The Most Generous Tips You Wish You Received or Are Capable of Giving

Ever fancied receiving an extremely generous tip that equates to having won the lottery? How about dreaming of becoming very wealthy that you are able to give out generous tips that make other people eternally grateful?

Extreme instances of generosity do exist and hopefully, they can inspire you to be good in managing and growing your money to be able to do inspiring acts of kindness like the ones featured below:

1. $12,000 for an Honest Waitress

An honest waitress at Moorhead’s Frying Pan in Minnesota, Stacy Knutson, was surprised when she found $12,000 cold cash inside a “to go” box left by a customer on his table. At first she thought it only contained leftover food so she followed the customer to give the box. The customer said “No, I am good; you keep it.” That’s when she realized how fortunate she was that day.

However, she was suspicious of the cash since it was rolled up in rubber bands. She reported the money to the police and she was told that she could get the money if nobody claimed it within 60 days. Two months later, Kuntson went to the police station to claim the unclaimed cash. The police, however, told her that she can’t get it because it was being subjected for a drug investigation after traces of marijuana were allegedly detected on it.

Knutson filed a lawsuit as she believed that she rightfully owned the money. Luck was still on her side and it must have been a stroke of good karma as the court decided to give her back all of the money. Looks like honesty can really be rewarded.

2. $5,000 Tip on a Bill of $26

Greg Rubar is a waiter for D’Amico’s Italian Market Cafe in Houston. He has been working as a waiter for around 16 years. Little did Rubar know that May 26, 2012 would be such a lucky date for him. On this day, when two of the regular customers in the cafe, a couple, gave Rubar a tip he will never forget.

The couple, who refused to be identified, have known Rubar for some time and have seen how he was at work. Rubar is the one who usually serves the couple every time they visit the cafe. On May 26, they learned about the damage sustained by Rubar’s car after a recent thunderstorm, and how the waiter found it difficult traveling from home to work and vice versa. The couple decided to show extreme generosity by giving a $5,000 tip for a bill worth only $26.95. They specifically told Rubar to buy himself a car.

Fom D’Amico’s press release, the couple reportedly described Rubar as a hard worker and proficient waiter, so he didn’t deserve to be punished for something that is out of his control.

3. The Conditional Tip that Materialized into a $3 Million Value

Who would want to refuse a conditional tip after reading this story?

On March 30, 1841, police detective Robert Cunningham offered a tip that many would likely be not so happy about. The police detective told a waitress, Phyllis Penzo, that he would give her a share in case he wins the lottery and if the waiter helped him pick three of the six numbers needed. In short, Penzo’s tip was effectively a simple promise of share from a remotely possible lottery winning.

But the remotely possible happened. Cunningham won $6 million. Half of it went to Penzo, as promised. For Penzo, that meant a $3 million tip — and it was 1984! Adjusted for inflation, that’s around $6.8 million in 2014.

This story was used in the movie “It Could Happen to You” starred by Nicholas Cage and Bridget Fonda. Many details of the actual story, however, were modified or given another twist. For one, the waiter and cop never got romantically involved as opposed to what happened in the movie.

4. $4,000 from a Very Famous Celebrity

What if you get the chance to meet a celebrity and he tips you a very generous $4,000, how would you feel? For Mohammed Sekhani, a waiter at Gibson’s steak joint in Chicago, it was unlike anything else he ever experienced. It was on an evening back in 2009, around 11:30 PM, when Johnny Depp, along with some friends, ordered expensive wines and baked clams. When the Pirates of the Caribbean star left, he gave Sekhani $4,000 and even said that he will be coming back to the restaurant.

By Scott Sanchez at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

These stories feature people who have been lucky to be at the receiving end of other people’s generosity. While it’s true that instances like these very rarely happen, what’s worth noting in all these stories is the fact that it always feels inspiring seeing people being generous. Somehow, these stories support the idea that being wealthy is not in how much you have but how much you can give.

We can find some lesson in these stories. It is to strive to be good at earning and managing your income but not to be obsessed with the idea of accumulating it and keeping everything to yourself. It always feels good being able to make other people happy with the tips you give, for instance, regardless of the amount.