practice up here.
Comment by John — November 16, 2009 @ 6:26 pm
I reckon the people bitching about tips live in the us.
“their wages are dependent on tips just like any other server.”
Might be true in the us. In Norway, you leave a tip if the experience was something extraordinary. Fast served, excellent food, polite waiters and staff. Its not normal to tip in restaurants, and NEVER at fast food joints. More common in bars though.
“For the love of God, learn about living in the modern world before you go spouting off like you know something!”
Meh. We kinda get paid by our bosses over here, not by our customers. But hey. I know we are not living in the modern world. You know. Wages paid by our bosses, paid sick leave, free health care, taxes.
I got a tip for eating cheap: Go to the store once a week(never when hungry). Buy a lot of stuff that you like. Meat, veggies, fruit, bread, soups etc. A lot of the stuff you buy can be used both for breakkie, lunch, dinner and supper. Like tomatoes, bread, bacon, lettuce, eggs etc.
Comment by marius — November 16, 2009 @ 6:30 pm
Lord…the tip issue? Really? So, everyone should sit down and eat PURELY to pay someone a tip to help someone’s income? Are all people who get takeout food the devil? Honestly, the tip war is starting to sound borderline greedy. If you get a glass of water at a restaurant – TIP. If you set foot inside a restaurant and don’t buy anything – TIP. If you even look at a restaurant – TIP.
Honestly, every article that ever mentions food gets attacked by the waiters of the world, bullying people into tipping, reminding us all that the restaurant industry pays you terribly and that if everyone doesn’t tip, you will die in a gutter.
As much as I love the “you’re probably a terrible tipper who doesn’t know what it’s like working in the industry” response, I over-tip to a fault and I have waited tables. I knew exactly what I was getting into.
Comment by Sarah — November 16, 2009 @ 7:08 pm
Isn’t becoming a mystery shopper the same as GETTING A JOB?
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2009 @ 7:18 pm
Tip: Get a brita filter as opposed to buying bottled. Or, even better, save jugs/big bottles and find a community well…some parks even have “jug fillers” attached to their water fountains.
It’s AMAZING how much $$ you save.
Comment by CRIS — November 16, 2009 @ 7:42 pm
Wait, tipping for takeout? Whatever for? Have you all entirely forgotten what tipping is? It is a gratuity, and it represents appreciation for service well-done after a meal. How, exactly, should I tip someone when I am not receiving meal service?
If a tip is “required” before a meal is even seen or consumed, then it is not a gratuity for services rendered, it is a fee.
If tipped earners are preparing take-away meals, thus requiring them to work in a manner that reduces their tip-earning potential, that is an abuse of managerial discretion, and I *WILL NOT* be held accountable for the brokenness of restaurant industry practices. If they choose not to pay their people correctly, and it IS incorrect to have tipped earners working a non-tipped position, that is an HR problem that tipping or not tipping for take-out does not fix.
Comment by confused — November 16, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
ahh thanks for the great tips..also buying day old bread and what not from say wal-mart is good..
Comment by Dale Clark — November 16, 2009 @ 8:33 pm
Really full tip on the togo?
I do 15-20% dine in
5-10% for delivery (pizza/chinese)
3-5% for togo
It always seemed to me to reflect the level of the dining experience…
Comment by Nam — November 16, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
I’m surprise they left out stopping by fast food restaurants at closing time. Buy something – anything – and they’ll unload everything they’d otherwise send to the dumpster. Just ask.
Comment by Hiroller — November 16, 2009 @ 9:44 pm
I for one am tired of restaurant workers complaining about low tips or how a certain tip range is “required”. A tip, in my opinion, is for servers that go well above and beyond the normal duties of their job — either by being genuinely very friendly, or taking the extra step to help their customer out. Otherwise, I’m not going to be the one to pay YOUR income, that’s your employers responsibility.
There are plenty of entry-level jobs that don’t require you to hang your income hopes on the tips of others, and by choosing a job that DOES, you are making the conscious gamble on the ups or downs of such a system. So if you’re not getting enough pay because of low tips, maybe you should a) improve your work skills, or b) find a job where you get paid a normal wage like everyone else, and stop BITCHING every time someone gives you less than $5. You smiled and brought my food over to me, don’t get too full of yourself.
