Category Archives: Tips

Tips

Should I Tip My Massage Therapist?

Ahhh, thee ole tipping question. People want to know, nobody wants to be the CHEAP guy, that doesn’t tip.

But first the story…

I ordered a gluten free pizza the other day, and the chap came up to the 23rd floor. He had the “I am barely getting through my day” look, on his face. He handed me my bill and pizza, I took my pizza and gave him a $20 tip.

His eyes lit up like Christmas

I presumed that most folks weren’t very generous with him, and when I see the cost of gas these days, I leap out of my skin. I can’t even imagine how low his hourly wage is.

Let me ask you something, is it customary to tip $20 for a $10 pizza? No, it isn’t, but I did anyway because I thought beyond myself. I put myself in his world, imagined what a normal day might be like for him.

If you get a massage at a spa, or hotel, a 15% to 20% tip is standard if you were pleased with the services.

On the other hand, there are no real ground rules or norms when it comes to massage in a medical setting. Some massage therapists say tipping isn’t appropriate in a medical or clinical setting.

I work in a rehab center and I get tips, I work in a clinic and I get tips. I do not work in a spa, where it is expected.

I will throw in some insider secrets to help you decide:

  • Most RMT’s are on a 60/40 split percentage with the clinic they work at. The RMT receives 60%. So even though you may pay $80 for a one hour massage the RMT receives $45.
  • In a lot of day spas, RMT’s are grossly underpaid, in a spa they may only be making $22 per maRMTssage. I have friends that work in spas, so I know.
  • The same for rehab centers, most rehab centers pay out a max of $30 per 1 hour massage to their RMT.

As you can see the businesses are pocketing the majority of the money that you pay. RMT’s do not even get a whiff of the money.

Here are some questions to help you:

1.) How would you feel if the situation were reversed?

2.) Would you like to receive a tip? If so how much?

3.) How would you feel if someone didn’t give you a penny?

4.) How would you feel if someone was extraordinarily generous with you?

That’s your answer in a nutshell. If you tip, it will make our day, it will lighten up our lives. It’s that little extra that we don’t expect.

Tipping well improves relationships, because it makes the other feel special and important. Next time they will want to do more for you.

If you get a discount massage, then definitely tip because the therapist is working on you for half their normal rate.

If you get benefits and everything is essentially free, then why not? Why not make someone’s day.

I tip well because I know the value of appreciation, I know that it will make a difference in that persons life, so I do it.

Lindsay Tietz, RMT, Homeopath

Tips

5 Easy and Free Weight Loss Tips

There are a multitude of free weight loss tips available. Many can be found on the internet and through diet programs. You’ll find ideas on how to think about weight loss and how to do it. In fact, if you were to combine enough tips you could compile your own weight loss plan.

Here are 5 easy and free weight loss tips to get you started:

1. Be dedicated. Another way of saying this is “If you want good results you must be consistent.” If you’re serious about losing weight, you”l be equally serious about following your weight loss plan. You’ll have goals that are challenging yet attainable. This is at the top of the charts of weight loss tips to definitely pay attention to.

2. Don’t rely on the scale. This is one of the free weight loss tips that endures a lot of debate – do you weigh yourself and how often? Even if you personally like to monitor progress with the scale, I recommend you add in the following.

If you want to know how you’re doing . . . look at yourself in the mirror. Try on your “skinny clothes.” Use calipers to measure your actual fat loss. Your scale will tell you how much weight you’ve lost. But it won’t tell you whether you’ve lost fat or muscle, fluid or bone.

3. Don’t skip meals. People losing weight would do well to heed this advice. Those who skip meals tend towards “heaviness.” This is because when you starve yourself, your body automatically stores fat. A related taboo is to not follow a period of little eating with a period binging.

4. Choose your diet plan wisely. Just because your friend lost weight with a particular diet doesn’t mean you will. It doesn’t matter how many free tips she gives you. Different diets work for different people. Your doctor may have a good plan for you. Also the resource box at the end of this article has more tips on choosing a plan.

5. Start simple. You’ll start to lose weight if you cut out some pretty obvious “treats.” This doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat them again; just do so less frequently once you’ve reached your ideal weight. For example: Cut out sugared drinks, candy, cookies, or cake. Eat more fruits and vegetables. This is one of those tips that many of us know we should follow even if we don’t want to hear it.

Those are 5 straight forward and easy to follow free weight loss tips. I’m cranking out more that I’ll share soon in a follow-up article. Meanwhile here’s a bonus tip I sure hope you follow even if it sounds like old news: Before starting any weight loss or new exercise program please visit with your health care provider. Your doctor is a key member of your support team and will probably have more free weight loss tips to share with you.