$6 cheap processed crap food? Try two burgers at Burger King (Whopper Jrs.) for right around $3. Foot long dog at Interstate right around $3.50. Piece of pizza at Sabaros under $4. Who spends 6 bucks on airport food?

Thank you Captain America. Very intelligent.. Keep relying on your per diem as income...

LOL. You would think so according to his logic. He must live somewhere the grocerie stores and resturants give away free food. He probably also thinks that all his friends in other professions get to eat for free while airline pilots are the only ones forced to buy a meal while at work. All my doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, blue collar, you name it, friends have to pay for their meal while at work and they don't get per diem. I'm glad I don't live life with his logig & outlook.

Lol. Wow. You guys win. Per diem is income. I'm going to use it for budgeting. Good call. Now thats what i call Good financial management.

As opposed to your genius financial management skills where you unnecessarily fail to take advantage of the fact that you can come out way ahead on per diem and put it to use in other areas of your household budget.

I think you are confusing the issue here. No one is saying that per diem should replace income and that seems to be the conclusion that you assume we are jumping to. Per diem should never replace income but when per diem rates allow us to come out ahead than there is nothing wrong with that extra money being used for other purpose such as paying off student loans or an Xmas/Vacation fund.

I'm just trying to advise the original poster not to plan his budget counting on getting per diem.

Regional's per diem rates are about 50 cents per hour less than mainline, so at the end of the year that makes quite a big difference.

I can go a whole month spending 10 bucks for a few reasons. One of the reasons is I am cheap...just because it costs me $20 at a nice restaurant downtown does not mean it is a superior meal. The other reason is I like having food I want and when I want it because there are times its not acceptable for me to duty off at 0200 and find a meal.

My wife (amazing woman) will make many meals for me in advance such as lasagna or meatloaf or pasta or anything else that keeps well. It then goes into a vacuum sealed bag and gets frozen. I bring enough for lunch and dinner for a four day and every night put it in the hotel fridge or on ice. This allows me to have something that is relatively good for me and if the day is falling apart I can heat something up in ops on a turn instead of settling for MCd's or other airport junk or just skipping a meal all together.

Of course the vacuum sealer costs money as well as the food that is prepared but it is probably $30 for the month in prepared food. I usually spend less than $5 a week on food since I have my own and the rest goes in the bank.

I do not depend on per diem or count it as income but it is not spent on food and it goes into the bank.

As for going out on an overnight, I will on occasion. This is my job and my life is at home. I would much rather get to the hotel and take care of some things and then workout a bit and then there is only a few hours left before bed anyway since most overnights are short. I would much rather not go out and save the $30 on dinner and drinks and then put it towards going out with my wife and friends and family when I get home.

I did not take this job so others can think I am fun to hang out with on overnights by going out to dinner and a bar. If you want to have fun, go for a run with me and see some of the surrounding area.

Blood pressure and cholesterol 30 bucks a month.

Me personally, I try to save my per diem. I pack a lunch box and can eat out of that for 3 or 4 days, I started this due to health reasons mainly and I managed to lose a significant amount of weight by not eating at the airport. That said now if I feel like getting a cup of chili or something different, I will go ahead an pony up the money for it. I'll go out with the crew to dinner or buy a meal maybe once a trip on the overnight if we are staying someplace enjoyable.

I don't count on it as income but I will take any additional money I can get since I'm back on first year pay.

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.

This is dead on! Exactly how I think about it! (just wish the fiance could cook!)