It's not complicated, if you can't afford to leave a whopping $4 gratuity for a $20 meal, then don't go to a sit-down restaurant and take your ass to McDonald's.
Imagine spending $200 on a meal and not leaving a tip. You can afford to waste that much money on a meal but you can't afford to tip?
Tips are to be earned. They are not 'mandatory.' If you want a tip, you have to work for it. It is perfectly fine to go out for a fancy dinner and not tip if the service was not up to par.
That said, why is it that 'tipping' is based on a percentage of the meal? A server bringing a $10 meal is doing the same work as one bringing a $50 meal, are they not?
No. A $50 meal has far more to it and usually indicates a group larger than 1 or two...
If you're somewhere where a $50 meal has the same value/quantity as a $10 meal, wtf are you doing with your money?
Uh... no. Different quality food makes a difference in cost. A server does not cook the food, they merely take the order and bring it out to you. It is the same amount of work to do this on a $10 meal as it does a $50 meal.
I guess I should've stated per plate costs. PER PLATE it is the same amount of work. ---