My "stupid tax" for today

[disneymarie]

We checked into the POR and I needed some items brought up, additional pillows, shampoo, soap. The gal came up with a bag of enough to get me through the week no problem....I went to get a tip for cleaning the room and ty for bringing items to room, and gave her a $50 instead of a $5.

I saw the surprised look on her face and it still did not hit me, I mean $5 is not that great for running needs up....Until I went in my wallet to pay for the pizza and soda expecting to find a $50 in there ,,,

DUH, We had two rooms connecting door, so I left just a lesser amount over the next days stay.

 

[disneychrista]

I left just a lesser amount over the next days stay.

So because you over tipped one person you under tipped the others?

 

[tasha99]

Update: My parents are visiting, and we all went back there for DS's 8th grade promotion dinner (well, lunch). We got the same waiter, and all I can say is OMG. DS and I each ordered the deluxe sushi combo. It's usually a very nice meal, but ours was extremely upgraded. We got toro (fatty tuna, which isn't even often available), sea bass, and sea scallop substituted for some of the cheaper cuts of fish. To put that in perspective for non sushi eaters--it was like ordering a fish and chip sampler, and getting crab and lobster thrown in. Plus, my mom complimented their salad dressing, and the waiter brought us some in a container for our dinner tonight.

It was pretty awesome and made DS's day, because toro is his absolute favorite.

 

[cornflake]

Update: My parents are visiting, and we all went back there for DS's 8th grade promotion dinner (well, lunch). We got the same waiter, and all I can say is OMG. DS and I each ordered the deluxe sushi combo. It's usually a very nice meal, but ours was extremely upgraded. We got toro (fatty tuna, which isn't even often available), sea bass, and sea scallop substituted for some of the cheaper cuts of fish. To put that in perspective for non sushi eaters--it was like ordering a fish and chip sampler, and getting crab and lobster thrown in. Plus, my mom complimented their salad dressing, and the waiter brought us some in a container for our dinner tonight.

It was pretty awesome and made DS's day, because toro is his absolute favorite.

Aw, yay, looks like it worked out for the best for everyone! Happy waiter, happy customers ftw.

Hope you tipped him well this time too, heh!

My friends and I used to frequent a sports bar that's very popular. We often ended up with the same waitress (because we preferred a certain table by a certain bank of tvs). We always tip normally well but one night she looked really tired and we asked if she was ok and she said she was tired because yada yada bad day. So, as she was always nice and helpful and we liked her and etc., we tipped her 50% that night to cheer her up (which was only like a $20 tip).

From then on, we'd get seated no matter how crowded, get extra booze, she'd cut us giant pieces of cornbread and make sure the kitchen burned them the way we liked (hey, we're weird but they make good cornbread and serve it with fresh honey butter), etc. Pays to tip a good waiter!

 

[scbelleatheart]

I don't convert US dollars and pesos very well. We went to the hotel bar and I gave the bartender a $50 tip instead of $5 for 2 drinks. We got excellent service for the next 4 months we were there.
So now we're in MX for 6 months. Needless to say, DH always reminds me now of the conversion rate. He went so far as to add a converter on my laptop screen so if I go out without him I can remember.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Here's my stupid tax story: About a month ago, I booked DH and I flights to Ft. Lauderdale for a cruise we're taking for our 10th anniversary. I used miles I got for free with a Continental credit card, so I was pretty pumped about our free flights. Well, I couldn't remember our frequent flyer numbers, so I called and had them book it over the phone. Before I realized it, I had paid $25 per person to have someone book it over the phone . I should have just called, gotten the numbers, and then booked online. Oh well, $50 is super cheap for two flights. Still, I was mad about paying "stupid tax"!! --Katie

If it's any consolation, the customer service rep probably got you on flights you wouldn't have been able to book on your own online? I dint know if that's true, but Delta CSRs have done that for me, or come up with alternate flights or other creative ways for me to use my miles, when I haven't been able to book what I wanted.

 

[danceintherain]

My car has remote entry, but it also has a problem with the doors not closing all the way and the battery getting drained, which makes the remote entry useless. The ignition key doesn't work in the doors.
Well, at one point I couldn't get into the car, because the battery was drained and the doors were locked. After putting it off for several days (I don't drive much) and trying everything I could think of (replace batteries in key etc) I finally called a locksmith to come let me in to my car. He did his thing, then noticed that there was an extra key on my key ring - the door key!

