For the past year, I have been working as a carhop at Sonic. I went from someone who did not know what they were doing to knowing how to do almost everything within the store. I became so accustomed with the restaurant that I went into training for a management position without actually being officially offered the position.

At this point in time, I felt was finally getting recognition for the amount of work I did, compared to that of my coworkers. I would come into every shift to find that I needed to prep everything on top of my regular responsibilities for some time. I established myself as someone whom people would look forward to working with, not only because I was extremely reliable, but also because I managed to click with everyone in the restaurant, from managers to the new people we were training.

This training honestly threw me off my game a bit. I was used to my usual duties and when I was put in a position to practice my management, I felt lost and useless. Although I was used to telling newer people what to do, now I could tell fellow carhops what to do as well. The power of knowing what you are doing to such a level that you can instruct and teach other people felt good. So, the question in mind: Why did I turn down the position?

The main reason I turned down the position was for financial reasons. As much as I wanted to take the position and feel like I finally have the status for the amount of work that I have been doing, I just cannot afford to be a manager. The pay raise takes effect after months, and although I would make more on my paychecks, overall I would make less money for the amount of time that I am working.

Currently, I do not make enough to cover my bills solely on my paychecks. I legitimately need the tips to afford to pay all of my bills. Even though many people do not tip at Sonic, and a majority of people do not even know carhops accept tips, tips significantly help me afford my cost of living.

This decision took me a month to make. I wanted the status of managership and the benefits. I also did not want to lose my tips.

Sometimes planning for the future outweighs the present.