TikTok user sparks outrage after claiming he saved $153 in a week by not tipping

TikTok user sparks outrage after claiming he saved $153 in a week by not tipping (@idontip / TikTok)

A man has sparked outrage after claiming he saved nearly $153 a week by not leaving tips at various places.

On his social media account, where he goes by the username @idontip, the anonymous TikTok user frequently posts about the coffee shops and restaurants he’s gone to in California, and how he doesn’t tip the workers at these spots. In a video posted to his page earlier this month, he started off by describing “how much money [he] made in a week in Los Angeles by leaving zero tips.”

The video continued with him showcasing the different restaurants he went to, with one tablet showing that he was paying $12.80 for a meal, before he chose not to leave a tip.

He went on to show other payments he made throughout the week, including one for $99.66 and another at a coffee shop for $6.75. In both situations, he decided not to tip. Other receipts, one of which was at a sit down restaurant, showed that one of his meal’s totals came out to $88, while another was $58.

With every purchase, he showed that while he was given the option to tip between 18 to 22 percent, he decided to choose the “no tip” option instead. He went on to detail how much money he saved by not tipping, as he claimed: “This week, I made $152.92.”

The video ended with a restaurant receipt for $389.47, with the TikTok user making a line over the spot where he was supposed to leave the tip amount.

The clip has quickly gone viral on TikTok, as it has more than 83,600 views. In the comments, many people criticized the man for refusing to tip.

“No tip on the $300+ bill is crazy inconsiderate,” one viewer wrote, while another added: “There’s no way you left $0 on a $300+ meal.”

A third commented: “This is utterly disgusting.”

Other people shared their thoughts about tipping culture in America, and how they believed that there were only certain instances where tipping was needed.

“Tip when served at a sit down restaurants. No tip any time else,” one person claimed. “Maybe tip for to-go meals at small family owned businesses.”

“I get the no tip policy if they are not serving, but no tip in a regular restaurant is devious,” another added, while a third agreed: “You gotta tip at sit down places where they serve and clean up after you. If you can’t afford to tip 15 percent at least try 11-12 percent??”

The Independent has contacted @idontip for comment.

During an interview with Newsweek, the California-based TikTok user spoke about his no-tipping strategy and how restaurant workers have reacted.

“I’ve gone to all kinds of places without leaving a tip. Some of them include coffee shops, nice sit-down restaurants, smoothie bars, nightclubs. And I went to a notoriously dangerous bar in Los Angeles where I didn’t leave any tip, and it was crazy,” he claimed.

He said he plans on continuing his no-tipping strategy, since he doesn’t want people to feel like they have to tip all the time.

“I receive a lot of support and I’m proud to be a part of the people who actually care about their lives and want to make smart choices,” he explained. “I will keep doing it until I see that there’s only one option on iPad and it says: ‘No Tip.’”

There’s been an ongoing debate about Americans’ tipping practices, as people have been prompted to leave tips in self-checkout lines at airports, grocery stores, stadiums, and cafes. In California, it’s customary to leave between 15 and 20 percent of the total bill before tax is included. Others insist on tipping 20 percent, but some say that 18 percent is the bare minimum. Meanwhile, food site Eater confidently stated that a 20 percent tip should always be left – no matter where you are dining.

Diane Gottsman – a national etiquette expert, author, and founder of The Protocol School of Texas – previously told The Independent that “tipping 20 percent is standard for restaurant servers.” She added that “delivery drivers should also receive 15 to 20 percent when there is inclement weather and large orders to be delivered.”

Aside from the anonymous TikTok user’s videos about avoiding tipping, people have previously had candid conversations online about tipping culture in America. In January, a woman named Minna took to TikTok to vow that she will never be “pressured” into tipping on every little thing. “Tipping culture in 2024 - I will always pay well and tip well for service but I’m not getting peer pressured by a tablet anymore in situations that don’t call for it,” her video’s caption read.

She noted that while she’s all for tipping 20 to 25 percent for a service, “the tablet tipping culture had gotten out of control,” as she’s seen “20 percent tip suggestions” when just going to a retail store to get a card. She claimed that she’s also heard of tablets asking for tips even at “serve-yourself” yogurt stores, but still didn’t think it made sense when there was no one physically helping to earn the tip.