The Daily Money: How much does guilt-tipping cost us?

Good morning! It's Medora Lee with your Daily Money.

Guilt is a powerful emotion, and now, it's getting us to tip more than we want.

Americans spend nearly $500 a year tipping more than they’d like to, according to Talker Research, a research and polling agency that recently conducted a survey of 2,000 Americans about tipping. The poll found the average respondent reluctantly tips $37.80 a month. “That figure equates to $453.60 a year in guilt-induced gratuity, with over a quarter (26%) feeling they are always or often forced to tip more than they would like,” Talker Research said in a post about the findings.

And it turns out the younger you are, the guiltier you feel. Gen Z and millennials “were almost twice as likely to say they 'always' feel pressure to tip than older generations,” the study said. 

Not ready for 'Peak 65'? Here's a tip

Are you part of "Peak 65," or thelargest surge of retiring Americans in recent history? More than 4.1 million people are turning 65 each year through 2027. That's more than 11,200 people every single day.

But how many are financially ready for the retirement milestone? Studies show not many. So what should you do?

If you're still healthy and aren't miserable working, consider working longer, some advisers say. You can sock away more money, delay taking Social Security and end up with a larger check later yet still have many years to kick back since people are living longer.

Have you checked your Internet bill lately?

If you’ve had the same Wi-Fi plan for years, it’s normal that your monthly Internet bill might increase over time. But if you haven't kept an eye on it, you might be surprised at how big it's gotten, especially since many companies encourage you to put it on autopay.

If you find you're in this situation, here are ways you can lower that bill.

📰 More stories you shouldn't miss 📰

  • Ex-Starbucks CEO advises the coffee chain from LinkedIn
  • If your company moves location, move with it or move on, expert says
  • No, you don't have to break the bank to eat at an F1 race
  • The gold bug got you? Here's what you need to know before investing

📰 A great read 📰

Finally, here's a popular story from earlier this year that you may have missed. Feel free to share it.

Since we're starting to see the largest number of people barreling towards retirement over the next several years, we should be examining ways to maximize our savings. The 401(K) and employer matches are a great place to start, but maybe not the best place to end.

Read to find out why.

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer news from USA TODAY. We break down financial news and provide the TLDR version: how decisions by the Federal Reserve, government and companies impact you.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.