A Donation Line On Your Dining Out Bill?

Media / Blog

A Donation Line On Your Dining Out Bill?

Prev

Why “Conditional Receipt” Is A Must When You Apply For Life Insurance

May 26, 2015

diningBillAs I finished up a business breakfast the other day at J. Christopher's in Atlanta, I handed over my credit card and waited for the bill to come over to the table. As I filled out the credit card receipt, I began to write down the tip I quickly calculated in my head and add up the numbers for the final bill. Then, something struck me. It looked like there was an extra line and I wasn't sure that I had filled out the credit card receipt correctly. It dawned on me as I re-read the line items that there was a new line on this receipt titled "donation". Donation? Since when did donation become a line item on a breakfast, lunch, or dinner bill?

I wrote an article several years ago http://bit.ly/1PaR5rB called Santa Clause at Five Below about the growing trend in department stores and supermarkets who ask you if you want to make a donation every single time you shop at the store. While I applaud the corporate efforts to be a good citizen, I thought that it was overkill to be asking your customers for a donation especially if they shop at your store several times a week. At least with the supermarkets and the grocery stores, you are given the benefit of doubt of knowing where your donation is going. The experience I encountered with having to give a donation at my breakfast the other day was altogether a different situation because you don't even know where the donation is going even if you decided to make one at the completion of your meal.

What's concerning to me as I help families plan their family finances is that companies are taking more and more advantage of our lack of time and also our attention to detail. We are moving so fast in our busy lives, that we may not read our bills for online bill pay, we may not read the fine print for contracts, and we certainly will bypass over small details like a nondescript donation line on a breakfast tab in the morning.

In this world of electronic transactions soon to be all on your phone within the next decade, it's important to take time to read what you are signing. A swipe of your John Hancock in the wrong place and you could be donating to the George Constanza Human Fund or worse yet a cause that you truly have no interest in supporting. At least pay attention the next time you dine at J. Christopher's.

Written by: Ted Jenkin
Request a FREE consultation: www.oxygenfinancial.net


If you would like to receive more information on making smart money moves for your future, be sure to contact us today!

Next

Six Smart Financial Gifts For The College Graduate

Sign Up

Sign up for our exclusive Sunday Paper with a weekly market commentary, insightful personal finance blogs, and life changing education guides.

Email sign up

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. oXYGen Financial is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. Kestra IS and Kestra AS do not provide tax or legal advice. https://Bit.ly/KF-Disclosures

This site is published for residents of the United States only. Registered Representatives of Kestra IS and Investment Advisor Representatives of Kestra AS may only conduct business with residents of the states and jurisdictions in which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed. Not all products and services referenced on this site are available in every state and through every representative or advisor listed. For additional information, please contact Kestra IS Compliance Department at 844-553-7872.

PLEASE NOTE: The information being provided is strictly as a courtesy. When you link to any of the web sites provided here, you are leaving this web site. Kestra IS and Kestra AS makes no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided at these web sites. Nor is Kestra IS and Kestra AS liable for any direct or indirect technical or system issues or any consequences arising out of your access to or your use of third-party technologies, web sites, information and programs made available through this web site. When you access one of these web sites, you are leaving our web site and assume total responsibility and risk for your use of the web sites you are linking to.