Paying for meals if working away?

monkeychops

getmore4less wrote: »

Stop looking for cheap hotels and build up a list of those that will cooperate with creative billing.
Some do packaged DB&B rates.

Join all the loyalty schemes there are benefits that can compensate for the lack of expenses

Quidco and topcashback with squeeze a few % with some purchases

Claim tax relief on the costs not done as expenses.

He gets to chose which jobs he takes so look for those that have the best ability to cream a bit.

How are the transport cost paid, hopefully at a decent mileage rate.

Yes I think he will have to start looking at better hotels.


No, the mileage rates are pathetic too, much lower than any other company he has worked for.

rach_k wrote: »

If it's unusual in his industry for meals not to be paid for but still legal, why is he bothering to look for cheap hotels if they'll pay for that? He may as well be comfortable if they're going to make him find his own food (and he might get more free biscuits in a more expensive hotel!).

He has looked for cheap hotels because he is not the sort of person to take advantage of them. I do think in future though he should look at dearer ones although I think he needs to check that they don't have a maximum for hotel expenses too which if they do will probably be fairly low!

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

He is self employed - they pay him for the work and then can choose what else to put in the contract. Your OH then takes the job (or not) based on those terms.

That's the harsh reality.

Not really as simple as you try to make it. They tell him what job(s) they have for him. He could turn them down but then he wouldn't get any money at all. He doesn't get a choice between say working in London or working in Edinburgh.


As I said, all other companies he has worked for have given a meal allowance and I was just trying to see if that is fairly common practice

Takeaway_Addict

monkeychops wrote: »

He has said to them that a meal at home is cheaper than a meal out but doesn't really want to push too much as he has only recently started working for them. When he worked for other companies and they did pay for an evening meal he never took advantage and only ever had reasonable priced meals. I think the other companies gave an allowance of so much and he usually didn't even spend up to the limit.




He did find a hotel last week that just added the evening meal to the whole price but no all hotels will do that. Also he tries to find cheap hotels or B&B's so they don't all do evening meal. You would think what he is probably saving them on hotel prices they could give for a meal!





There was no negotiation. The company provide bathrooms and have sub contracted fitters to fit them. The hourly rates etc are all set.


He is not choosing to work away from home but a lot of their work is all over the country. This is not unusual as he has worked for a couple of other companies in the past and they never have many contractors so the few they have travel all over. The other companies though have always given an allowance for an evening meal.


Also the others usually had an account with a supplier such a Wickes, B&Q etc so that any materials needed could be bought on it. This company doesn't so OH has to buy anything needed. The last job he was on he paid out over £300 on materials, £250 on hotel, over £100 on fuel and evening meal on top of that. As I said, he tried to go to McDonalds, or a chippie (anywhere cheap). All these cheap meals are not going to be good for his health or his weight! He then has to wait 2 to 3 weeks to be paid.

He is choosing to work away at the end of the day, he is self employed. He could choose not to but then he might not get any work....it's still a choice.

If he is to carry on being self employed he needs to start networking around the local area if he wants to stay closer to home.

getmore4less

Hotels don't have to be silly expensive but if there is regular work in the same area(even weeks apart) developing a releationship with somewhere will pay off or being loyal to a brand.

B&B that deal with contractors must be used to being creative.

Another option is to look for places that allow takeaways.

We quite like the Holiday INN group, the holiday inn express are comfortable, reasonable rates, count toward rewards, do a breakfast and simple evening meal. The regular hotels often have pools and sauna.

Another group that is quite good is accor, (Ibis,Mecure,+ others).

Another thing it might be worth him looking out for the Wtherspoon student vouchers they will be about soon.

These give loads of discounts on beer and food and can be used by anyone.

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/students

last year a mixed grill and beer IIRC £5.99

I guess the searching for hotels is done on his own time as well so no point spending hours to save money for someone else.

Most premier inns have restaurants attached and can be prebooked as a meal package. I would investigate if they can provide a suitable invoice.

getmore4less

Can you travel, if he is going somewhere OK, there is a tourist opportunity for yourself while the OH works

dandelionclock30

At the end of the day he could sort himself out for a fiver per night so thats £20.00 per week. Also hes not eating at home so theres a saving there.
If your really struggling financially have you thought about getting him a kettle and then you can give him foods that have to be rehydrated like some camping meals and pot noodles.
Also places like Sainsburys and Asda have their own cafes which are quite reasonable.

monkeychops

getmore4less wrote: »

Can you travel, if he is going somewhere OK, there is a tourist opportunity for yourself while the OH works

Yes we are hoping to do this. We do have pets so would have to make arrangements for them but not too difficult. He was in Wales last week and I was going to go with him but we then realised the job was literally in the middle of nowhere and all the closest hotels were also almost in the middle of nowhere! No point in him staying miles away from job as it would cost more fuel plus somewhere like rural Wales could take a while to drive to job on the narrow winding roads. I don't drive so don't want to be stuck with nothing to do all day.