Comment by Stephen — November 16, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
Tipping is retarded it was introduced to subsidize workers earnings when they were getting paid bare min wage.. nowadays waitress/waiters get a fair wage and tipping should have gone away with the dinosaurs. And i hate retarded waitress/waiters who think its their god given right to a tip, pull you head out of your ass and earn your money.
Comment by Waiterhater — November 17, 2009 @ 1:34 am
What’s with the ridiculous expectation of a tip?
Tip’s are something given for exceptional service! They are not something that should be expected just because you walk around and bring plates of food to a customer’s table! That’s just ridiculous.
I’ve worked as a waiter before and did not expect people to give me tips. I treated everyone the same and gave exceptional service period. And I was tipped very, very well but I didn’t expect it as my due for being in the restaurant business.
These days tips and the promotion of their being given by all as an expectation have become a cheap way for restaurants to not pay their employees a fair wage.
It is not the public’s job to supplement the wage that restaurants give their employees. It is the public’s perogative to give a tip for what they consider exceptional service far and above the minimum service expected of a good employee.
When a gratuity becomes an obligatory part of the meal cost it’s not longer a tip is it?
Carlos
Comment by Carlos — November 17, 2009 @ 2:29 am
learn to get a job where you’re paid fair wages. damn.
Comment by Anonymous — November 17, 2009 @ 3:35 am
I work a job where I just get paid. If you rely on tips to live then I’d suggest quitting for a better paying gig.
Comment by Anonymous — November 17, 2009 @ 5:56 am
You do not deserve a tip for putting a to-go order together. Yeah, I’ve worked in the restaurant biz for awhile. Those to-go workers get an hourly wage equal to pr higer than minimum wage. Want to make money? Wait tables and charm customers. I have never expected a tip for putting food in a bag and handing it to someone-its the chefs who are doing the preparing.
Comment by Aaron — November 17, 2009 @ 6:20 am
Although this isn’t really food, here’s a way to save on coffee drinks. Make them at home!
My wife and I have a latte every morning. At $4 a pop at Starbucks, that’s $2,920 a year. Drop $100=$300 for a decent pump-driven (not steam) espresso machine and save thousands! Payback time for a $300 Gaggia Espresso Color – six weeks! Seriously, it’s a no-brainer.
Also, you save time and expense of not driving to the coffee shop, waiting in line, tipping, etc. With a little practice, you will make a superior latte. And there’s no temptation to buy that muffin!
Comment by DM/Diddy — November 17, 2009 @ 9:37 am
“Also… YOU ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM TIPPING ON A TO-GO ORDER! In restaurants, people working carry-out do quite a bit of work to assemble your order, and their wages are dependent on tips just like any other server.”
You do not get a %10-%15 tip for putting my food in a bag and handing it to me, sorry.
Comment by Chad — November 17, 2009 @ 10:00 am
“Also… YOU ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM TIPPING ON A TO-GO ORDER!”
Tipping isn’t mandatory, it is earned by delivering quality service..so yes, you can exempt yourself from tipping any time you please.
Comment by Jesse — November 17, 2009 @ 10:04 am
At the cinema it costs $5 for a small popcorn, along with a $4 small drink, and a $2 candybar, so all of those together make around $11.
But there’s also something on the menu called something like a “fun box” (something like that). Basically it’s a children item that is a box with nick toons covering it, and they put in a small drink, small popcorn, and let you choose a candy. It costs around $6.50. So I get to save almost $5 just by slightly embarrassing myself with a box with Dora all over it :)
Comment by Lance — November 17, 2009 @ 11:28 am
Here’s a fun tip. Make other items on the menu at fast food restaurants from thier dollar menu. Get a McDouble minus
ketchup then add shredded lettuce and mac sauce and the the equivent of the big mac w/o the center bread and will cost any
where from a $1 to $1.60 depending on whether the individual restaurant charges for those ingredients some do some don’t.
Or use some packets of 1000 island dressing(mac sauce)you saved from getting with a salad somewhere else.
Also get the McChicken and a side salad break up the chicken and put on salad for a crunchy chicken salad.
