I want to know where she's finding *any* fruit, except for bananas, for that price! She must be incredibly good at finding deals.

A cautionary tale from quite some time ago when I worked at a major IT multinational in London.

Colleague went to New Zealand to help on the technical side with a major sales deal. Two weeks and lots of work later, much appreciation and telexes (I said it was quite some time ago) back to the UK. So he returned, on the plane home writing up his substantial expenses, well over £1,000, that were on his personal credit card.

Arrive Heathrow early, straight to the office where his direct boss was in early, congratulated him, and signed the expenses immediately, which he then took upstairs to the accounting office, because the official monthly cutoff for these had been 5.30 pm the previous day. Clerical staff not in yet but accountant was, scarcely looks up from his desk to say "cutoff 5.30 yesterday, paid next month". Explanation given, cut short by accountant, remonstrated, told to f-off.

So, goes back downstairs, at front door by absolute chance in is coming the Chief Exec, comes over and greets him, and tells him of the excellent reports from New Zealand. Chief Exec is told that after his experiences in accounts, he is going across the street to where there was a breakfast cafe, then home. Nice to see you, goodbye.

10 minutes later, from a window in the cafe, he sees the accountant coming rapidly out of the office and putting his suit jacket on, crossing the street to the cafe, where he asks if he could Please have the Complete Expenses Reports, which he had taken with him, and if he can Please come back to the accounts office in another 15 minutes he will have a cheque in his hand, signed, for the Full Amount, right there and then (unprecedented). Please !

Glad to see that worked out.

As I mentioned above: the list which I am linking to is the official Norwegian list (where the hotel rate limits might be exceeded if it is impossible to get hotels at that rate during the period in question), not the USG.

I would be very surprised if it would be impossible to find an acceptable hotel in DC for less than USD 569 including tax. Checking a random date next month (12/10/17), the only SPG-properties above this would be the St. Regis and Westin Georgetown. All other DC properties (W, Westin City Center, Fairfax, Four Points) as well as the Arlington/ Alexandria/ National Harbor locations appear to be within the set limit. (And the NYC limit is higher for hotels).

Just clarifying, the USD $569 figure is from the Norwegian list?

I think that Often1 was cautioning against getting stuck with the USG/GSA rates for hotels. The GSA rate hasn't actually been published for October yet, but for September it is $226 (including 14.5% tax). If one is not eligible for a government rate, finding something under that rate in an area that is convenient to conducting business can really be a challenge.

Yes, the GSA rates are almost impossible to match for non-gov travelers. One minor note for those that wish to use the hotel/per diem tables: CONUS (lower 48) hotel rates DO NOT include taxes, hotel rates everywhere else DO include taxes.

Ridiculous things your company has done to reduce travel expenses
 

Almost forgot one of my company's - any travel outside of your normal 0800-1700 workday is on your own time. The company books you a red-eye because it's cheaper? Better plan on coming straight to work the next day or you have to use your personal leave. Only objectionable policy we have, so far

I would never work for such an employer.

Just forces you to manage your own travel to avoid those situations. The company is great, but like everyone else's they implement weird policies that you have to work around

There's always some at a Mexican place here in town under that price. We don't get their ad flyer so we simply stop in when we are going past it anyway. In the winter months is unusual for her to come away empty-handed. (It's not unusual for her not to buy anything in the summer because there's little she wants then. We have a bunch of fruit trees, most of her summer fruit comes off them.)

There's another place that's equally good but it's now too far out of our way, we rarely go there anymore.

They tried that at my last workplace for people working late. A moderately strongly worded note & offer for the secretary/OM/personnel witch to join me for the next all-nighter nipped that in the bud.

Oh Boy!!!
 

Had to stop reading this thread cause my head was about to explode )-:

It still amazes me how STUPID corporations can be...

I used to try to work a full day, then travel to my client's site in the evening, and then work with the client the next day. I noticed that no one was patting me on the back for traveling at night, being exhausted the next day. So I stopped.

Now I travel during the day, arrive at my hotel in the early evening, and relax and go to bed at a normal time. My work or productivity has not suffered. It does mean that the emails and phone calls I got during my travel day, I have to attend to during the evening after I arrive at my hotel, but that's OK.

Contract restaurants.

[QUOTE=pinniped;19201589
Do you have an example of this? I'm mainly thinking of the per diem rate for everything except the hotel and transportation. So days of travel wouldn't affect things *too* much. I'm assuming assignments that are still in a hotel - not ones where the company is temporarily relocating you to an apartment/condo.[/QUOTE]

Per diem rate of $50/day is reasonable for 3-5 day trip. However at 21 days the total per diem is $1050; much higher cost than what a person will spend otherwise.

The person on a 3-5 day trip will likely be eating out for most meals and not able to store food at the hotel or client location.

The person in the same location for 21 days will evetnually make their way to a convenience store or grocery store where they can stock up on room temperature consumables, which reduces their meal cost for the entire trip.