When you eat at full-service restau-
rants, it is a custom in most countries,
including the United States, to leave a tip.
It is appropriate to leave 15 to 20 percent
of your total bill. To leave a 15 percent tip
means to leave 15 cents for every dollar you
spend. To leave a 20 percent tip means to
leave 20 cents for every dollar you spend.
Does that mean you should take a calculator
with you when you eat out? You could,
but you won’t need to if you know how to
estimate the tip in your head.
Here’s one way to estimate a
15 percent tip:
Step 1. Look at the total cost of the meal.
Step 2. Round to the nearest dollar.
Step 3. Multiply the rounded number of
total dollars by 0.15.
Example: Suppose the bill for you and
a friend adds up to $9.20.
Step 1. Total Cost = $9.20
Step 2. Rounded Cost = $9.00
Step 3. $9.00 x 0.15 = $1.35
The tip for you and your friend would
be $1.35.
Here’s another way to estimate a tip.
Step 1. Look at the total cost of the meal.
Step 2. Determine what 10 percent of the
bill would be.
An easy method to determine this
is to move the decimal one place
to the left.
For example: If a bill is $ 9.20,
10 percent of the bill equals
$0.92 (or 92 cents).
Step 3. Determine what 5 percent of the
bill would be by dividing
10 percent of the bill in half
$0.92 ÷ 2 = $0.46 (or 46 cents).
Step 4. Compute the total tip by adding
Step 2 (10 percent of the bill) to
Step 3 (5 percent of the bill).
Remember, 10 percent + 5 percent =
15 percent. Your tip would be
$0.92 + $0.46 = $1.38. Diners
usually round their tip up or
down to the nearest nickel or dime.
Notice that the two methods give
similar answers. They differ because the
first method rounds the total bill and the
second method does not. However, the
differences between the two are very small.
Some people prefer one method over
the other. You should practice both to
determine which you like best. By practic-
ing, you’ll feel more confident when you
go out to eat. To practice, make a list of
five bills you might pay in a restaurant.
Compute a tip for each of the bills using
both of the methods.
Math in the kitchenn n
Estimating Tips Estimating Tips
Math in the kitchen Math in the kitchen
Chapter 14 When You’re on the Go 279
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.