Things are starting to open back up. Retail stores and restaurants will have new ways of operating. We will have to adjust to the many changes. There are going to be restrictions on how many people can be in stores at one time. How far apart tables in restaurants need to be, and protective items that you need to now wear. There will also be a new way of waiting tables.
There is some however some uncertainty about how dining in at restaurants is going to work out. We will still have to practice social distancing. Most places will need the use of masks and gloves by the front of the house staff. Those that have been working take-out or delivery for your restaurant are already used to wearing these at work. It will take time for everyone to adjust to the new restrictions.
New Way Of Waiting Tables
When you go back to waiting tables full time after the stay-at-home orders are over there is no guarantee that you will be making what you were before. There is a very good chance that you will make less than you did. Even with that, the best thing to do is to show up each shift and do the best you can. People will come back out to the world and be grateful to be able to go and sit somewhere other than home to eat. Yes, you will still get crappy customers mixed in with the good ones, but not everyone will be like that.
The only thing that you can do is to maintain the level of service that you used to. Kill them with kindness if you have to. And keep your spirits up. One way to go is to wear masks that are cute or that suit your personality. I personally like the masks at Tee Public. They have all sorts of designs to choose from, so you can find ones that are perfect for you!
Staying Safe
One thing to remember in this new way of waiting tables is that there will still be people that are afraid of getting sick. There will also be those that couldn’t care less about your health and safety. Keep your distance while serving as much as you are able to. Wear your masks and gloves, as difficult as that might be to get used to. Change the gloves after each interaction. This includes dropping off drinks, food and picking up the dishes, etc. Wash your hands frequently and do not touch your face.
This is still uncharted waters for everyone that works in the restaurant industry and we will adapt and pivot as needed.
Change In Income
One of the biggest challenges outside of work will be to adapt to less income than before. You have already gone a month or so without spending money as you used to.
So keep it up.
If you were able to receive unemployment it was probably more than you made before. Put it off to the side and use it to fill in the gaps in the coming weeks or months. Going back to work is better than sitting at home doing nothing. If you are careful and use safe practices then you shouldn’t have much to worry about.
A daily planner is a great way to keep track of what is coming in, and what you are spending money on. I like to use just a regular planner and write everything down in it. My favorite planners are from Mom’s Agenda, they make it so easy to stay organized every day!
Creating a simple worksheet or spreadsheet can help to trim some of the excess spendings that you may have. If you use both of these you can make a difference in the way that you track your spending habits. Click the download box for a FREE budget worksheet that is super easy to use.
Some of the things that you cut out now, you can bring back once things return to normal (I don’t know when that will happen, but it WILL happen). For now, it is better to be frugal with your money. Times are uncertain as far as income for servers goes.
Things You Can Cut Out
Things that you cut out while under stay at home orders like getting take out all the time, going for coffee, and going out in general. Will need to stay cut to keep spending down, but you can make your own coffee and food at home most of the time.
Other things that you can stop spending extra money on are services that you don’t really use. If you have a streaming service account that you pay for every month, but don’t use all of the time – cancel it until your income goes back to normal.
That’s not to say you can’t still treat yourself sometimes. Though you should limit the amount that you do spend on unnecessary luxuries and habits. It is hard to make these changes, but it is necessary to do if you want to stay afloat through the next few weeks or months.
If you can cut your weekly spending on non-essential items by $40 a week then you can save about $160 each month. That extra money can go to cover a bill or for groceries.
Cutting spending is always hard, but right now it is the most practical thing to do as we return back to work. Especially because of the uncertainty of the weeks and months ahead. Just try to remember that this is temporary and things will eventually get back to the way that they were.
Final Thoughts
Change is rarely something that is easy to deal with, and we have had the way that we normally live changed completely in just a few weeks. As time goes on the changes will become easier to adapt to. Who knows things may go back to normal faster than we thought. But until then it is important to watch your spending as much as possible. And to do the best that you can while trying to work under the new restrictions.
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Related Reading: Server Tips and Resources for Servers and Bartenders