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

At the end of the day he could sort himself out for a fiver per night so thats £20.00 per week. Also hes not eating at home so theres a saving there.
If your really struggling financially have you thought about getting him a kettle and then you can give him foods that have to be rehydrated like some camping meals and pot noodles.
Also places like Sainsburys and Asda have their own cafes which are quite reasonable.

Not sure what he can eat for £5 a night! I guess McDonalds is about that price (not sure as never eat there) but he can't eat that every night and where he is staying may not be anywhere near a McDonalds or a supermarket etc. Also if a small supermarket they don't usually have a caf!.


I don't really see there is much saving by him not eating at home. We only spend about £30 a week on feed for the two of us.

Takeaway_Addict

If he is working away for days at a time and staying in hotels what is to stop him taking a small portable fridge to store produce over several days?

dandelionclock30

monkeychops wrote: »

Yes we are hoping to do this. We do have pets so would have to make arrangements for them but not too difficult. He was in Wales last week and I was going to go with him but we then realised the job was literally in the middle of nowhere and all the closest hotels were also almost in the middle of nowhere! No point in him staying miles away from job as it would cost more fuel plus somewhere like rural Wales could take a while to drive to job on the narrow winding roads. I don't drive so don't want to be stuck with nothing to do all day.





Not sure what he can eat for £5 a night! I guess McDonalds is about that price (not sure as never eat there) but he can't eat that every night and where he is staying may not be anywhere near a McDonalds or a supermarket etc. Also if a small supermarket they don't usually have a caf!.


I don't really see there is much saving by him not eating at home. We only spend about £30 a week on feed for the two of us.

Well if he is away all week you'll be saving £10-15 and most pubs will do something basic for a fiver or six quid. So in real terms it will only cost him about a fiver-ten pounds overall taking what you have saved into account.
I think your being a bit keen to tell you the truth.

jobbingmusician

I think you may need a bit of gentle hand-holding about tax, as there are some assumptions in this thread that you know about claiming the tax back.

If he DOES buy a meal out, he should retain the receipt and claim the tax back in his annual self-assessment. Similarly, if the company aren't paying the full tax free mileage allowance, he should be claiming that back as well.

If cashflow is a problem, have you considered asking the company for a float? He is effectively giving them an interest free loan every month, after all!

In his position, I'd be packing something like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/VonShef-Electric-Compact-Portable-Camping/dp/B00F8H6D9M/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1405003156&sr=8-13&keywords=hotplate in my suitcase, and surviving on bread and soup, baked beans etc, with the occasional pizza......... (or takeaway salad from a supermarket).

monkeychops

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

Well if he is away all week you'll be saving £10-15 and most pubs will do something basic for a fiver or six quid. So in real terms it will only cost him about a fiver-ten pounds overall taking what you have saved into account.
I think your being a bit keen to tell you the truth.

I don't see how we will be saving £10-£15 a week with him away. He doesn't eat exactly half the food! I don't work so have lunch at home every day which he doesn't.


I can't think of any pubs near me that would do a meal and at least a soft drink for £5 and, as I said, if he is staying literally in the middle of nowhere he will be pretty restricted as to where he can eat.


I only asked if it were normal for a company to pay for an evening meal if working away from home so not sure what your comment of me "being a bit keen" is meant to mean!


It seems that no one can make any sort of post on this forum lately without someone being rude to them

jobbingmusician wrote: »

I think you may need a bit of gentle hand-holding about tax, as there are some assumptions in this thread that you know about claiming the tax back.

If he DOES buy a meal out, he should retain the receipt and claim the tax back in his annual self-assessment. Similarly, if the company aren't paying the full tax free mileage allowance, he should be claiming that back as well.

If cashflow is a problem, have you considered asking the company for a float? He is effectively giving them an interest free loan every month, after all!
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I do know he can claim back expenses such as meals and mileage but obviously we have to wait until next year for that. I just think the company are being a bit mean