Poor Regional FO
 

1st Year Pay is tough! I know I am the moron who signed up for this, but wow these paychecks are tiny. Not quite to Ramen levels yet but if the stock market keeps crapping on us we're definitely headed for that.

Note to Self: Spend less and get a 2nd job.

Note to self: If you like flying for a living, look at 135 jobs.

Avoid buying food on the road and pocket your per diem by packing food. Get yourself a good cooler and a couple ice packs. When possible put your whole cooler in the refrigerator overnight, that way the ice packs don't have to cool down the bag. After an 18 hour day (w/ commute) my bag would still be cold. I often went an entire month without spending money on the road (for food or fun). But I was a slam clicker.

If you don't like cooking buy one or two rotisserie chickens before your trip and cut them up. I also packed tortillas and shredded cheese and made mini soft taco wraps.

Make sure you do some searching come tax time. If your company pass you less per diem than the IRS standard daily rate for transportation workers, most of the difference is delectable.

Get a library card and pick up Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness". (If your local library doesn't have a copy ask abut an "inter-library loan".) Stick with the budget he'll show you how to make and it will be amazing how much money you have left over at the end of the month.

Good luck!

Just out of curiosity, what does the stock market have to do with your first year pay? Are you day trading? If so, you're an idiot. Secondly, cut your expenses. It's really that simple. Are you a smoker? Drinker? Go cold turkey. Get rid of cable and for God's sake, bring your own food and NEVER eat at the airport!

Good survival advice!

Just packing your food will save you $300-400/month.

It's a shame but this is the only way to keep your head above the water. If you like a drink every now and again take a pint with you, cost ten bucks, alot cheaper then sitting in a hotel bar.

Get a library card and pick up Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness". (If your local library doesn't have a copy ask abut an "inter-library loan".) Stick with the budget he'll show you how to make and it will be amazing how much money you have left over at the end of the month.

Good luck![/QUOTE]

Hell, call up his show and ask him directly. He might just give you the book for FREE!!! Finally, a post that is positive and provides an answer to a question, and not a "I told you so" response. Bravo!

We did Dave Ramsey's entire course-awesome stuff.

+10, 100, Hell.....1,000

Hell, call up his show and ask him directly. He might just give you the book for FREE!!! Finally, a post that is positive and provides an answer to a question, and not a "I told you so" response. Bravo![/QUOTE]

Amen, brother.

A professional pilot should not have to worry about money or eating. Unfortunatly, we do. The advice above is good.

Very good advice I try to listen to the show when I am home.

[Removed Political Content]

All in jest of course... the Ramsey course, books, and lifestyle are outstanding! (coming from a current "Step 5" user)

There is some great advice in this post. If you remake your life around your poor economic situation today, when you make more money in the future (upgrade, transition, change jobs) you will be able to save money like a champ. I struggled economically for three years in the right seat and upgraded last year. I have put four times as much money in savings since I have been in aviation than all of my combined working years prior (I am 43 years old, this is my third career and in my career before aviation, my last w2 was for 96,000 and I do not make nearly that much money now). I know things are tough now, this industry is like betting on horses, but I do believe things will get better. Keep your head up.

Try looking in the freezer aisle at your local supermarket. Banquet TV dinners are usually 10 for $10. Beats Raman Noodles.

Peanut butter, bread +bread holders (I have enough to hold a whole loaf).
"Goobers" (peanut butter & jelly) and bagels. Plus, I hard boil eggs and take them with me.
I don't spend any money on trips except for van tips. That's it. I slam/click. I explain to the rest of the crew that I'm not being anti-social I'm just not spending any money.

Plain baked potato and a small chili, both from the 99 cent menu at Wendy's. Protein and a carb for just over two bucks with tax. Ohhh, the memories!

Box of whole wheat pasta (Great Value brand) at WalMart=.94; Can of Hunt's Pasta Sauce=.84; boil the pasta in your microwave, add sauce. Yum.

Flywife, I love the avatar. I think I know where you can find that van.

Also you can save money by taking the extra toilet paper and tissues from the hotels!

Non rev on flights that have food or snacks...

Dump the girlfriend and find a MILF.

Preferrably a rich one...

