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October 19, 2011, at 6:00 am If you're new to BFS, please subscribe to my RSS feed. It shows me a vote of support and keeps me motivated to keep your attention. If you have any questions or comments for me, please contact me and I'll get back to you asap. Thanks for visiting! I’ve always been a fair tipper at restaurants, but I’ve noticed that I’ve started tipping even more lately. When I was in college, I made sure to leave 10% for mediocre service, 15% for good service, and 18%-20% for great service. Those were my tipping numbers for the last 10 years. But lately I find myself almost pitying waitstaff. I actually sit there thinking, “That poor person has been on their feet waiting on all of us for hours…I don’t think I could pull that off…” and my tips have been around 20%-25% most of the time.
Our Visit to Outback Steakhouse
My husband actually pointed my new tipping standards out to me when we were eating out this past weekend. We had a gift card to Outback Steakhouse so we decided to make a date night out of it. They sat us immediately, but it took 15 minutes before anyone bothered to take our drink order. It took another 10 minutes to get our drinks (apparently because the wildberry lemonade on their menu is pretty hard to make…yeah, right).
They took our food order when they delivered the drinks. I ordered a medium 6 oz sirloin with a small portion of Mahi (fish) and a baked potato. My husband ordered a medium-rare 10 oz ribeye with mashed potatoes. We got served about 20 minutes later. My husband’s ribeye was perfect but my sirloin was gray inside and the fish was so overcooked it was rubbery. I very politely pointed out the problems to our waiter and asked if he could possibly at least have a new piece of fish thrown on the grill since I could deal with the steak but the fish was inedible. He agreed and took my plate.
A few minutes later, the manager came by and apologized for the mistakes. He ensured me they were recooking me steak and fish to order. Then the waiter came by again to apologize as well. I said it wasn’t a big problem and thanked them both. Then I sat there and watched my husband eat for 15 minutes and ate yet another tiny loaf of the rye bread I adore.
My food was redelivered by yet another employee and they asked if I could cut into it to make sure it was great. It was perfect, so I dug in. While chewing, the manager and waiter came by yet again to make sure everything was okay. I nodded, swallowed, and thanked them. I then asked if refills were free on the lemonade but the waiter said no. I cannot believe I paid $2.50 for a single lemonade. Oh well.
Our Tipping Compromise
I was pretty full from the food I already had eaten – the bread, baked potato, and about 10 bites of steak and fish - and ready to go home since we had been there for more than an hour and a half, so I asked for a to-go box and the bill. I handed over our gift card to cover the $33 tab. When I went to leave a tip, I was about to write in $40 total and my husband pointed out that would be about 20%. I asked what he would tip and he said $3 since they made us wait 25 minutes for drinks and screwed up my entire order so I sat there watching him eat. I argued that they were really nice about correcting my order, and we compromised at 15%.
How Do You Tip?
I have been thinking about this since then (not alot, but enough to write this post, lol). What is the proper way to handle tipping when service sucked but they tried to correct it? Do you agree with what has been in the back of my mind – they should have given me another lemonade? I know it’s funny, but that ticked me off more than messing up my meal…
What would you have tipped? Do you have the tendency to overtip like me?
October 18, 2011, at 11:59 am
Every year, my husband and I host a Halloween potluck. Half of the group board games all night. The rest of us just hang out and joke around. We all eat.
Last year, I spent about $50 on our Halloween potluck, but this year I think we will be spending quite a bit more.
Last Halloween
Here’s what I have leftover to use from last Halloween with the prices I paid in 2010:
- 2 Plug-In Jack-O’-Lanterns – $12
- 4 Halloween Tea-Light Candle Holders – $8
- Halloween Serving Bowls – $6
- Halloween Soap for Bathroom – $2
- Black and Orange Hand-Drying Towels for Bathroom – $4
I am so glad I have all of this stuff left! It made our place look really cool for the evening!
This Halloween
Here’s what I am buying or have bought for this Halloween:
- Disposable Dinner Ware – $5
- 2 Halloween Table Covers – $3
- Costumes for my husband and me (haven’t decided yet) - $150 or less
- Pizza for the main dish – $40
- Peanut Butter Monster Fingers – $5 for peanut butter and almond slices for the nails
My husband and I dressed up like sports officials last Halloween since my husband is a ref as his side hustle and had extra clothing for me, but we want to do something different this time around. We are also splurging on pizza for the main dish since I will not have time to cook anything that Saturday – my husband’s family reunion is from 10am-2pm about 90 minutes away from our house and the potluck starts at 5pm. I can already feel the stress building, lol.
My big question for all of you is: what are the best costume ideas for a couple that you can think of? We have already thought of Mario and Luigi, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, and M&M’s. These ideas don’t necessarily have to be for a couple either - we don’t have to match. Just throw some out there, thanks!
October 17, 2011, at 6:00 am
I just saw the previews of the upcoming movie, “In Time”, with Justin Timberlake and was reminded of the short film I saw as a kid in 1990, “The Price of Life” (1987). This short film was made for television and was based on the same plot – each person is born and given a set amount of time. They can use it whatever way they wish. The drawback is that you will die as soon as your clock hits zero.
