Why I’m Done Tipping

After two years in Spain, tipping feels absurd

Image made by the author using Canva

My wife and I moved to Spain at the beginning of 2023, but it already feels like we’ve been here for decades (in a good way).

So much of our daily lives has changed — from how we socialize, to what we eat, and how much we walk every day.

But one of the biggest differences between life in Europe and the United States is tipping culture.

Or more specifically, the lack of tipping culture in Spain.

And now that I’ve lived without the stress, anxiety, confusion, and growing hostility that comes from American tipping culture, I don’t think I can go back to a society where millions of workers rely on tips — instead of a predictable wage — for their income.

And you shouldn’t either.

Because tipping isn’t just a crappy experience for customers and a terrible way to pay hourly employees.

It’s also an awful way for a society to function.

Tipping is un-American

While tipping fatigue is on the rise — a recent national survey found that 66% of Americans have a “negative view of tipping” — tipping has been part of American life for so long that most Americans don’t question it.