How to eat like a regional pilot

wheelsup

wheelsup

Well-Known Member
For all those who want to fly for a regional (and those who do) - this is how I pack for a 4-days' worth of food. It lasts pretty much the entire 4-days, without purchasing any additional food:
  • Loaf of Bread
  • Honey
  • Peanut Butter
  • Oatmeal Packets
  • Triscots
  • Salmon Packets
  • Granola Bars
  • Dried Pineapple
  • Wheat Thins
Keep in mind, two of the three hotels I'm staying at offer free breakfast, that's why I've limited my Oatmeal to only 4 packets. Total cost for all those items + averaged items that aren't used completely such as the honey: $16.50

Still wanna fly a shiny jet? Keep in mind, I don't actually HAVE to do this, I'm just a huge cheapskate and like to count per diem as $$ :).
 
Wow! You'd think that a professional pilot would be able to afford a steak everynight.. no sarcasm. What an underpaid group.
 
Holy #### it is true. I always thought my buddy at skyw was kidding about loading up at the hotel breakfast and sneaking water,apples,oranges,cookies off the plane to survive!
 
Try take out chinese buffets. Fill that box so full you cant close it and you got 2 meals for 5.70 :)
 
ajf005 said:
Try take out chinese buffets. Fill that box so full you cant close it and you got 2 meals for 5.70 :)
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$5.70 for two meals?!? Too expensive for me. Plus I never really liked cat or dog, either.
 
Kingairer said:
Whose not eatin steak?
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Those of us who haven't upgraded yet. Stop rubbing it in. :)

I had to wonder when I saw "salmon" on the list. That would last all of two minutes in the MEM heat, then it would get tossed overboard....
 
kellwolf said:
Those of us who haven't upgraded yet. Stop rubbing it in. :)

I had to wonder when I saw "salmon" on the list. That would last all of two minutes in the MEM heat, then it would get tossed overboard....
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Keep in mind those are non-refridgerated (sp?) packages of salmon. They only go bad if you open them and don't keep them cool (or eat them right away, which I do along with triscotts). Nothing in the "cooler" needs to be kept cool initially.
 
Man, actually wheelsup, that dosen't look too bad! And the price? Definitely right. Certainly more nourishing than the Ramen and Mac N Cheese I ate when sitting in the crash pad on reserve. Horrible, horrible times.

Still and all, do you not go out on any overnights? I can understand slamclicking places like SLP, AEX, and GRR, but what about BNA, SAV, and YYZ? Ya gotta go eat out then, right?
 
That is certainly a nice spread you got there. I have been taking Campbells soup and the Tuna kits recently. Along with the standard granola bars, trail mix and dried fruit.

I need to get a cooler thing so I can more creative!
 
CapnJim said:
Still and all, do you not go out on any overnights?
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While I do go out, I don't buy much food. If I'm feeling ambitious, I might get a salad or something to eat with the rest of the crew. There are some places I make a point to ALWAYS go out because they have incredible food, however.

You'd be surprised to what the savings add up to - that's why I started bringing the cooler instead of eating all the time. Just $10/day for a meal at night = $120/month, which is almost as much as my significant other and I spend on food for a month put together. Plus, if I go out, I feel bad because she's at home eating meals. Another thing I normally bring is soup, you can throw the can on the coffee warmer in the hotel room or the airplane and about 60 minutes later it's warm.

The reason I'm crazy about this stuff right now is because I dump almost all of my tax-free per diem into a roth IRA (which as you probably know is also tax-free). After running the numbers, it made more sense to put $333/month into the ROTH IRA (maximum yearly limit is $4000) and use the rest of my per diem to pay down my student loans, which are right around $13,500 right now (3.25% interest rate for life). I also save in the 401(k) fairly aggressively for a first year FO - putting about 15% away in that as well. I would like to save now so I don't have to worry so much when I turn 30, 40, 50, etc.

I was a CFI before this, that's how I learned to live so cheaply :).

Do everyone a favor and never eat Tuna except when you are locked tight in your hotel room.
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I agree - I can't stand tuna. One CA put it in their mac and cheese and I almost threw up...
 
CapnJim said:
Still and all, do you not go out on any overnights? I can understand slamclicking places like SLP, AEX, and GRR, but what about BNA, SAV, and YYZ? Ya gotta go eat out then, right?
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GRR? Really?? GRR is an awesome overnight! The Grand Rapids Brewing Company, lots of restaurants, two malls (with loads of beautiful girls ;)), and Oberon beer!! Dude, don't knock GRR, it's near the top of my list of good overnights.

I tried bringing my food once. It was such a pain. I hate sitting in hotel rooms, so not having food is my excuse to get up, walk around, and find something good to eat.
 
Kingairer said:
Do everyone a favor and never eat Tuna except when you are locked tight in your hotel room.
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Fo' sure! I feel bad about eating smelly food in front of folks. I had a Captain pull out stinky red beans and rice on morning. Yes, I said morning it was pretty much disgusting. I kept the air vent blowing his way :)
 
Bluto said:
Two more words:
poverty level

...and, um, a third word:
wages...
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Just my opinion, but toting around picnic baskets looks just as tacky as backpacks, raybans indoors, iPods, and frosted spikey hair. You get per diem for a reason. Heck, most of us can afford to miss a Kung Pow Kitty now and then.
 
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