I think restaurant workers are notoriously among the worst paid people around… of course it could've just been ME when I waited tables.  I was terrible in the classic sense of the saying, "You get what you pay for."  I think I made $1 an hour (remember this was 30 years ago) plus tips.  These old goats would spend hours at the restaurant drinking coffee and then they'd leave a nickel tip.  It made me so angry that I would've rather received nothing than the nickel.

However, I know sometimes restaurant workers don't file their real earnings at tax time in order to avoid paying more taxes.  I am pointing this out only to emphasize how important it is to be honest on your taxes, especially when you're thinking about buying a home.  (Really this applies to anyone whose salary depends a lot on receiving tips!).

You may not be able to get into the house you can afford if your income isn't reported correctly because your lender bases your qualifications on that reported income.  So if you only report that you've made $19,000 one year and you're actually pulling in $32,000, you'll only be approved to buy a house at the $19,000 income level.

Your honesty – even if it means paying more taxes – will be rewarded in the long run.