5 ms·

I really like the culture deck, but surprisingly I find myself disagreeing most strongly with the expenses part, "travel as you would if it were your own money.

I really like the culture deck, but surprisingly I find myself disagreeing most strongly with the expenses part, "travel as you would if it were your own money." When I travel with my own money, I'm going to fly basic economy and stay in a Holiday Inn Express. But I would be pretty outraged if a billion-dollar tech company wanted me to do either of those things while traveling on its behalf. My current employer's approved hotel list is pretty ritzy, much nicer places than I would stay in on leisure travel... and that's kind of the least they can do to offset the general imposition of work travel.

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p1esk 5y ago
When I travel with my own money, I'm going to fly basic economy and stay in a Holiday Inn Express I don't know about you, but if my salary was $500k+ [1] I'd probably fly business class and stayed at the best hotels when I go on vacation. [1] https://www.levels.fyi/company/Netflix/salaries/Software-Engineer/ https://www.levels.fyi/company/Netflix/salaries/Software-Eng...
- closeparen 5y ago
  You'd be surprised. Right off the top you're paying 45% of that in taxes, and if you're saving less than 25% you're failing the marshmallow test in a world-historically spectacular way. FIRE is very popular with this crowd and most save a lot more. You would own a home; that would cost you 10-15% at least. A Netflix engineer who is pretty bad with money but not a totally self-destructing addict might do as much as $75-100k/year in discretionary spending. That's an insane amount of money! And against that figure business-class tickets ($10k) and fine hotels ($5k/night) are accessible. But significant. You are probably traveling several times a year, and not solo. Blink and you'll piss it all away.
  - p1esk 5y ago
    I just googled a week-long vacation in Paris in the first half of June: a non-stop business class round trip from LAX is $2,100 per person, and the most expensive hotel I found in the center of Paris is $1,500/night. So for me and my partner this vacation would cost ~$5k for plane tickets + ~$11k hotel + say a grand per day on shopping and dining. The total is $23k. That would be less than one month salary after taxes. Definitely not something I'd fret over.
    - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
      That is really cheap, definitely pandemic pricing. You usually can’t get biz class seats for just $2k round trip.
      - p1esk 5y ago
        I agree. But the point is - even if it was 30k or 35k, I would still do it without thinking twice about it. I’m perfectly content with spending one month salary on a vacation.
        _zdti 5y ago
        That’s more than my yearly salary was in 2017 (23k), just to put that in perspective.
        seanmcdirmid 5y ago
        If biz class is $10k and economy is $1k, I'm taking economy even though I make enough money to afford $10k. I just can't justify it. Same with a hotel at $500/night vs. $1500/night...The former I can justify (barely), but the latter just seems insane. If I was a multi-millionaire than things would be different, but normal people luxury is good enough for normal people like me. I've taken biz class before when it made sense (e.g. $1500 from Beijing to LA one way when economy cost $1000 for the same trip). I've also stayed in a $400/night pool villa in Bali (with a $900 round trip biz class ticket from Beijing via Hong Kong...but that was a steal, RIP Hong Kong Express Airlines), both worth it, both seemed really luxurious to me, I can't imagine doing more than that (though I guess with today's high inflation, it is inevitable that the $400 pool villa will cost $1000 soon).

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

p1esk 5y ago

When I travel with my own money, I'm going to fly basic economy and stay in a Holiday Inn Express I don't know about you, but if my salary was $500k+ [1] I'd probably fly business class and stayed at the best hotels when I go on vacation. [1] https://www.levels.fyi/company/Netflix/salaries/Software-Engineer/ https://www.levels.fyi/company/Netflix/salaries/Software-Eng...

closeparen 5y ago
You'd be surprised. Right off the top you're paying 45% of that in taxes, and if you're saving less than 25% you're failing the marshmallow test in a world-historically spectacular way. FIRE is very popular with this crowd and most save a lot more. You would own a home; that would cost you 10-15% at least. A Netflix engineer who is pretty bad with money but not a totally self-destructing addict might do as much as $75-100k/year in discretionary spending. That's an insane amount of money! And against that figure business-class tickets ($10k) and fine hotels ($5k/night) are accessible. But significant. You are probably traveling several times a year, and not solo. Blink and you'll piss it all away.
- p1esk 5y ago
  I just googled a week-long vacation in Paris in the first half of June: a non-stop business class round trip from LAX is $2,100 per person, and the most expensive hotel I found in the center of Paris is $1,500/night. So for me and my partner this vacation would cost ~$5k for plane tickets + ~$11k hotel + say a grand per day on shopping and dining. The total is $23k. That would be less than one month salary after taxes. Definitely not something I'd fret over.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    That is really cheap, definitely pandemic pricing. You usually can’t get biz class seats for just $2k round trip.
    - p1esk 5y ago
      I agree. But the point is - even if it was 30k or 35k, I would still do it without thinking twice about it. I’m perfectly content with spending one month salary on a vacation.
      - _zdti 5y ago
        That’s more than my yearly salary was in 2017 (23k), just to put that in perspective.
      - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
        If biz class is $10k and economy is $1k, I'm taking economy even though I make enough money to afford $10k. I just can't justify it. Same with a hotel at $500/night vs. $1500/night...The former I can justify (barely), but the latter just seems insane. If I was a multi-millionaire than things would be different, but normal people luxury is good enough for normal people like me. I've taken biz class before when it made sense (e.g. $1500 from Beijing to LA one way when economy cost $1000 for the same trip). I've also stayed in a $400/night pool villa in Bali (with a $900 round trip biz class ticket from Beijing via Hong Kong...but that was a steal, RIP Hong Kong Express Airlines), both worth it, both seemed really luxurious to me, I can't imagine doing more than that (though I guess with today's high inflation, it is inevitable that the $400 pool villa will cost $1000 soon).