Do you know what I still cannot get used to after moving back to Canada?

The tipping culture.

When you finish a meal at a restaurant, you're expected to pay extra on top of your bill.

But in recent years, it's been just getting out of control.

When are you supposed to tip?

And how much?

A lot of people think it's only at restaurants, but that's not the case.

Basically, anytime someone provides a service, whether it's at a restaurant, a coffee shop, food delivery, a haircut, getting your nails done, or taking a taxi or Uber, you're expected to leave it tipped.

Sometimes, it really feels like the moment you step out the door, you need to be ready to tip.

There's one exception though.

Fast food places.

You don't need to tip at McDonald's or Burger King.

But what's interesting is that you're still expected to tip at coffee shops, even though you also order at the counter there.

And now the question of how much.

The amount you tip depends on where you are.

In big cities like Toronto or Vancouver, the suggested tip is usually between 15 and 28%ish.

In smaller towns, you'll be tipping a little less than that.

Tips are calculated as a percentage of your bill, of course.

Imagine you're having a meal in Toronto that costs, say, $20.

After adding a tip, say a 28% tip, you actually end up paying $28.

Because of this, we're always mentally calculating the final price, including the tip and the taxes, when we look at menus.

It's this constant calculation that I find really annoying.

A couple of days ago, I went to this barber shop to get a haircut.

It was priced reasonably.

It was $22, I think.

And I thought it was alright.

So after getting my haircut, I also asked them to wash my hair, which was another $5.

It's not included.

At the counter, like when I actually had to pay, I was given a few options.

How much to tip.

And usually it starts at about 15%.

But that place had the lowest tip starting at 28%.

Three options.

28%, 35%, and 40%.

I went, of course, for the lowest one.

And in the end, I ended up paying about $40, which was almost double.

I honestly hope that this can be changed somehow in the future.

For those of you coming from countries where tipping isn't a thing, like China, for example, I think the whole experience just feels more straightforward and comfortable when there are no tips.

Do you have any other questions about tipping, by the way?

Let me know in the comments below.

And I'm happy to share more if you're curious about it.