Over the past decade, it is an undeniable fact that the price of everyday items has skyrocketed. The cost of living is up, inflation is high, and salaries remain constant despite the hard work of families. After a long week of work and sending their kids off to school, the last thing a parent wants to do is buy expensive ingredients to make dinner. So, the family decides to go to a restaurant that Friday night. After ordering meals, their eyes would widen at the bill enclosed in a small black booklet. Not only must this family pay for their already expensive food, but they are expected to throw in a 20% tip as well.  “Why must we give away more money?”, most argue “I’m already paying $100 for the food”. While tipping is a concept in which some can’t wrap their heads around, it is something that we as people in the United States are obligated to do whenever we get a service done such as eating in a restaurant, or getting our cars washed. There is an actual system for it, and valid reasons as to why it’s so imperative (and in some cases) controversial at times. 

In certain occupations, tips are heavily relied on due to a lower than usual income. People such as waiters/waitresses often make a little less than minimum wage. Thus, they depend on tips to make up the money that is taken out of their paychecks. Some studies have shown that tips “can account for 60% of a server or waiter’s income”. In this case, tipping makes sense since it compensates for half of that individual’s income. In other cases, this may not always be the case. Most people tip others because they went “above and beyond”. Hairdressers, nail technicians, and even mechanics get tipped often- not because it’s necessarily required, but because it’s expected since they provide a service that requires them to be creative and go “above and beyond”. In some countries such as Italy and most places in Asia, tipping is generally frowned upon. According to StartTravel, tipping in Japan “suggests that their employer does not value them enough to offer sufficient pay”. Additionally, it is in the Japanese culture that they take pride in their work, so they feel as if they don’t need extra money to feel appreciated, but some of their services, ironically, do expect tips. So, when should we tip someone in the United States? Well, we should tip when someone exceeds our expectations or provides a service that requires creativity, hard work, or even just patience. You do not need to tip someone for just handing you a to-go coffee at Starbucks or scanning items at a grocery store, but rather someone who goes the extra mile. While tipping is sometimes seen as optional, in some cases, it is the right thing to do.