Quote:
Originally Posted by graciegirl
Most of us here started out with very little, and many could not afford to go to college even after winning scholarships. Many worked very hard to arrive here and sacrificed and saved. We haven't forgotten how hard life is and many started out poor, if not hungry but didn't realize it until much later, because all were struggling coming out of the depression. Many had few clothes and many were hand sewn, we haven't forgotten that. Or that our shoes were resoled and some didn't have cars. Many are still very careful with money. A lot of us have passed down all of the lessons we learned to do without, save, wait until you can pay for it and work hard and judging from the many friends I keep up with on Facebook, those children and grandchildren, most of them listened, because they do have jobs and they are doing the same as their parents and grandparents. I feel that we are first and foremost responsible for ourselves, our families and those we know well who need our financial support. That doesn't mean that tipping well is not part of most of our lives. Along with appreciation and quietly helping without fanfare or direction.
I can afford it but I don't have my nails done. I could afford it but don't have my house cleaned. Old habits die hard. And I cringe when I see people ask for handouts for themselves on this forum. Proud and old and stubborn, that is me.
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As well as blind. Those born before 1950 have seen the American dream come to full fruition in their lifetime and have ridden the wave all the way to retirement concluding with a well funded defined benefit plan, enormous home equity, corporate & public funded medical benefits AND these very same people were able to sock away a tidy savings WITHOUT needing to have their spouse work outside the home so they could raise their children the proper way instead of having to pay strangers to do it for them. Save me the I grew up poor in the depression speech, heard it a thousand times. Try raising a young family with your spouse HAVING to work because you're spending more then half of your monthly income on a high interest mortgage and high taxes because real estate prices more then quadrupled within a 15 year span driven by the baby boomer housing rush. I feel very fortunate to have bought my first house when I was 25 years old. Today young families are lucky just to be able to afford a house and if they do its not until they are in their thirties or forties. Today young people can expect to change jobs more then 7 times, yesteryear's generation stayed on with just one. Today's employers offer no pension, low wages and marginal medical with the employee having to pay half the cost AND not covering the spouse. May I add these ARE college graduates burdened with enormous student loan debt. Those needing day care for their children are consuming 20% of their take home income doing so. This new generation has a very bleak retirement future indeed because they know they won't be able to.
If people WANT to tip, let them and don't put them down for wanting to. If they want to think of themselves as silent hero's, let them, it's their prerogative to do so.