keep being completely unable (or unwilling) to see what the guy is talking about...and me too, for that matter. not one single person has said to "rely" on per diem as income. you have some militant aversion to even thinking about per diem as money at all.

obviously you've never had a real job, like in an office. you get up in the morning, you go to work. you work all day. you go home. you spend the night in your house. any food you eat, any stuff you do, any things you pay for during the day and at night, is money out of your pocket that is not given back to you by your employer in any way, shape, or form. (let's not get into expense accounts, etc.)

whereas in our jobs, when we're gone to work, we do all those things, except we stay in hotels at night. we get per diem. it can be used to pay for food, etc. it doesn't have to be. it shouldn't be assumed to always be constant. if you can live without it, then it's like a savings plan...you're much better off. but to just militantly act like it doesn't exist...to ignore the guy's questions and intent...it's just silly. stop letting everything have to conform to your worldview.