Yeah, I paid a guy $50 to come out just to show me I was stupid. He was really nice about it, but since he fulfilled his part of the bargain by getting me into my car I didn't argue to convince him to let me not pay.

We got the car from my grandparents and I don't remember them ever telling me about the separate keys. We didn't have a need for it until this point.

 

[Neesy228]

My car has remote entry, but it also has a problem with the doors not closing all the way and the battery getting drained, which makes the remote entry useless. The ignition key doesn't work in the doors.
Well, at one point I couldn't get into the car, because the battery was drained and the doors were locked. After putting it off for several days (I don't drive much) and trying everything I could think of (replace batteries in key etc) I finally called a locksmith to come let me in to my car. He did his thing, then noticed that there was an extra key on my key ring - the door key!

Yeah, I paid a guy $50 to come out just to show me I was stupid. He was really nice about it, but since he fulfilled his part of the bargain by getting me into my car I didn't argue to convince him to let me not pay.

We got the car from my grandparents and I don't remember them ever telling me about the separate keys. We didn't have a need for it until this point.

I feel your pain! I just did something very similar...my minivan has been having some electrical problems lately. Two weeks ago, I went to get in and the doors wouldn't unlock with the remote. I fiddled with the remote and the doors for a while, then I called a locksmith. I missed an appointment while I waited for him. When he arrived, he kindly showed me that little keyhole on the door -- that just so happened to match the key I was holding in my hand! Duh. Yea...I felt like a complete moron. He only charged me $10 because he could tell that I was mortified, but GEEZ! My friends all got a kick out of that little moment of brilliance.

 

[Friendly Frog]

This is not a "tip" thing but wait till you hear my big stupid mistake. I am not sure that I will ever get over it.

I had been saving for almost two years for a gift for my mom to do some needed repairs to her home. I kept the money was in a wallet, in an old jacket pocket in my hall closet...

We decided to have a garage sale...

Yep, hubby put the jacket in the sale and sold it. It was not till a few days later that I realized that it was gone.

$1500.00!

It still makes me sick.

 

[swilshire]

I feel your pain! I just did something very similar...my minivan has been having some electrical problems lately. Two weeks ago, I went to get in and the doors wouldn't unlock with the remote. I fiddled with the remote and the doors for a while, then I called a locksmith. I missed an appointment while I waited for him. When he arrived, he kindly showed me that little keyhole on the door -- that just so happened to match the key I was holding in my hand! Duh. Yea...I felt like a complete moron. He only charged me $10 because he could tell that I was mortified, but GEEZ! My friends all got a kick out of that little moment of brilliance.

I bought my car used. When I replaced the battery, the radio needed a code to work. I went through ALL the papers we got when we bought the car and couldn't find the code. Kept asking DH to call the dealer because I never have time in the daytime. He kept forgetting. I finally had a day off and drove by the dealership. The service dept was kind enough to point out the very large numbers on a sticker on the inside of my glove compartment (where of course I had all the paperwork from the dealer I was going through). Now I know.

Sheila

 

[angwill]

This is not a "tip" thing but wait till you hear my big stupid mistake. I am not sure that I will ever get over it.

I had been saving for almost two years for a gift for my mom to do some needed repairs to her home. I kept the money was in a wallet, in an old jacket pocket in my hall closet...

We decided to have a garage sale...

Yep, hubby put the jacket in the sale and sold it. It was not till a few days later that I realized that it was gone.

$1500.00!

It still makes me sick.

My heart goes out to you that had to really suck. I would have been so mad at my husband too.

My FIL had a funny car issue that happend. He brought it into the dealer because a light on his dash was on and the car was having problem with chugging. He got charged $150 for them to put the gas cap on for him.

 

[plummer925]

This is not a "tip" thing but wait till you hear my big stupid mistake. I am not sure that I will ever get over it.

I had been saving for almost two years for a gift for my mom to do some needed repairs to her home. I kept the money was in a wallet, in an old jacket pocket in my hall closet...

We decided to have a garage sale...

