Like many great stories, it begins with G.K. Chesterton

The countless stories involving G.K. Chesterton always sound rather apocryphal, but I don’t believe in letting truth get in the way of a good story!

Upon seeing Chesterton thoughtlessly donate to a passing beggar, his companion is absolutely aghast.
“But G.K.... he’ll only spend it on drink!”
“But what do you think I was going to spend it on?”

All too often in life, we want to understand exactly what our donation is going to. Will it make a difference? How much is lining the pockets of a non-profit CEO? How much is going to overhead costs? Is that unhoused person actually spending it on necessities... or drugs and booze?

This is a common issue for all of us. I’m no exception.

Like Mr. Chesterton, I’ve come to appreciate the true benefit of donating your money.

Tipping

I recently spent some time in the gig economy. First, I tried a rideshare and food delivery service as an independent contractor... and while I loved being able to set my own hours, the inconsistency of the work (and pay) was a big turn-off. I loved chatting with riders, but hated delivering food and dealing with the variety of poorly-written restaurant instructions, wait times, and fraud issues. The only thing I didn’t like about riders was the risk. You’d occasionally pick up drunks getting kicked out of bars, or wonder if you were facilitating a drug deal. The money isn’t great... on a good day, I averaged around $30/hour, but there were plenty of lousy days where $10/hour would have been amazing.

Later, I switched to pizza delivery. Being a direct employee was really nice; it meant that I got a steady hourly wage regardless of delivery tempo and I got paid for both mileage and tips. Compensation varies wildly depending on the company — worth researching before you commit.

In both cases, I observed a direct influence on my attitude based on tips. No tip? Screw you. In a good mood, I’ll tell myself that you need the money more than I do and I’m performing charity. $1-4? Thank you. It’s appreciated, but I’m so glad when I get paid for mileage. $5-6? Fantastic. I’m so grateful! $7 or more? WOW... this could make my day!

It’s weird, because the entire time I could appreciate that I was performing a relatively easy job and I was fortunate enough to have a vehicle with low operating costs. I could not escape the psychological influence the tips had on me.

So What?

What does tipping have to do with the above quote from G.K. Chesterton?

Simple.

In both cases, you’re offering additional money directly to a person. Another human who might be performing a service or just appears to be in a bad way. Note how the recipient of your money will have their mood influenced; so too will you! Charity — whether through tipping or donations — will always yield its most positive influence on the donor.

When you donate to someone, you save yourself.

It’s always tempting to ask where your money is going, yet if you can afford it, it’s far more powerful to trust that it’s helping someone who needs it. No question. No doubt. Whether it’s a tip through your rideshare or food delivery app or a bit of cash passed through a window to a beggar at the intersection, DO IT. I promise that it will make you feel better. You’ll be a better person. Don’t let the worry over what they’ll do with it concern you... it’s not about them; it’s about you.