Try the McChicken without dressing and ask for dipping sauce take the patty and eat it with dipping suace like the
McNuggets!you can get 3 mc chickens for the cost of the mcNuggets (prices vary)
As far as tips go… I worked as a Dishwasher/busboy in high school and tho the waitstaff was supposed to share a % of
them with us and never did… so I’m a little bitter. I would be curious if those wait ppl complaining are sharing their
tips or not??
Though I do tip 15%-20% BUT I don’t spend more then I need to on a meal just so they get a better tip… in fact since I
have had 3 kids I rarely eat out with the family ever.
Comment by Anklesneeze — November 17, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
Wonderful post. Its about time like minded people like me have their say. Plenty of restaurants squeeze you with horrible margins. Its not the consumer’s fault management is not paying the ’servers’ well. That should be calculated into the overhead of the meal, guilted upon the consumer. Whenever I go out, I look at reducing their margins, and preserving my wallet. Consumer power! Most people consider customers as stupid and like to herd them through gates of manipulation, instead of providing value. A serious problem in our economy.
Comment by chad — November 17, 2009 @ 3:11 pm
If you are THAT cheap that you resort to stiffing your waiter, sharing a meal intended for one, etc…. Maybe you need to adjust your spending habits in a way that doesn’t screw other people out of their income! Those “curbside carryout” people generally make ~$2-$3/hr. The waiter who gets your $.50 15% tip off the $4 check because you had water+bread and a soup could have made ten to twenty times that off a table who wasn’t a cheapskate!
If you are totally poor – you can go to the store for about $2 and buy dry brown rice and dry beans. Add another $1 for a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and you can feed a family of 8 a healthy nutritious meal. There is absolutely no excuse for going out to eat and trying to scam some free food – it is SO cheap to eat healthy! There’s not a grocery store in the world where you can’t buy cheap beans and rice and frozen veggies!
Comment by davesworkout — November 17, 2009 @ 3:14 pm
Um… Maybe you waiters, waitresses, etc in the USA should just, oh I don’t know… demand a living wage?
We’ve had a living wage in Australia for decades and apart from a very few cases, there are no “working poor”. We also have things like free “socialist” health care, a decent welfare (social security) system, fantastic cities, and a working and robust economy. Perhaps if enough people realise that maybe the USA isn’t the greatest place on Earth, they might just get around to thinking of ways of improving the situation you folks are in.
Or just move to Australia ;)
Comment by Shaun from Australia — November 17, 2009 @ 8:16 pm
First, in response to Chris; B.S. (2004 Biology) Master’s (2007 Wildlife Pathology), waiter (1999-present).
The job: We in the service industry enjoy the fast-paced environment. I don’t continue to do it because I love slaving over your coffee, shoes, car, lunch, etc. I do it because I enjoy helping others, I have a particular skill set that allows me to put up with abuse from bosses and patrons alike and I enjoy the company of my peers. I’m paid to serve you, not grovel under you.
The pay: We work To Insure Proper/Prompt Service (TIPS). The guy who delivers your pizza? The bartender slinging your drink? The plumber fixing your leak? We remember you. You pay our bills. Short us, and you might get served with a smile, but you should see how well we do our jobs to those cordial individuals who do right by us. Quid pro quo.
The tipper: The reason college students, the poor, frugal families and my cohorts in the service industry tip better than you do? We’re here working to make ends meet so you can enjoy your Sunday Brunch. Ask us the last time we’ve had Sunday off.
Comment by Brandon — November 19, 2009 @ 8:19 pm
Wow. I have never seen so many ignorant people in one place say that servers think they’re “entitled” to tips they don’t deserve for “just doing their job” and that if they don’t like it they should “go to school” or “get a better paying job.”
Servers make $4.21/hr in the US. Yes, in our society, whether we like it or not the onus IS indeed on the customer to tip servers.
Most non-trustfunded students work in restaurants to support themselves through school. And if your server/bartender/delivery driver is older than college age that does NOT generally mean they are a lazy/idiot/inferior being. Some people actually LIKE it.
