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Monday, November 17, 2008

Frugal business travel. . . .

I'm back from my business trip (to a tropical locale, no less)! Since I was traveling to an area that is known for high prices, I wanted to pay special attention to my per diems; usually when I travel for work (which is rarely), I end up overdoing it and having to spend my own precious money to break even at the end of the trip.

This time, I did several things that helped me to stay within my business travel budget:

  • I stocked up on snacks to eat at the airport and in between conference sessions, so I wasn't tempted by the $4 muffins at the Starbucks in the hotel;
  • The conference supplied a free "continental breakfast" several mornings, which allowed me to skip the $17 version of a continental breakfast offered at the hotel restaurant!
  • The breakfast muffins and croissants were often left out or replenished for the two daily coffee breaks; at the last coffee break, I would take an extra muffin (only when I knew there were enough for everyone) to snack on later;
  • I avoided the more expensive restaurants to which my coworkers and new conference friends wanted to go to. This has been my downfall in the past: when everyone else is ordering the $20 hamburger, the $12 drinks, and the requisite dessert, it's tough to rein in my hunger/thirst AND stay within the $50 per diem for dinner!
  • Finally, I avoided the trinket and tourist shops, and walked away with some edible gifts for the office but nothing for myself.
All in all, it was a good trip! The weather was fantastic, I had fun and learned a lot at the conference, and the best part is that my employer will pay for 100% of the trip---not a dime will have to come out of my own pocket, which is as it should be!

3 comments:

marci357 said...

You did great then!

One thing I usually pack for trips is the little Tillamook Smoker Sausage and Tillamook Cheddar snackpacks - They don't have to be refrigerated and they give me that protein that I need :)

Finally Frugal said...

Mmmmmm, Tillamook cheese. Yum! I've never tried the sausage, but will do that for my next trip. Thanks for the tip!

Anonymous said...

For my upcoming Thanksgiving drive, I will definately load up on snacks so we don't spend an arm and a leg at the rest stops...Bottled water is one item that pays serious dividends with saving money on road trips

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