Archive for the ‘Random thoughts’ Category

Tipping or not to tip: that is the question

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Out the door you and I go on our vacations.  Passport in front shirt pocket; credit cards in back pants pocket in my wallet; airline tickets and hotel vouchers in carry on;  iPad, iPod and Mac Air there too; and I can’t forget my travel insurance policy which I do have in my wallet which I purchased from Good Neighbor Insurance, www.gninsurance.com.  Now I am all set for my overseas vacation.  But wait what about extra money for tipping and did I add that to my trip cost? And are tipping percentages the same in the countries I am visiting like here in the U.S.?

Traveling brings a lot of great memories and those extra cost like tipping can bring some added memories.  My first trip to Australia was a blast.  I got into my hotel late that night from a 36 hour flight, 2 airports, and no more caffeine in my body from that triple shot at the Starbucks at the Singapore airport.  So I was extremely delighted to have the hotel staff takes my dive bags to my room and to have the bell hop show me my room. I handed him a $10 U.S. for helping this tired bloke but what I heard from him was there is no need.  No need?  And there I was starting to learn that in Australia there is no tipping.  Wow, great service and no need for tipping.  Just two hours in Australia I was starting to think maybe I should move down to the land of the vegemite sandwich Men at Work sang about.

With the blessings of no tipping in Australia I found out the next morning that there were other distinct Australian cultural differences this Yank was learning.  After 4 beautiful cups of hot java coffee down at the Sydney wharf I was informed that there are no such things as free refills and then I realized how homesick I was for America. Of course one could say that it was an even trade but one doesn’t know the amount of coffee this Yankee bloke drinks!

So for my wonderful dive friends in Australia and throughout the world here is how much we tip in the U.S.  Please realize that tips in America and in other countries are part of their basic wages.  Few travelers want to be a cheapskate so keep some extra bills in your pocket to help you in your tipping adventure.bali, Australia, travel insurance, scuba diving, underwater photography  

Below is some idea on how much to tip in the U.S using U.S. dollars

Airport skycap – $1-2 per bag

Bartender: $1 minimum per mixed drink, or 15%-20% of the tab.

Bellhop: $2 first bag, $1 each additional bag.

Buffet staff: 10% if attentive.

Concierge: $5 minimum for making a reservation, $10-$20 (and up) for arranging something exceptional. No tip required for giving directions or answering questions.

Hotel maid service: $2, left daily in case the staff changes; $3-$5 daily in a deluxe hotel.

Manicurist: 15%-20%.

Pizza delivery: 15%, minimum $3 if service is good/drive is long.
General food delivery: $2 minimum.

Restaurant wait staff: 15% – 20% (pretax). The latter is now standard in urban areas, business situations and nice restaurants.

Salon care: 15% to 20% of the total bill.

Taxi driver: 15%, plus $1-$2 for helping with bags.

Valet: $2-$3 is standard.

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas and makes sure he has his US health care and overseas health care, www.overseashealthinsurance.com/trip-protection.asp, information with him at all times when he travels   Keep our blog close by you, www.gntravelinsurance.com, for continual updates on the changes with the US health care system.

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Valentine’s Day Trivia – 2011

Monday, February 14th, 2011

There are days that we all at Good Neighbor Insurance, www.gninsurance.com, enjoy a good break from insurance and enjoy a few minutes with some great trivia.  Since it is Valentine’s Day it would make sense to grab some chocolate and do some homework for our future debut on “This is Jeopardy!”  So grab a fistful of that non-calorie chocolate, put your legs up on your desk, and let’s have fun.

  1. 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are men.  However, 15% of women send flowers to themselves on February 14.
  2. Teachers will receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then sweethearts.  Children ages six to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine’s cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.
  3. According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion valentine cards are sent each year.
  4. Hallmark has over 1,330 different specifically for Valentine’s Day.
  5. 110 million roses, the majority red, will be sold and delivered within a 3 day time period.
  6. California produces 60% of American roses, but the vast number sold on Valentine’s Day in the United States are imported, mostly from South America.
  7. More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.
  8. While 75% of chocolate purchases are made by women all year long, during the days and minutes before Valentine’s Day, 75% of the chocolate purchases are made by men.
  9. About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets.

