Save a nickel on the job now, spend $500 later

摘要

Over the course of my career, I have worked for some truly cheap employers who redefined the word "thrifty." While I was traveling, one would pay only a flat $25 per diem (this was in the '80s) for my hotel room under the theory that I could get a double with one of the field guys at a fleabag local hotel. Cheap, but OK, fair enough. But then, he wouldn't reimburse me for any meals at all. He told me, "If you were at home, you'd be paying for your own meals there, so why should I pay you for eating on the road when you'd have to eat at your own expense if you weren't?"