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Meal Per Diem rate?

Flatsix66

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As a loyal traveling employee $50 a day for meals doesn't come close. The way I see it I'm in the hole for $80+ a day.
  1. Breakfast $0, too hung over from night before to have anything more than hotel coffee.
  2. Lunch $0, have vendor take you out for B&E lunch
  3. Dinner $130+ 2+ vodka sodas while waiting at bar, seated at dinner starter Martini, Ceasar salad and Rib Eye + 2 glasses Duck Horn Cab.
  4. $100 B&E expense, buy drinks for vendor that bought you lunch earlier and have a few single malts. Buy ladies sitting next to us at bar a round and make fool of ourselves.
  5. Run same play on day 2.
 

DrunkenSailor

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My buddy does finished woodwork and is constantly on the road. The company rents his whole crew an air bnb for long jobs. Saves money on food having a kitchen and lodging not having a bunch of separate hotel rooms. If your guys get along its not a bad option.
 

Done-it-again

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My buddy does finished woodwork and is constantly on the road. The company rents his whole crew an air bnb for long jobs. Saves money on food having a kitchen and lodging not having a bunch of separate hotel rooms. If your guys get along its not a bad option.
Tried that. Not so good, they get along for the most part but 10 hr days 60 hr weeks and weeks on end gets testy.

Biggest expense is lodging.
 

CLdrinker

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When I was younger and not making much, I’d usually come home with 100 in my pocket, enough to fill my truck with fuel and have some spending money once I got home. In Texas, I was making $125/hr, so I was eating at fogo de chao and didn’t give a fuck. Lol.
$125hr wtf? That’s a shoot shovel and shut up wage lol
 

SoCalDave

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My previous employer (pre 2015) paid $65 a day for meals. They upped it to $110 per day in 2013 with all other expenses covered. I have no idea what their paying today.
 

Nanu/Nanu

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My company pays $105 a day regardless of where you are. It's up to you, on how to spend it between your lodging and meals.
 

Uncle Dave

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As a loyal traveling employee $50 a day for meals doesn't come close. The way I see it I'm in the hole for $80+ a day.
  1. Breakfast $0, too hung over from night before to have anything more than hotel coffee.
  2. Lunch $0, have vendor take you out for B&E lunch
  3. Dinner $130+ 2+ vodka sodas while waiting at bar, seated at dinner starter Martini, Ceasar salad and Rib Eye + 2 glasses Duck Horn Cab.
  4. $100 B&E expense, buy drinks for vendor that bought you lunch earlier and have a few single malts. Buy ladies sitting next to us at bar a round and make fool of ourselves.
  5. Run same play on day 2.

Curious, what do you do ?
 

HBCraig

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Anyone here pay employees or employees that can share what they get for meal per diem when traveling for work.... My guys haven't complained but i might be on the lite side......I cover hotels, car, laundry, etc.... This is strictly meals that I pay per day, if they use it or not.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner in my company
$14,$17, $27

International travel is more
 

HBCraig

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My last employer gave $18, $24, $36 if you’re doing the day alone or eating with colleagues. If you hosted an event you were expected to keep it to $75 per person and the limit was 2 drinks per person.

My current employer gives $100 a day. No required spread, just $100 a day straight up. Sadly, we’re not traveling right now and it doesn’t look like we will be until sometime next year.

I miss traveling for work.
2 drinks per person. Hopefully they're 32 ounces. ;)
 

Ace in the Hole

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I was thinking about doing this and letting the guys pick there own hotel. Pretty sure they would bunk up so they could pocket more cash.

Last corp job I had the "exec team" got $101/day per meals/expenses. If I was taking employees/clients/vendors out I used my company card with no implied limit...I didn't abuse that. I was supposed to keep those expenses under a certain amount per month. Company provided rental car, flights, and hotels..

labor guys got $60 a day plus a catered dinner on job. Hotels/flights/shuttle bus transportation. On some jobs they had the option to "bunk on site" and pocket $100 a day to do so.
 

Done-it-again

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Damn $100+ for crew guys and meals only. Don’t get me wrong they are worth it but I don’t think our industry would support that. I would be about $265 a day (for hotel and meals) each for 3-4 guys on a job and at a 2-4 week jobs up to 16 weeks.

My engineers that travel pay everything on a company card including dinners but they are onsite for a day or 2 and take the customer out if need be.
 

Ace in the Hole

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Damn $100+ for crew guys and meals only. Don’t get me wrong they are worth it but I don’t think our industry would support that. I would be about $265 a day (for hotel and meals) each for 3-4 guys on a job and at a 2-4 week jobs up to 16 weeks.