10.  The average person spends 2 weeks of his or her life kissing.

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas and makes sure he has his US health care and overseas health care, http://onlineglobalhealthinsurance.com/my-travel-guard.asp , information with him at all times when he travels   Keep our blog close by you, www.gntravelinsurance.com, for continual updates on the changes with the US health care system.

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Current 2010 tax rates of some European countries

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Good Neighbor Insurance, www.gninsurance.com, provides international health and travel insurance to US citizens residing and traveling outside the US as well as non-US citizens living and traveling outside their country of citizenship.  

Good Neighbor Insurance keeps our clients informed of not only US health care changes and international health care changes but also with how other countries provide health care cover to their citizens.   Most of the European countries have national health care where all those living in that country pay through the national tax system.  Europeans are also able to purchase private health care cover which provides stronger coverage and also allows for quicker access to health care facilities.  Below is the 2010 tax rates for some of the countries in Europe.

VAT = Value Added Tax

Definition 1: Value added tax or VAT is an indirect tax, which is imposed on goods and services at each stage of production, starting from raw materials to final product. VAT is levied on the value additions at different stages of production. VAT is widely applied in the European countries. However, now a number of countries across the globe have adopted this tax system.

Definition 2:  A value added tax (VAT) is a form of consumption tax. It is a tax on the estimated market value added to a product or material at each stage of its manufacture or distribution, ultimately passed on to the consumer. It differs from a sales tax, which is levied only at the point of purchase.

Note:  These income rates are for those in the middle high to high income brackets.  However the VAT is for all purchases.

Current European tax rates:

Denmark:   Income Tax:  58%  VAT:  25%      TOTAL:  83% 

Finland:  Income Tax:  53%  VAT:  22%      TOTAL:  75%

France:  Income Tax:  40%  VAT:  19.6%   TOTAL:  59.6%

Greece:   Income Tax:  40%  VAT:  25%      TOTAL:  65%

Netherlands:  Income Tax:  52%   VAT:  19%      TOTAL:  71%

Norway:  Income Tax:  54.3%  VAT:  25%      TOTAL:  79.3%

Portugal:   Income Tax:  42%   VAT:  20%      TOTAL:  62%

Spain:  Income Tax:  45%   VAT:  16%      TOTAL:  61%

Sweden:   Income Tax:  55%   VAT:  25%      TOTAL:  80%

United Kingdom:  Income Tax:  50%   VAT:  17.5%   TOTAL:  67.5%

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas and makes sure he has his US health care and overseas health care information with him at all times when he travels (check out his diving travels at www.douggulleson.com).  Keep our blog close by you, www.gntravelinsurance.com , for continual updates on the changes with the US health care system.

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Latte Musings; The benefits – and costs – of college.

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

College tuition and fees are up 92% (using 2010 numbers).  Is the cost of going to college worth it?  Yes it is worth it because highly educated workers earn more and have more job security, even though pay raises have barely kept up with inflation.

 UNEMPLOYMENT RATES BY LEVEL OF EDUCATION:

*  5.0%.  Bachelor degree and higher

*  8.0%. Some college or associate’s degree

*  10.5%.  High-school diploma, no college

*  15.6%.  Less than high-school diploma

ANNUAL SALARY EDGE:

*  Advance degrees(Master degrees and higher): $69,056

*  Bachelor’s degree: $53,300

*  Some college or associate degree: $37,752

*  High-school diploma, no college: $32,552

*  Less than a high-school diploma: $23,608

Doug Gulleson is an avid scuba diver and loves to dive and travel overseas.  Check his web site coming mid 2010 at www.douggulleson.com .  While traveling overseas he always carries his IPod, a book, credit cards, and for sure his international travel insurance plan for peace of mind.  For international student plans for US students and non US citizens studying in the US insurance go to http://www.gninsurance.com/students.asp .

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