And the MAJORITY of diners tip decently for good service. If you are an asshole customer with a disgusting sense of entitlement, I will serve you adequately, with a polite smile anyway, and when you don’t tip, I will remember you, and I will never waste my time or effort on you again. If you are a good customer who treats me with basic human respect and tips fairly for the pleasant experience I provided you, I will remember you, and take care of you, throw a free drink every now and again, and keep you coming back to my table.
So if your server hates you, check yourself. We all remember who you all are.
Comment by Kim — December 1, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
“…many places also deduct the tip for the cooking staff from the cost of the food, not based on the size of the tip, so if you don’t tip, its actually costs the server money, your stealing from them.” Comment by Anonymous — November 16
I find this hard to believe!!! let me get this straight, a restaurant owner has priced a meal, say, 20$. If I don’t tip the meal, you have ordered to go, the server has to pay (in some form) the cook a tip, I have neglected?!
HAHAHAHAHA! I would love to have people like you to work for me. I’d end up charging you for your work at the end of the week, and I’d be extremely angry if you didn’t tip me!
LOL
Comment by sthwicked — December 2, 2009 @ 12:13 am
Tips are a rip off. They should be paying the waitstaff more. I don’t go out very often for just that reason. Prices sure go up, why don’t they compensate their employees?
Comment by Tam — December 3, 2009 @ 9:10 am
i rarely tip at to-go places.
Comment by Anonymous — December 4, 2009 @ 7:08 pm
Tips are for service, if I get my order to go it’s rather hard to see much service worthy of a tip. I’ve sure never seen someone tip at the drive through window.
For those complaining about not getting tips, it isn’t my fault your boss does not pay you enough. If you want a tip you need to go above and beyond what you are paid to do. It is also not my fault you choose to work in a job which provides a wage which you have issues living on. I am not responsible for your wage and should not be expected to increase it just because you did your job. Laws exist for minimum wage, again if you go above and beyond what is expected of you and I can afford to tip I will but you shouldn’t expect it anymore than I should expect you to tip me for being a nice customer. Plenty of jobs pay minimum wage and are not in the service industry so therefore do not involve tips.
Based on the replies from the servers here, to get a pleasurable experience as a repeat customer I must tip….your boss does not pay you to be anything but pleasurable people, AGAIN IT IS NOT A CUSTOMERS FAULT YOUR BOSS DOES NOT PROVIDE AMPLE COMPENSATION FOR YOUR SERVICES OR THAT YOU CHOOSE SUCH A JOB. Kim you have an issue with us mentioning the expectancy to tip yet you show in your post that you have such an expectancy. No matter what you believe the onus of financial compensation is on the business you work for not the customer paying the business for service. Do you tip the guy that changes your oil? How about the computer tech that fixes your computer or the sales person whom works at a big box store?
As for the argument about college students as servers their are other job opportunities open to college students, maybe if servers stood up for themselves against the industries low compensation practices this wouldn’t be an issue.
Not everyone can afford to tip so having the mentality that time and effort is wasted on them just because they didn’t provide you with their money when you provide a pleasurable experience while being paid by your boss without you even knowing their financial situation is bull. Here’s a tip, just because I don’t tip the 1st time doesn’t mean I won’t tip the next, if you were more rude the 2nd time around I would mention it to you and likely give what would have been your tip to someone else whom didn’t have a chip on their shoulder.
You may not like these facts but it seems here that your would be customers are of the same line of thought so it’s time that you up your quality of service to earn those tips. If you need tips to live I also assume you don’t spend frivolously such as having a cell phone, designer clothes, eat out, go to movies etc. Bottom line, it’s a double standard as servers are the only ones that seem to expect tips.
Comment by Rick — December 6, 2009 @ 2:21 am
I order the kids meal all the time. Never been denied. Cheaper, and Usually more healthier too.
Comment by boom — December 13, 2009 @ 2:30 pm
I work at a grocery store, and in the produce section customers frequently say they bought some tangerines or something last week and they were awful. Could they please test one to make sure they are better this week? We’re obligated to peel or cut up said fruit to offer them a taste. I also see deli customers asking to sample meat and cheese before they buy it. I’m sure this would work in the bakery section too. It’s not much, but it’s something. Don’t be afraid to request samples!
Comment by Anonymous — January 6, 2010 @ 11:24 am