My engineers that travel pay everything on a company card including dinners but they are onsite for a day or 2 and take the customer out if need be.
Hawaii..outer island. Rates are significantly higher vs the mainland. I just interviewed for a similar role in TX. Declined it but theirs was $60/day +hotel and travel. No extra spending on them either.

Honestly $60 is fair plus housing/travel
 

was thatguy

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Did you order McMuffin with 3 sausage patty’s And 3 cheese on it? Lmao
As a daily eat out guy, I can tell you with out question an egg McMuffin is not 8 bucks.
under 3 bucks, better yet do a sausage McMuffin .99 cents order an “Extra hash brown“ .99 cents otherwise a hash brown is 2.70 ish
lg drink .99 cents

7 bucks n change will feed you a meal at damn near any fast food place for breakfast

This is at the “cheap” McDonald’s.
$5.30 sandwich only.

4A75275E-17D4-4CC0-8671-BCB89E229A29.jpeg
 

nameisbond

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I get $100 per day for meals. Wasn't much when I was travelling around Southern California.
 

ltbaney1

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when i travel, not so much anymore due to covid, my boss told me use the card i gave you when you started for everything and dont worry about receipts, but keep it in reason. never had an issue.
 

Ballyhoo

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I used the below when I had to give food and beverage to my staff
I traveled quite a bit for work for a period of about six years. I traveled mostly in the US but made two international trips; South Korea and the UAE. IMHO, the GSA tables are about the only thing our government has done well. The per diem is calculated by state/county/city or country and is realistic for each location. Cost of food is drastically different in Chicago, NY or Cali over Jackson Mississippi. If I remember correctly, my per diem in Abu Dhabi and Dubai was over $160 a day for food.
 

Singleton

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I traveled quite a bit for work for a period of about six years. I traveled mostly in the US but made two international trips; South Korea and the UAE. IMHO, the GSA tables are about the only thing our government has done well. The per diem is calculated by state/county/city or country and is realistic for each location. Cost of food is drastically different in Chicago, NY or Cali over Jackson Mississippi. If I remember correctly, my per diem in Abu Dhabi and Dubai was over $160 a day for food.

Up until Feb 2020, I spent 3 nights a week away traveling for work dating back to 2014. Before that for 2 years I was away 6 weeks each quarter (for 4 weeks then 2 weeks at a time).

My staff had per diem, but company policy at my level was actual expenses.
 

Cobalt232

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800+ Marriott nights. I would charge the client $75.00 - $100.00 per day + expenses plus a small markup. Never an issue.

My next-door neighbor started a new job a couple of years back in the food industry. Their parent company is Little Ceasars. Her division was brand new at the time. Her boss told her she could spend $35.00 per day on food, and if that was not enough, she could eat free at Little Caesars on the road. They also put a $100.00 day limit on hotels, even in NYC. That didn't last long.
 

Ace in the Hole

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My next-door neighbor started a new job a couple of years back in the food industry. Their parent company is Little Ceasars. Her division was brand new at the time. Her boss told her she could spend $35.00 per day on food, and if that was not enough, she could eat free at Little Caesars on the road. They also put a $100.00 day limit on hotels, even in NYC. That didn't last long.

Wow...motel 6 level living at it's finest.
 

Done-it-again

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800+ Marriott nights. I would charge the client $75.00 - $100.00 per day + expenses plus a small markup. Never an issue.

My next-door neighbor started a new job a couple of years back in the food industry. Their parent company is Little Ceasars. Her division was brand new at the time. Her boss told her she could spend $35.00 per day on food, and if that was not enough, she could eat free at Little Caesars on the road. They also put a $100.00 day limit on hotels, even in NYC. That didn't last long.

I’m $2700 a week cost (7days) for 2 guys and mark up from that. Car rental and air fare is separate. Hotels are based at 150 average.

Just sent a letter to the guys bumping it up to 50 day vs 35.

Some of you guys must be union with that kind of food allowances you are claiming.

Thanks for all the insight.
 

RandyH

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My guys each have a Credit Card . Company pays everything. Several have been with me over 30 years. Never once did they surprise me. I just thought that was how it was done. Living on the road sucks bad enough.
 

bk2drvr

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My company:

Breakfast, lunch and dinner - $20, $35 and $50. There is leeway in bigger cities. If I have a customer with me there is no limit.

Hotel - $350/night

We can choose our airlines and hotels and keep all of our rewards points.
 

HBCraig

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Damn $100+ for crew guys and meals only. Don’t get me wrong they are worth it but I don’t think our industry would support that. I would be about $265 a day (for hotel and meals) each for 3-4 guys on a job and at a 2-4 week jobs up to 16 weeks.

My engineers that travel pay everything on a company card including dinners but they are onsite for a day or 2 and take the customer out if need be.
I should have clarified, the per diem I listed is just food. I get to expense whatever hotel I stay at, fuel, etc
 
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