Budget woes and it'll be worse soon...

hoffse · November 2013

netskyblue2 said:

Ugh to low price corporate restaurants - I used to work as a server part-time, in addition to my full time job. My best advice is to look for an upscale restaurant that caters to a "drinking crowd." Not bar work, but a place where the average customer likes a martini or a scotch or something like that. 2 drinks apiece per couple adds up to 20-28 more per ticket, and 3-5 dollars more in tips for you. Hope for tables of 2 couples, they'll often keep up with each others' drinks all night.

You can make a LOT more there than at a place where your crowd is family centric, and often offers coupons. I was making $150-200 a night (Thurs & Fri) working there. And that's with me arriving there after 6:30 PM, because I could only get there after my day job ended.

One January, I earned more there, working 9 or 10 days, than at my full time job!

Yeah, this.

Also look for restaurants where business lunches and dinners take place. I can tell you from experience that companies can write these lunches off, and folks are usually reimbursed for them, so there's no reason to hold back. For instance, when I entertain clients (which is rare at my age, but it does happen once in awhile), I will buy wine at dinner, apps, nice entrees, and desserts. The bill is typically a couple hundred bucks.

Over the summer, one of the firms H was interning at took him, me, and 6 others out to dinner at one of these places just for the hell of it... this one was two rounds of drinks for H before the wives (me and one other) showed up, another round after we showed up, appetizers, 4 bottles of wine, entrees, desserts, and dessert shots. We later found out the total bill for 8 of us was about $1400. The firm payed for it. That server should have received about a $300-ish tip for that single meal.

You can make good money in the food industry, but you have to work at the right place.

hoffse · November 2013

And let me be clear - H and I nearly choked when we heard what that bill was. We are people that go out to eat at the taco bell normally

But the point still holds true - business lunches and dinners are money for waitstaff. And lawyers, accountants, and business people tend to drink a lot. I know that when I'm being reimbursed for a meal I don't really worry about what it costs. I count pennies when I'm paying for it myself. I also tend to tip more generously (at least 20%) when I'm taking a client out, not just because I'm being reimbursed but because if the client happens to see the bill I don't want them to think the firm is stingy.

So yeah. I would be looking for one of these places.

Sillygirl45 · November 2013

Btw my w2s do include tips. They go on my paystub every week. I pay taxes on the tips I made or I would owe every year. Me being immoral just isnt true. Sorry u feel this way.

I just have to say it must be nice to work part time, go to school part time and collect food stamps. I must have been doing it all wrong when I was in school. I had to figure it out all on my own. Paid for school, worked full time, went to school full time, and didn't get any assistance. Guess I'm an idiot who thought going to school and eating was a luxury. I'm sure you'll have your excuses, but you have no idea what it's like to do it on your own. You also have no idea how hard nursing school is, much less without any assistance. Good luck in the real world.

cbooker8912 · November 2013

Sigh.. @sillygirl45 I was originally going into orthopedic surgery at Ohio State, so yea I do get medical school ( not nursing.) Decided that I would rather like my job than be bossed around by a bunch of ungrateful people, and switched out to something else I like better. You dont need to try to put me down to make yourself feel better. Congratulations on nursing school.

Sillygirl45 · November 2013

Not trying to put you down or make myself feel better.

You're not getting it. Your budget problems are you not taking responsibility for your choices. All responses to any advice are "I can't , I won't, it's not my fault." It is your fault.

You racked up $70k student loans and then have the nerve to use a program that is meant for low income working families and the elderly, not college students to make ends meet. I know this has been cracked down on in my state and I hope it soon will be in yours.

As far as claiming you decided not to become and Ortho because you don't want assholes bossing you around is laughable. Orthos don't take orders, they give them. Hospitality would have fewer assholes bossing you around...ummm...ok. I sure your mom bought that story, but no one else does.

Budget woes and it'll be worse soon...

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