Yep, hubby put the jacket in the sale and sold it. It was not till a few days later that I realized that it was gone.

$1500.00!

It still makes me sick.

That makes me so sad for you! Hope the person who got it REALLY needed the money!

I once bought out a huge lot of books at a sale (to resell) and one of the books had money in it - I remembered where the sale was and returned the money - it was a LOT more than I even paid for the books! If it had been a few dollars, then no, I wouldn't have gone out of my way, but it was enough that it needed to be done!!

 

[NorthernGrl]

Not mine, but my uncle's.
He was a firefighter and had a side business. Many people would pay him in cash, and would often drop payments in the mailbox by the back door. My uncle had painted the house, and taken down the mailbox a few days before to paint. He came home from work one night, lit the bbq and started prepping the meat when the phone rang. The customer says "hi, I just wanted to let you know I dropped off the $500. I didn't see the mailbox, so I put the envelope in the bbq."
15+ years later be still razz him about being so rich he has "money to burn!"

 

[plummer925]

Not mine, but my uncle's.
He was a firefighter and had a side business. Many people would pay him in cash, and would often drop payments in the mailbox by the back door. My uncle had painted the house, and taken down the mailbox a few days before to paint. He came home from work one night, lit the bbq and started prepping the meat when the phone rang. The customer says "hi, I just wanted to let you know I dropped off the $500. I didn't see the mailbox, so I put the envelope in the bbq."
15+ years later be still razz him about being so rich he has "money to burn!"

Ugh! Sounds like the CUSTOMER'S stupid tax! Wow.

 

[Friendly Frog]

Funny car story, that happened to a friend back in my high school days.

A big group of us were at the lake late one night. ( remote area, only the light of a campfire near by.) A girl friend was in a panic because she had locked her keys in the car. Yes, the doors were locked. The group was trying everything to get the door opened. Then someone went to the other side of the car, where the window was rolled down!

BTW, that gas cap thing is pretty common. In most new cars if the cap is loose the car will run terrible and give you a check engine light. If you don't know to look for it, it will scare the heck out of you. Thank goodness someone told me about it.

 

[mrodgers]

Funny car story, that happened to a friend back in my high school days.

A big group of us were at the lake late one night. ( remote area, only the light of a campfire near by.) A girl friend was in a panic because she had locked her keys in the car. Yes, the doors were locked. The group was trying everything to get the door opened. Then someone went to the other side of the car, where the window was rolled down!

Well, there's really no "tax" part of the stupid with that, but I'll play.

I worked in a grocery store in high school. Store closed at 11 and I finished up until 11:15. Always had to have the night crew manager come unlock the doors to let me out and they were then locked as I was the last to leave. I walk up through the entire parking lot to my car, reach in my pocket and there's no keys. There they are dangling from the ignition. Window is cracked down about half an inch. No problem, I've done it before, I'll do it again with a coat hanger.

Back to the store I hike. I pound on the front doors for 15 minutes before someone hears me. They let me in and I tell them I'll be right back, just have to get something. I get back to the front, manager locked the doors and disappeared again. I call him up on the phone system and he'll be "right up." His "right up" is about 25 minutes. Finally he lets me out and off I hike back up to my car.

I get to my car, straighten out the coat hanger, fish it through the window and just as I'm about to get a hold of the lock, I glance at the back door... Back door is unlocked. Over an hour for me to break into my car with the keys "unlocked in it", LOL.

---------------------------

Another quick story, this is not a stupid tax, but a stupid bonus I guess it could be called. My wife and I are dating at the time. She has her car insurance to pay for and doesn't have the money for it. I'm broke because I'm trying to rid myself of a car I bought before meeting her that I could afford before driving an hour every day to see her. I had seen the condition of her checkbook so I know it is a mess. She has a letter from the insurance company that they are canceling her policy if not paid "immediately" and she is freaking out. I take her checkbook home with me and spend all night recalculating it. "Ah, honey, you're not broke, you have $900 in there."

To this day, she can not write the correct amounts in the checkbook. If she spends $53.89, it will be written as $58.39 or something. That's a good mistake, but it goes the opposite way too where she'll spend 26.34 and write 23.64. Drives me crazy sometimes.