Dave Ramsey Says He Tips Well, But Draws The Line At The iPad Spin. He Calls It A Guilt Trip That’s ‘Nickel-And-Diming You To Death’
Personal finance expert Dave Ramsey says he’s generous with tipping, but there’s one thing he won’t do: tip when an iPad screen is flipped at him.
“You can flip that screen at me all you want. I’m not tipping,” Ramsey said in a recent episode of “The Ramsey Show.” However, the hosts went into the nitty-gritty.
The discussion started with a listener’s question about when tipping is appropriate in today’s world, especially for people who aren’t yet financially secure. Co-host Jade Warshaw chimed in first, saying tipping has changed a lot since the pandemic.
“I definitely feel like since the pandemic, tipping has kind of gone into the stratosphere,” Warshaw said, adding that people now face tipping fatigue.
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Ramsey agreed, emphasizing the difference between genuine service and what he views as passive attempts to squeeze out extra money. “This spin the iPad around is not an exchange,” he said. “It’s a manipulation. I got zero obligations.”
Both Warshaw and Ramsey agreed that restaurant servers, hair stylists, and other hands-on service workers deserve tips—and good ones.
“Whenever you’re in a restaurant situation where you’re sitting down, you’re placing an order, there’s somebody attending to your table, you should always tip,” Warshaw said. She personally tips 22% and suggests at least 18% as a baseline.
Ramsey added, “Tipping falls in the bucket with generosity. I overdo it to the point that my wife cringes.”
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But for counter service, the expectations change. Ramsey said he doesn’t tip at places like Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) or Chick-fil-A. “I’m driving through, you’re handing me the Jesus chicken out and I’m gone,” he said.
And when he picks up food himself? Still no tip. “I drove. I walked in the rain, got the queso, got in the truck, went to the house. No, we don’t tip that,” he said.
He also criticized guilt-based donation requests at checkout lines. “Do you want to give to the wounded pet association or something? No. If I wanted to give to the wounded pet association, I would have already given them money.”
