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Agreed.
At least in the Beforetimes when I'd pay the summer drinks bill I just got a lot more air miles points on my credit card, so it doesn't matter at all if people ordered more expensively.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 12:58 pmMy summer associate position is reimbursing us for meals during social events up to a certain limit ($50). Is it in poor taste to spend close to the total reimbursement amount for the meal, or would that not even show up as a blip on their radar?
Ha, one year I planned a summer event and a ton of people bailed last minute, so with the handful of people who showed we moseyed over to the whiskey bar and spent a disgusting amount per drink trying all the rare whiskeys in an attempt to use the budget I had for the event. It was great. In no other situation would I ever pay $250 for two fingers.elmar wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 3:46 pmAt least in the Beforetimes when I'd pay the summer drinks bill I just got a lot more air miles points on my credit card, so it doesn't matter at all if people ordered more expensively.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 12:58 pmMy summer associate position is reimbursing us for meals during social events up to a certain limit ($50). Is it in poor taste to spend close to the total reimbursement amount for the meal, or would that not even show up as a blip on their radar?
Actually, one year we had too much money left in the summer budget at the end of the program and got to have a particularly lavish dinner to blow it all, which a partner set up in a swank high-floor private restaurant because he wanted to go there. The partner had a firedrill, so he had to no show last minute, and it was a bunch of associates and summers ordering offensively expensive cocktails and steak to get rid of the cash. The partner legit sulked about it and brought it up resentfully two or three times the following year. Fantastic confluence of events. Spend your max.
My move one year was to get a bonus bottle of wine from this place near the office we took the summers to pretty routinely, and I'd enjoy the glass they'd pour me at the end of dinner, but take the rest home to have with another meal. Always the same one too, a real nice white, but too pricey for me on the reg. One of the summers got me a bottle as a thank you gift at the end of the program, which I thought was pretty clever and funny to be fair.lolwutpar wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 3:55 pmHa, one year I planned a summer event and a ton of people bailed last minute, so with the handful of people who showed we moseyed over to the whiskey bar and spent a disgusting amount per drink trying all the rare whiskeys in an attempt to use the budget I had for the event. It was great. In no other situation would I ever pay $250 for two fingers.elmar wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 3:46 pmAt least in the Beforetimes when I'd pay the summer drinks bill I just got a lot more air miles points on my credit card, so it doesn't matter at all if people ordered more expensively.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 12:58 pmMy summer associate position is reimbursing us for meals during social events up to a certain limit ($50). Is it in poor taste to spend close to the total reimbursement amount for the meal, or would that not even show up as a blip on their radar?
Actually, one year we had too much money left in the summer budget at the end of the program and got to have a particularly lavish dinner to blow it all, which a partner set up in a swank high-floor private restaurant because he wanted to go there. The partner had a firedrill, so he had to no show last minute, and it was a bunch of associates and summers ordering offensively expensive cocktails and steak to get rid of the cash. The partner legit sulked about it and brought it up resentfully two or three times the following year. Fantastic confluence of events. Spend your max.
When I was a summer some bros took me for a fast food lunch and it was glorious and gross.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 6:24 pmMy favorite (possibly apocryphal) summer story was some partner got a handful of summers together and took them to McDonalds so they could spend the max per person amount on some ungodly number of McNuggets and hold a contest for who could eat the most in one sitting.
Best summer budget exploitation at our office is Wawa. It counts as a restaurant, so you can gather up a herd of summers, get everyone a hoagie, and then max out the budget by loading up on bags and bags of snacks to stash in the office.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 6:40 pmWhen I was a summer some bros took me for a fast food lunch and it was glorious and gross.Anonymous User wrote: ↑Thu May 27, 2021 6:24 pmMy favorite (possibly apocryphal) summer story was some partner got a handful of summers together and took them to McDonalds so they could spend the max per person amount on some ungodly number of McNuggets and hold a contest for who could eat the most in one sitting.
It wasn't Chipotle, but same feeling - "Double meat and guac will be an extra charge, is that okay?" "GIVE ME TRIPLE MEAT"
I'm 100% doing this but powerball tickets instead of snacks.bigchiefhoho wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 9:45 amBest summer budget exploitation at our office is Wawa. It counts as a restaurant, so you can gather up a herd of summers, get everyone a hoagie, and then max out the budget by loading up on bags and bags of snacks to stash in the office.
