3 Weird Ways Technology Makes Us Overspend
The unexpected things that influence our behavior—and our budgets.
By Lynn Andriani
It's gotten us to tip more.
We already know that swiping a credit card makes it easier to spend more money than we would paying with cash. And now, with more bells and whistles accompanying card payments (such as emailed receipts), this method is influencing how we tip. As this article reports, the base gratuity for taxis used to be 8 percent; now, thanks to new apps that suggest higher amounts, it's 15 to 25. From coffee shops to salons, there's social pressure to be generous, which can be great—provided you feel the service is worth it.
Published 09/30/2015