Sigh

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2006
Sigh
1
Tue, 01-31-2006 - 12:58pm

Well, I thought I was being so clever. Took a 10 day trip to Puerto Rico for work last month. I had been told in the past that hotel stays are paid at the per diem rate regardless of whether I spent it or not. Sooooo, I tracked down hotels at about 1/2 the per diem rate and started rubbing my hands together about the $1000 or so (tax free) I would have to snowball to my debt. Alas, I find out today that that rule only applies to domestic travel and because my trip was international, I will be paid only what I spent. I'm sooooooo bummed. I feel stupid because I tried to 'work the system' when I hardly ever do that sort of stuff. So now I will only have about $180 (the amount I didn't spend on meals and incidentals that I was allowed) + the money I spent on the snorkeling trip I splurged on and put on my card because I figured I had $ to spend (about another $100) to put on my credit card. :( Oh, and I guess I put my Costco trip and a tank of gas on my corporate card because I thought there would be that much left over after they cut my reimbursement so that's another $85 or so I 'made' on the trip. Not terrible but certainly not the windfall I had planned on.

I'm bummed, I'm embarrased and I'm having one of those inevitable moments in a journey where you're trying to make significant changes in your life where you wonder "Why bother??".

Peg

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-27-2005
In reply to: p7eggyc
Tue, 01-31-2006 - 1:22pm

Are we related? That's probably what I would have done too. Don't feel embarassed, I'm sure your not the only one who has tried that. It's just a bummer that they don't have the same rules for international as domestic. The little extra it takes is worth it, it's just unfortunate that this didn't.

Good Luck,
Cristin