Oscar Fenwick

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Found USDA Choice boneless ribeye steak at Costco, but these prices made me do a double take.One pack was 3.55 lb for $1...
06/01/2026

Found USDA Choice boneless ribeye steak at Costco, but these prices made me do a double take.

One pack was 3.55 lb for $106.46, and the other was 3.29 lb for $98.67 — both sitting around $29.99/lb.

I love ribeye as much as anyone, but seeing USDA Choice steak priced like a luxury item now is wild. At this point, I’m not sure if I’m shopping for dinner or financing a weekend barbecue.

We went out to dinner and the bill came to $804.28.We left a $40 tip, bringing the total to $844.28. At the time, we hon...
06/01/2026

We went out to dinner and the bill came to $804.28.

We left a $40 tip, bringing the total to $844.28. At the time, we honestly felt like that was a decent thank-you for the service.

But apparently, that still wasn’t enough.

The server made a comment that 20% should’ve been expected, which would have been over $160 on this bill. Then when things got awkward, it was brushed off like a joke — but it really didn’t feel like one.

Now I’m sitting here wondering… is $40 on an $804 dinner really considered insulting now, or have tipping expectations gotten completely out of control?

I get that servers work hard, and I respect that. But it’s getting to the point where going out to eat feels less like enjoying dinner and more like trying to pass some invisible tipping test nobody agreed on.

We went out to dinner as a group, and the bill came to $670.14.We left a $9.00 tip, bringing the total to $679.14. At th...
06/01/2026

We went out to dinner as a group, and the bill came to $670.14.

We left a $9.00 tip, bringing the total to $679.14. At the time, we honestly thought it was fine — not some huge statement, just a simple thank-you based on how the meal went.

But the server’s reaction completely caught us off guard.

She acted like the tip was basically insulting and said she expected at least $120 on a bill like that. When we asked to speak with the manager, she quickly switched it up and said she was “just joking,” but her tone and face did not feel like a joke at all.

Now I’m sitting here wondering… is a $9 tip on a $670 dinner really considered unacceptable now, or have tipping expectations gotten so out of hand that people are expected to add another hundred dollars just because the bill was expensive?

This happened at dinner, and I genuinely can’t tell if we were wrong, if the server was out of line, or if tipping culture has just reached a point where nobody knows what’s normal anymore.

Found USDA Choice ribeye at Costco with a manager special sticker that made me stop and stare.One pack was originally $4...
06/01/2026

Found USDA Choice ribeye at Costco with a manager special sticker that made me stop and stare.

One pack was originally $47.89 and the other was $44.38, but both were marked down to $12.89 final price after a $35.00 savings.

Two big packs of ribeye for less than what one steak usually costs now? That’s the kind of Costco find that makes you check out before anyone changes their mind.

Found A5 Wagyu ribeye at the store for $5.99/lb and I had to stare at the label for a minute to make sure I wasn’t seein...
06/01/2026

Found A5 Wagyu ribeye at the store for $5.99/lb and I had to stare at the label for a minute to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.

4.07 lb of A5 Wagyu for a total of $24.38 with a sticker that literally says:

“PRICE ERROR? FINAL SALE”

At that point, I’m not asking questions. I’m just putting it in the cart and walking away like I didn’t just win the meat department lottery.

Found A5 Wagyu ribeye sitting at my local Costco like it was just a normal Tuesday.5.84 lb at $199.99/lb came out to $1,...
06/01/2026

Found A5 Wagyu ribeye sitting at my local Costco like it was just a normal Tuesday.

5.84 lb at $199.99/lb came out to $1,167.94 — and yes, the price tag was so wild it needed a red circle.

I don’t know if I was supposed to buy it, admire it, or take out a small loan and name it dinner.

Had a table tonight leave $2.00 on an $815.59 dinner because they assumed the 20% service charge was my tip.And honestly...
06/01/2026

Had a table tonight leave $2.00 on an $815.59 dinner because they assumed the 20% service charge was my tip.

And honestly, this is becoming one of the most exhausting parts of working in restaurants now.

I understand why people are confused. Every restaurant handles service charges differently. Some places give it to the staff, some split it, some keep part of it, and some use it for operations, support staff, benefits, or other expenses.

But at a lot of restaurants, including ours, that 20% service charge does not go directly to the server.

So after taking care of a table all night — timing courses, refilling drinks, answering questions, checking on allergies, keeping the meal moving, fixing little problems before they turned into big ones, and making sure the whole experience went smoothly — you pick up the check and see:

Balance Due: $815.59
Tip: $2.00
Total: $817.59

Then we basically have to write on the receipt:

“Service Charge does not go to staff ♡”

Because apparently servers now need handwritten disclaimers just to avoid being accidentally stiffed.

And the worst part is, I honestly don’t think most guests are trying to be rude. A lot of them genuinely believe they already tipped.

But when you spend that much time and energy taking care of a table and walk away with two dollars, it really starts to wear you down.

Had a table tonight leave $3.00 on a $663.56 dinner because they assumed the 20% service charge was my tip.And honestly,...
06/01/2026

Had a table tonight leave $3.00 on a $663.56 dinner because they assumed the 20% service charge was my tip.

And honestly, this is becoming one of the most exhausting parts of working in restaurants right now.

I get why people are confused. Every restaurant handles service charges differently. Some places give it to the staff, some split it, some keep part of it, and some use it for operations, support staff, benefits, or other costs.

But at a lot of restaurants, including ours, that service charge does not go directly into the server’s pocket.

So after spending the whole night taking care of a table — refilling drinks, timing courses, answering questions, checking allergies, fixing problems before they even noticed, and making sure their dinner went smoothly — you pick up the check and see:

Balance Due: $663.56
Gratuity: $3.00
Total: $666.56

Then we basically have to write on the receipt:

“Service charge does not go to staff ♡”

Because now servers apparently need handwritten disclaimers just to avoid being accidentally stiffed.

And the hardest part is, I don’t even think most guests are trying to be rude. A lot of them genuinely believe they already tipped.

But after enough nights like this, it really starts to wear you down.

Found A5 Wagyu ribeye at my local Costco and had to do a double take.Regular total was $244.16, but it had a Manager Spe...
06/01/2026

Found A5 Wagyu ribeye at my local Costco and had to do a double take.

Regular total was $244.16, but it had a Manager Special sticker for $162.80 off, bringing it down to $81.36.

For 4.07 lb of A5 Wagyu ribeye, that feels like the kind of Costco find you brag about before you even get to the checkout.

Had a table tonight leave $5.00 on a $1,015.60 dinner because they assumed the 20% service charge was my tip.And honestl...
06/01/2026

Had a table tonight leave $5.00 on a $1,015.60 dinner because they assumed the 20% service charge was my tip.

And honestly, this is one of the most exhausting parts of working in restaurants now.

I understand why people get confused. Every place handles service charges differently. Some restaurants give it to staff. Some split it. Some use it for support staff, operations, benefits, or other expenses.

But at a lot of restaurants, including ours, that 20% service charge does not go directly to the server.

So after taking care of a table all night — timing courses, refilling drinks, answering questions, checking on food, handling requests, keeping the experience smooth, and trying to make sure everything goes right — you pick up the check and see:

Balance Due: $1,015.60
Gratuity: $5.00
Total: $1,020.60

Then we basically have to write on the receipt:

“Service Charge does not go to staff ♡”

Because apparently servers now need handwritten disclaimers just to avoid being accidentally stiffed.

And the worst part is, I honestly don’t think most guests are trying to be rude. A lot of them truly believe they already tipped.

But when you spend that much time and energy taking care of a table and walk away with five dollars, it really starts to wear you down.

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