An affordable trip that was planned very carefully through the purchase of cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel rooms can end up costing more than budgeted if you are not very aware and careful as to how you tip.
Many, if not most, hotels leave the tip line open on room service checks, even though an 18 percent gratuity, often referred to on bills as for your convenience, is usually already included as well as a flat dollar (often $3 to $4) charge referred to as a room service fee or tray charge. Guests who add a tip to such bills often end up effectively tipping 40 percent or more.
Restaurants have started adding convenience tips ranging from 15 to 20 percent. While this is a common practice for many restaurants when a large group is seated at a single table, such convenience tips are starting to be added to smaller groups.
Although restaurant tips of up to 20 percent are not uncommon for good service, automatic tips are often calculated on the total bill, including tax. Before accepting an automatic tip you should do a little math and make certain that the tip you are paying is based on the before tax total.
There are several phone apps available for iPhones and Android phones that provide calculators which make calculating the proper tip a breeze.
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