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Sometimes, trying to “correct” someone’s money-saving habits ends up costing you a lot more.
What would you do if your employer punished you for spending less than your daily food allowance while traveling?
Would you push back?
Or would you do as you’re told to avoid any further issues?
In today’s story, one woman finds herself in this exact situation and decides to follow the policy and treat herself.
Here’s what happened.
Back in the early 2000s, my mom worked for a company that was a subsidiary of a now-defunct telecommunications company, we’ll call NDJ.
NDJ’s travel expense policy provided a $50 per diem meal allowance.
The thing was, in the long run, she’d spend less than $50 per day.
She worked as a network administrator, and sometimes she’d fly out to Miami, Los Angeles, or other locations in the U.S. with a data center to help set up or repair networks and other systems.
She would often book a room in an extended-stay hotel, the kind that often advertised its rates as being per week.
These extended stays often have a kitchenette.
Usually, they’d have a microwave, a fridge, and a small, two-burner stove, perfect for cooking up some “bachelor food.”
She was saving them money, but they didn’t care.
My mom would stop at a local grocery store, such as Publix or Kroger, on the day of arrival and pick up a week’s worth (or however long she needed to stay) of food.
She’d get frozen dinners, sandwich fixin’s, frozen or fresh fruit, yogurt, and a few pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
The total bill might come to $100, but it would last her the entire week.
One day, when she submitted her receipts and expense report, the accounting department ripped her a new one over the $100 grocery bill.
They told her, “You’re only allowed to spend $50 per day, no more.”
She’d argue, “That was food for the entire week. I saved you money!”
“Doesn’t matter. $50 a day.”
It didn’t take long for them to realize her method was better for them.
Okey-dokey, she thought. You want $50 a day? You got it, buck-o!
The next time she took a trip to Miami or elsewhere, she spent exactly $50 a day. She’d stop somewhere cheap like McDonald’s or Burger King for breakfast, get something out of the break room vending machines for lunch (peanut butter crackers and Diet Coke), but it was “treat yo’self” night every night.
Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Pappadeaux’s (fairly pricey Cajun restaurant), or anywhere else that guarantees a bill of at least $25 per person.
She’d get the whole shebang: appetizer, entree, dessert, and a cocktail. I’m pretty sure the bill ran upwards of $40-$ 50.
As long as she stayed within her means, she enjoyed herself. Every. Single. Night!
They didn’t bat an eye, but when they saw that and compared it to what it would have cost on her old system, they told her she could go back to her old system if she so desired.
Wow! It seems like they didn’t think that one out at first.
Let’s see what the readers over at Reddit think about what happened.
This person had a similar experience.
Here’s a manager that had no limits.
According to this reader, their company is being weird about plane tickets.
That worked out well.
That’s what most people would do!
If the company doesn’t care to listen, they deserve this.
If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.