Not to be a buzz kill but I am pretty sure that would be fraud (i.e., you were given money for food, not to gamble). Or at the least, you might have to give any winnings to your firm. Pretty sure you were joking, but for anyone reading this that doesn't see it as a joke, don't do this.12YrsAnAssociate wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 1:56 pmI'm 100% doing this but powerball tickets instead of snacks.bigchiefhoho wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 9:45 amBest summer budget exploitation at our office is Wawa. It counts as a restaurant, so you can gather up a herd of summers, get everyone a hoagie, and then max out the budget by loading up on bags and bags of snacks to stash in the office.
Boss makes a dollar; my comp is fine, that's why I drink free booze on the company's dimeFedFan123 wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 2:41 pmI don’t know what’s sillier in this thread - the partner making millions acting like he can’t afford on his own to go to an over the top fancy restaurant or the associates making hundreds of thousands acting like they can’t afford snacks. Is everyone really this cheap? What’s the point of making all this money in exchange for having personal lives?
You Can't Win If You Don't PlayBosque wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 2:42 pmNot to be a buzz kill but I am pretty sure that would be fraud (i.e., you were given money for food, not to gamble). Or at the least, you might have to give any winnings to your firm. Pretty sure you were joking, but for anyone reading this that doesn't see it as a joke, don't do this.12YrsAnAssociate wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 1:56 pmI'm 100% doing this but powerball tickets instead of snacks.bigchiefhoho wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 9:45 amBest summer budget exploitation at our office is Wawa. It counts as a restaurant, so you can gather up a herd of summers, get everyone a hoagie, and then max out the budget by loading up on bags and bags of snacks to stash in the office.
Ha. Ya, I was messing around.Bosque wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 2:42 pmNot to be a buzz kill but I am pretty sure that would be fraud (i.e., you were given money for food, not to gamble). Or at the least, you might have to give any winnings to your firm. Pretty sure you were joking, but for anyone reading this that doesn't see it as a joke, don't do this.
I highly doubt there would be a criminal prosecution for $50, but if you are using the firm card to make purchases that are not what they say they are/for the business, it is likely fraud. For example, on a much larger scale at MoFo:12YrsAnAssociate wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 4:54 pmHa. Ya, I was messing around.Bosque wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 2:42 pmNot to be a buzz kill but I am pretty sure that would be fraud (i.e., you were given money for food, not to gamble). Or at the least, you might have to give any winnings to your firm. Pretty sure you were joking, but for anyone reading this that doesn't see it as a joke, don't do this.
I don't know if it's fraud, but without a doubt it would be bad for anyone that does this and gets caught.
OP Here, and yes we're given reimbursements for takeout or delivery since we're all remote.Bosque wrote: ↑Wed May 26, 2021 6:01 pmWait, they are reimbursing you for meals during social events, instead of just paying? Is this during remote social events? If its in person, I would expect a partner or associate to just put it on their corporate card, in which case I would follow their lead. If it's remote, they gave you a guideline for a reason, no one is going to care as long as you don't go above it consistently
Don't be the summer that orders a $200 glass of scotch at a happy hour, but otherwise I really wouldn't worry too much about it.
Lots of retailers don’t take card for lotto ticks (it’s illegal in most places), and in ones that do cc companies will often charge them as cash advances which are probably shut off on a firm card and at minimum would trigger a call or two…Bosque wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 2:42 pmNot to be a buzz kill but I am pretty sure that would be fraud (i.e., you were given money for food, not to gamble). Or at the least, you might have to give any winnings to your firm. Pretty sure you were joking, but for anyone reading this that doesn't see it as a joke, don't do this.12YrsAnAssociate wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 1:56 pmI'm 100% doing this but powerball tickets instead of snacks.bigchiefhoho wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 9:45 amBest summer budget exploitation at our office is Wawa. It counts as a restaurant, so you can gather up a herd of summers, get everyone a hoagie, and then max out the budget by loading up on bags and bags of snacks to stash in the office.
Free food tastes better.FedFan123 wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 2:41 pmI don’t know what’s sillier in this thread - the partner making millions acting like he can’t afford on his own to go to an over the top fancy restaurant or the associates making hundreds of thousands acting like they can’t afford snacks. Is everyone really this cheap? What’s the point of making all this money in exchange for having personal lives?