Callback Food Expenses Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:27 pm

On a callback in DC. How much is reasonable for breakfast? Can we order room service even though the cheapest thing is $20? Firm just says "reasonable expenses". It's too late to ask the firm since callback is tomorrow.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 7:39 pm

I considered anything under $35 reasonable for breakfast/lunch in NYC. A little more for dinner. I did not push these limits for all meals but for some I believe it is fine. I would think DC would be similar.

shouldershoulders · Post by **shouldershoulders** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:38 pm

I think NALP guidelines are $25 for breakfast, $30 for lunch, ad $40 for dinner. I definitely ordered a $22 bowl of room service oatmeal this morning fwiw

2014 · Post by **2014** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:04 pm

If you order one thing off the room service menu of the hotel they put you in there is no way that is unreasonable, just go for it. They don't scrutinize these. Also just send the receipt in after you get a decision then you can't possibly worry about it mattering.

Cogburn87 · Post by **Cogburn87** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:08 pm

2014 wrote:They don't scrutinize these. Also just send the receipt in after you get a decision then you can't possibly worry about it mattering.

jbagelboy · Post by **jbagelboy** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:16 pm

wait are you serious you can expense food? what the fuck. why wouldn't CSO tell us this. I walked 15 min to a nearby deli this morning because I didn't want to pay $18 for eggs at the business hotel. tomorrow I'm expensing a nice ass breakfast.

also - if you can do food, can you do parking? I parked my rental car in a shady $5 lot because the hotel wanted $40 for valet. but if I could valet and expense...

shit man. shit.

nsideirish · Post by **nsideirish** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:18 pm

jbagelboy wrote:wait are you serious you can expense food? what the fuck. why wouldn't CSO tell us this. I walked 15 min to a nearby deli this morning because I didn't want to pay $18 for eggs at the business hotel. tomorrow I'm expensing a nice ass breakfast.

also - if you can do food, can you do parking? I parked my rental car in a shady $5 lot because the hotel wanted $40 for valet. but if I could valet and expense...

shit man. shit.

The firm should have sent you guidelines on what you can and can't get refunded for. Generally, parking, transportation (airfare, taxi, mileage if you drive), food, and hotels are included.

2014 · Post by **2014** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:20 pm

jbagelboy wrote:wait are you serious you can expense food? what the fuck. why wouldn't CSO tell us this. I walked 15 min to a nearby deli this morning because I didn't want to pay $18 for eggs at the business hotel. tomorrow I'm expensing a nice ass breakfast.

also - if you can do food, can you do parking? I parked my rental car in a shady $5 lot because the hotel wanted $40 for valet. but if I could valet and expense...

shit man. shit.

http://www.nalp.org/uploads/2014TravelExpenseForm.pdf

You can generally reimburse everything on there. Some firms will give you more guidance, some will give you less, but that form is safe. They will literally categorically approve basically anything within a huge margin of error. They are doing hundreds of these and the time it would take to kick it back to someone for spending 23 instead of 20 on breakfast because they ordered a latte instead of black coffee is pretty high. Way easier to just say yes.

jbagelboy · Post by **jbagelboy** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:28 pm

2014 wrote:
jbagelboy wrote:wait are you serious you can expense food? what the fuck. why wouldn't CSO tell us this. I walked 15 min to a nearby deli this morning because I didn't want to pay $18 for eggs at the business hotel. tomorrow I'm expensing a nice ass breakfast.

also - if you can do food, can you do parking? I parked my rental car in a shady $5 lot because the hotel wanted $40 for valet. but if I could valet and expense...

shit man. shit.
http://www.nalp.org/uploads/2014TravelExpenseForm.pdf

You can generally reimburse everything on there. Some firms will give you more guidance, some will give you less, but that form is safe. They will literally categorically approve basically anything within a huge margin of error. They are doing hundreds of these and the time it would take to kick it back to someone for spending 23 instead of 20 on breakfast because they ordered a latte instead of black coffee is pretty high. Way easier to just say yes.

Yup, I've been doing this wrong. I already felt bad about the hotel/flight/car/lunches. but now this will be fun

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:08 pm

Thoughts on including a beer?

2014 · Post by **2014** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:17 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Thoughts on including a beer?

They don't care, and if you think they care just submit the non-itemized.

monsterman · Post by **monsterman** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:32 pm

sorry to bump such an old thread...but I'm finally sending my receipts in, and a couple of my nyc dinners/bar outings are like 60-70 dollars. is this a ridiculous thing to try and get at least partial reimbursement for? FWIW i didn't choose a nyc firm

fats provolone · Post by **fats provolone** » Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:33 pm

just send it

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 9:06 am

monsterman wrote:sorry to bump such an old thread...but I'm finally sending my receipts in, and a couple of my nyc dinners/bar outings are like 60-70 dollars. is this a ridiculous thing to try and get at least partial reimbursement for? FWIW i didn't choose a nyc firm

I wouldn't think that bar outings are reasonable, but that is just me. Dinners sure, but not basically getting drinks on the firms dime.

pa1901 · Post by **pa1901** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 2:42 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
monsterman wrote:sorry to bump such an old thread...but I'm finally sending my receipts in, and a couple of my nyc dinners/bar outings are like 60-70 dollars. is this a ridiculous thing to try and get at least partial reimbursement for? FWIW i didn't choose a nyc firm
I wouldn't think that bar outings are reasonable, but that is just me. Dinners sure, but not basically getting drinks on the firms dime.

I agree. My interviews that required travel had sent me a sheet defining "reasonable food expenses" as something like $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch, and $45 for dinner. There were a couple of nights where I had a $60 dinner tab but like $15-20 of that was a couple of drinks. In those cases I just asked for the $45 limit back and crossed off the drinks from the itemized receipt. I did the same thing even if I wasn't really over the "reasonable" limit. I'm sure they wouldn't really check or care if you had one beer with dinner, but drinking on their tab felt like it was pushing it a little bit.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Oct 28, 2015 2:46 pm

it's a business in the hundreds of millions of dollars no one cares about your breakfast. just don't make the person reading it go, 'what the fuck?" i would spend time trying to save $ on my cb's, but in hindsight it was dumb. just don't buy a $10k samurai sword and expense it, and you'll be fine.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 1:26 am

I can't believe this is an actual thread.

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