The Price of Life (1987) from jolipere on Vimeo.
*SPOILER ALERT*
As you can watch above or on Vimeo or a variety of other online locations (keep in mind it is 40 minutes long), the main character of the movie, Zachary, learns early in life how to make profits with his bartering skills while his older sister becomes an addict that literally gambles her life away.
After her death, he finds out his mother owes 300 years on her store that will be due in a week but only has 25 years left. Family members aren’t allowed to transfer time between each other, so he travels to the old ones to ask for permission to do just that. They actually grant his wish but a rich, slimy lady then makes him a life-changing offer – if he lets her invest his 300 years for 10 days, he will be given 3000 back but he would have to invest immediately. His mom would die. The movie cuts out while he makes of his mind.
The final scene is of a beautiful funeral for his mom that he paid 100 years for…and he drives away with the slimy lady. ARGH! I hate crappy endings.
This Movie and Me
This movie has stuck with me my entire life even though I was about 9 years old when I saw it. It didn’t probably lead me into any life changing decisions, but I have always been a fan of budgeting my own resources. The idea of budgeting with actual minutes of life enthralled me. Could you imagine handing over a day or more of your life for a week’s worth of groceries? I think I’d live on Ramen Noodles. Would my husband and I still gamble if actual time was on the line instead of a few hundred bucks? Probably not. And Ebay would be even more popular I bet, lol.
I wonder if “In Time” will be even better than “The Price of Life”. I hope so. I’ve already made sure my husband wouldn’t mind seeing it when it comes out at the end of October or a couple of weeks later. I know there are very few truly original ideas left, but it ticks me off when someone reworks an idea and makes it worse. For example, I am refusing to see the new Footloose, hahaha. 
Have you seen “The Price of Life” or are you going to see “In Time”? What would you do with your time?
October 17, 2011, at 5:00 am
Finding the right electricity supplier is difficult, because so many suppliers offer similar features and prices. Since price is often so similar, the best option is to go for transparent services that help manage energy prices, and electricity suppliers that provide you with an easy online dashboard to manage your energy usage. This will help you keep your prices low, and will be very convenient.
First, find a company that offers smart meters. This is a meter that automatically tracks your energy use. What this meter does is it tracks your electricity usage every half hour and your gas usage hourly and sends the information to your supplier. You can monitor your usage via an online account.
By logging into your account, you can get quick updates on how much money you are spending in near real-time. Instead of waiting every month for a bill, you can check the prices every 30 minutes, which is much more convenient. This also enables you to see if there are any problems with your energy. For example, if something is going haywire and sucking up a lot of energy, you will know immediately, rather than waiting till the end of the month to get a giant bill.
Another reason to use a supplier with smart meter technology is because they are very transparent. Most suppliers like to hide behind curtains and give you bills that may dramatically rise in price with little reason given. This is not the proper way to treat customers, and it leaves many people feeling powerless. With the smart meter, you are in direct control of your bill, and you will know exactly how much you owe each month, so there will be no surprises.
If you are already using a supplier, then you want one that will help you switch quickly. If you have just purchased a house and are looking for your first supplier, the same rule applies; you want someone who can get you up and running quickly. A supplier that can get you energy in less than a month is desirable. Most suppliers force you to fill out complex forms, especially if you are switching from one supplier to another, so look for a supplier that makes this process easy with just a simple form.
Finding the best energy supplier is not a difficult process if you know what to look for. A transparent supplier that puts you in control, where you should be, is one of the best traits to look for. If that supplier can also get you started up quickly, that will be another benefit, whether you are looking for a new supplier or are getting energy supply for the first time.
Company Profile:
First Utility is an energy company with a difference. We want to help you understand your energy usage, reduce your carbon footprint and ensure you receive accurate bills.
For more information gas and electricity prices please visit www.first-utility.com.
October 16, 2011, at 6:00 am
Newsletter Update
Remember, if you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my weekly newsletter with exclusive, subscriber-only giveaways by using the subscription form in the right sidebar! ———>
My current goal is to reach 150 subscribers by October 31st, so please spread the word as you see fit! I appreciate it.
Just for kicks, here are the current newsletter stats from last week’s subscriptions:
- Number of Subscribers: 94 (Thank you!!!)
- Open rate (how many subscribers ended up opening the third newsletter): 42 of 94 (46.2%), which is 30.1% higher than industry standard, woot!
- Clicks (how many people have clicked a link inside the last newsletter): 10 (11%)
- Countries Reached: United States, Canada, and United Kingdom
Thank you so much to my subscribers!!! I appreciate the vote of confidence and Jesse and I will make sure they don’t get boring!
Additonal Info
I will continue posting monthly and yearly blog statistics and income updates, so stay tuned at the beginning of every month!
In case you didn’t know, Alexa traffic rankings are determined by the numbers of hits a site gets by people with the Alexa toolbar. If you want to be part of this ranking community, you can download the Alexa toolbar here.
If you don’t already, you can follow me via RSS, Twitter, or like my Facebook page by following those links.
