The Task

As my seven (going on eight) years of post secondary education comes to an end so begins the inevitable repayment of my student loans. Six months ago I started working at a restaurant and like most servers I know, I vowed to only live off of my tips while saving my paycheck. Believe it or not the cash in hand I left with everyday got spent as did my paycheck. 

It stops now. 

For the next six months, and perhaps for the first time in my life, I will live within my means. That is to say, I will live on the tips I make from the tables I serve everyday. 

I don't have any intention of revealing my name or the restaurant I work at. I think it goes without saying that if I did I might not have a job and that would defeat the purpose of this little experiment. I will, however, share the details of my experience in the Winnipeg restaurant industry and day-to-day struggle with living on a budget. 

Let me preface this all by saying being a server is great most of the time. To me it feels like a game. A table comes in, gets sat in your section and you spend the next hour or so molding their dining experience. The object of this aforementioned game is ultimately to meet, even exceed, expectations for that coveted 15% gratuity. 

Serving is unpredictable. Some nights you can work your ass off, have some laughs with a table, feel like you've truly earned your keep only to take a look at the Visa slip left on the table and realize those sonsofbitches left you $5 on a $200 bill. Other nights you can spill an entire tray of waters all over a family (which I've done... twice) out celebrating grandpa's 72nd birthday, consistently forget to bring out the glass of water Mom has asked for several times and feel as if you'll be lucky if they leave you anything. Then, as luck would have it, they leave you $20 on a $90 bill. 

To that I say, game on.