Problem with taking Pack-up

Bogof_Babe

Make him up a "kitbag" with a packet of cream crackers or similar, a tube of squirty cheese, a tin of ham or cooked sandwich meat, a plastic picnic plate and beaker, a knife (not plastic, needs to be versatile) and a tin-opener. Also maybe some muesli-type snack bars or choccy in whatever form he likes it. Leave in his car permanently and replace items as used.

He can always buy some rolls and a small tub of marg/spread for less than £1 while he's out. The crackers are for if he really can't find a shop open late at night, or other emergency. He can also buy or make hot drinks, or buy a bottle or can. He can also buy fruit. Or there is always bound to be a chip shop somewhere en route!

Bogof_Babe

Forgot to say, put a teaspoon and a soup/desert spoon in the pack - he might fancy a pot noodle, cup-a-soup or tin of fruit for desert!

Lucie_2

Spendless wrote:

i didn't know he could possibly claim for his lunch the following day - that's something to be looked into -thanks.

I'm not allowed to claim for lunch if I'm out on work business, but I do get a £4 per night "other expenses" allowance which I do not have to provide receipts for. That usually covers the cost of a petrol station sandwich.

Spendless

I've mentioned this being able to claim for lunch to husband and he's said that there are things he's allowed to claim he just doesn't want to take the mickey...

It's not possible for me to work part-time in the evenings like i used to cos he's away- a loss of over £3,000 p.a but he doesn't want to claim a fiver for a sandwich.. MEN __AARRGGHH!!!!

I like BOGOFs idea of a kit - i'll be doing that.

elona

Spendless
try telling him that £5 twice a week for a sandwich comes to £520 in a year and if you add any other odds and ends it could be a lot more.

Obviously you know how best to put it and wether " gosh - it is good of you to give the company over £500 a year!" would go down well.

Ticklemouse

On the thoughts of soup etc, has anyone tried those in car heated mug thingies you plug into the ciggy lighter? You can pick them up for a few pounds in places like Matalan, so he could take either a flask of soup and reheat if it's too cool or keep tins in the car and use as necessary. Haven't got one myself so don't know if they're any good - maybe someone else can tell you if they are worth it?

Bogof_Babe

As for not claiming small expenses, I have worked for bosses who asked for receipts in the post office for one first class stamp, and claimed it back!

If it is a genuine expense then he should claim it. There is enough fiddling going on, which is probably costing companies thousands of £, and basic food while travelling on company business should certainly be reimbursed.

bramval

If you accept that the occasional throwing away of a sandwich is inevitable then the answer is to make the sandwiches as cheaply as possible. I make my own bread rolls, fill them with something tasty (tinned tuna/mackerel etc) as soon as they have cooled, and make up a couple of weeks' supply, wrap them in clingfilm and put them in the freezer.

He could then just pick one up on his way out (so convenient) and they are as fresh as when they were made, as well as being delicious because they are made from really fresh bread.

I tried costing it on one occasion and it came out something like this:-

Cost of flour - 69 pence (Morrisons own label is my favourite)
Yeast - Free just ask at the bakery section in Tesco or ASDA
Salt - Next to nothing
Fat - Next to Nothing
Water

So for about 80 pence max you will be able to make 20 rolls weighing 4 ounces each - 4pence per roll.

Tin of good Tuna costs about 60 pence and does 5 rolls = 12 pence each

Total cost therefore 16 pence per roll and you have a delicious and substantial sandwich (not the synthetic bread you buy in the supermarkets).

At that price you don't mind so much if one geth binned occasionally. For even greater convenience you could use a breadmaker for part of the process but I find making the bread by hand very enjoyable.

Lillibet_2

Ticklemouse wrote:

On the thoughts of soup etc, has anyone tried those in car heated mug thingies you plug into the ciggy lighter? You can pick them up for a few pounds in places like Matalan, so he could take either a flask of soup and reheat if it's too cool or keep tins in the car and use as necessary. Haven't got one myself so don't know if they're any good - maybe someone else can tell you if they are worth it?

We've got one, they're good for re-heating from warm to hot but not nearly powerful enough to heat up from cold.

Spendless

elona wrote:

Spendless
try telling him that £5 twice a week for a sandwich comes to £520 in a year and if you add any other odds and ends it could be a lot more.

Obviously you know how best to put it and wether " gosh - it is good of you to give the company over £500 a year!" would go down well.

That will be mentioned.lol - though probably not today as we have already had a *discussion* about him not turning his works mobile off when he has booked a couple of days off - and ends up having to do some work from home - in order to take to next weeks trip to Dover!!!!

Until then i'm going to do a combination of the things suggested on him like freezing some sandwiches and making up a *kit* to keep in his car.

Cheers

xx