Saving money on food is a good way to make it, but also look at the other crap you might spend money on

Gym memberships? Very important to stay healthy, but do you really need that foofoo gym with towel service and 30 types of cardio machines?

Cable TV? Showtime, Cinemax, HBO? Drop that and stick with basic cable

Cell phones? Drop the extra crap like unlimited text msgs

I became an airline pilot to travel and enjoy cities. To enjoy a city, I have to spend money. It must be a boring life spending all your layovers in your hotel room. The advice on this thread is horrible.

The advice is not horrible if you are talking about year 1 pay.

If any Captains are reading this thread - be a professional and buy a beer or a dinner for your new FO. Yeah, the economy sucks, but buying a drink or two goes a long way.

As a Captain, I can't tell you how many FOs I buy drinks for who say "Your the first Captain to buy in months......".

I became a pilot because I like to fly. I couldn't care less about the city.

A positive thread humming along nicely and you have to be critical. Pretty typical for you. Lot's of good advice here. Live within your means and try to maintain that when you upgrade. I did and I'm putting money away a nice amount every month. I manage to get out and really see the good cities we visit fairly inexpensively.

What a sad, but true, testiment to this "profession." This post is what should be read by all students at flight schools around this country. Especially at places like ERAU.

Well said. Financial responsibility is for losers. :rolleyes:

Yeah, because the sights to see in Moline, Greenville MS, charleston WV, et al are just so exciting! Look, there's a walmart across the street, that's a once in a lifetime experience!

part of what I do to save money every trip allows me to flexibility to be able to go out and enjoy the sights on the rare occasions that I A: have a decent layover city and B: have enough time to actually do something. Maybe you just have all these long layovers in awesome places, but for most of us we don't want to go see the one stoplight downtown in some two-bit city.

APC users thank you for your avatar. :D

Financial responsibility is not taking out a $100,000 loan to qualify yourself for a $20,000-$40,000 year job. It's not maxing out credit cards and living within your means. Spending per diem on the road is financially responsible. That is what it is there for. That said. I have taken some food from home for my first lunch on the road. I also usually take some sort of trail mix to eat as a snack when I'm flying. To me, taking four days worth of food just seems like a lot of work. I won't judge anymore. Some valid points have been made. When I worked at a regional on first year pay, I was single and living in an apartment with a roommate. My car was paid off. I had very little college loans. Almost all my money was spending money. Now I have a house. First year pay at a regional wouldn't even pay my mortgage.

Of course, it's only $1.80-ish an hr!

What he said. A rich one.

Who the hell has time to enjoy the city when your at some dump on the outskirts of BFE?

Stay away from hotel bars..rip off. Pack your own booze.

Pack food for three days and grab a cheap side salad on day four.

Grill 3-4 chicken breasts; chop em up and put em in small container. Boil 10 eggs and put em in a big ziploc; eat the yolks so your farts will stink. Brown rice in a small container. Hummus and carrots. Raisins and almonds. Pita bread. Lettuce/Spinach only last a day or two. Black beans in a container. Buy the Real Ice blocks from Target; stay frozen the longest. Buy your grocery at Wal Mart - i hate that place but its cheap.

Bring your running shoes, elastic bands, download some fitness apps on your smart phone (1.99).

First year pay SUCKS...ain't much better after that either. I know I'm on 7 year f/o pay and not by choice either.

Or...go back to school.

Good luck.

Are the expenses delectable or deductible? Same with the chicken? <grin>

I try to bring some food because sometimes you just can't eat right on the road. Def some trail mix, can of tuna, cans of V8, some whey protein. However, when I try to bring lots of leftovers, it is a pain in the butt to keep it cold and even if I do, it's just not appetizing to eat food that has been sitting in a bag like that. There's a lot to be said for fresh food. I allow myself to spend my full per diem but I end up spending about half of it on average. I find out where the cheaper places to get healthy food are and avoid most hotel restaurants (although, sometimes they have good deals) and on some overnights, getting food at the airport before heading to the hotel is the best option.

The part that sucks is just being patient to have discretionary income to do things that you like. Like actually use your standby travel to explore new places and buy things like a pair of hockey skates or the optional leather jacket. The countdown to second year pay continues....