To learn more about the Yakezie, the blogging group that has helped me in SO many ways, check out my Yakezie page! Feel free to email me if you are a Yakezie member or challenger and don’t see yourself on the list!
If you are interested in seeing how I went from an 8 million plus Alexa rank and 3 readers to where I am today, you can see My Blogging Checklists, which breaks down everything I do related to blogging. If you want to see how I have started bringing in more than $6000 a month in less than 18 months, you can check out How I Make Money Blogging.
I have also started a new site, http://howimakemoneyblogging.com/, which will cover how I currently make money blogging and my transition to a work-from-home blogger!
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THE BEST READERS EVER!!!
October 15, 2011, at 6:00 am
Weekly Updates
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My husband and I have made a new deal for October - if I successfully bring in $10,000 or more after Paypal fees from the 1st to the 31st, we’ll go to Perry’s Steakhouse, a high class, yummy place that we’ve been to once before. They have porkchops that are like half a pig! Thanks to a couple of big deals, I’m already at $8100. I can almost taste it now…
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I’m tackling time management slightly differently and it is going very well! My work day is 6 hours or less for the necessities like advertising emails and deals and I spend another 2-3 hours blogging. No more 12 hour work days!!!
My Favorite Posts this Week
Guest Posts at BFS
Thank you so much and please come back anytime!
I Staff Write at…
Giveaways
Blog Carnivals
If you are hosting a carnival that includes Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, please email me so I can include it in my roundup. Thanks!
Top 5 Referring Sites to BFS from Last Week:
- Get Rich Slowly
- Yakezie
- Free Money Finance
- Funny About Money
- Money Reasons
Feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions. I’d love to add a few more blogs to my regular reading list or at least give a shout-out for great posts or contests.
As always, thanks to all the bloggers that teach me something new every day. Thanks to all my commenters for making this blog the community I want it to be. Thanks to all my lurkers too. 
I hope everybody is enjoying this as much as me!
Please subscribe to my new newsletter to receive weekly updates and links to exclusive, subscriber-only monthly giveaways!
There’s a $25 Amazon Gift Card up for grabs right now and a survey to get your opinion.
PLEASE, fill out the survey (2 minutes tops) so we know where to go with this for you!
I am aiming for 150 subscribers by October 31st since I did not hit my September goal!
The newsletter subscription box is at the top of the right sidebar —————>
My Other Sites
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Let me know what you think!
October 14, 2011, at 6:00 am
Happy Birthday to My Younger Sister!!! Love You Girl!!!
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It’s that time of year again – time to geek out at the Texas Renaissance Festival! And this time I even dressed up. I make a lovely looking bar wench if I do say so myself, hahaha.
My friends (from our potluck group) and I decided to buy tickets for the opening weekend about 2 months in advance to get a big discount online. Well, we paid $14 instead of $22, but we also ended up apparently choosing the only freaking day this year that it actually rained! That’s impressively bad timing seeing that we’ve been going through the worst drought of our time. And there are no refunds for weather, so we dang well followed through. Maybe not the best idea of our lives…
Our Crazy Group
Picture this, two bar wenches, a gypsy, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Big Bad Wolf trudging around small rivers, mud puddles, and looking completely waterlogged. There were many innapropriate jokes tossed around about being wet (okay, that was mainly me, lol), but the biggest problem is when the water made it down through 7 layers of skirt fabric within 30 minutes. Not only was I cold and wet in places I never want to be cold, but I was hauling around at least 15 pounds of fabric. It was nearly pulling my skirt off! So I started hitching it up and carrying some weight with my hands, but my arms were sooooo sore the next day!
I felt the most sorry for our gypsy and Little Red Riding Hood since they had the least amount of clothes and must have been freezing. But they stayed absolutely positive – I have awesome friends. I can be pretty negative and whiny if I am having a crappy time, but this little group of people bring out the best in me. They make me laugh and are just good people. If you don’t have a group of people like that in your life, I highly suggest joining some meetup groups or something and finding them. We all need awesome people in our lives.
Our Wet Day
Despite all of this, we had a good time. We looked at stuff in a lot of shops, talked, joked, and even stopped for some classic Renaissance Festival food – chicken stew in a bread bowl is just yummy. We tried having our picture taken for posterity, but the cameras the staff used just didn’t make it through the flood and none of us had the idea of taking our own pics in the rain, which probably saved our phones and cameras from dying a watery death, but we ended up with no pictures of this momentous day.
Altogether, we only put up with it all for about 2 1/2 hours before calling it quits and deciding that we will be going back right before Halloween instead. Budget friendly to return? No, but that is what fun money is for.
The best part of the day in my opinion was having a great time at The Olive Garden on the way home – boy did we eat alot of bread sticks! We all still had wet hair and undergarments and Little Red Riding Hood didn’t have a change of clothes, so she had to bring a blanket into the restaurant (still giggling about how we must have looked), but we had a really great time.
Have you ever been to a Renaissance Festival? Is it as much fun to you?
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DISCLAIMER I am not a professional or a financial advisor. BFS posts are informational opinions only. Please make your own financial decisions based on personal research or see a financial advisor.
Also, there are paid links on this site. There is no obligation on your part to purchase any products advertised on this website.
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