How to eat like a regional pilot

Wheelsup,

Do they pay you every two weeks or 2X a month? I've been crunching some numbers (although it feels like it will be years before I ever get to a paid flying career) and looking at what the monthly expenses look like and cashflow, budgeting, etc...
 
killbilly said:
Wheelsup,

Do they pay you every two weeks or 2X a month? I've been crunching some numbers (although it feels like it will be years before I ever get to a paid flying career) and looking at what the monthly expenses look like and cashflow, budgeting, etc...
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Budget for min guarantee x hourly rate and you'll be OK. If you start assuming things, that's where people get into trouble.

That being said, I did 107 hours last month and 300 hours of per diem, as a first year FO. Other first year FO's have been on reserve since January...timing is everything.
 
I'm currently about 5 months into my first year at a regional and although my pay sucks, I am able to get by. Its tight but I'm able to do it. I tried bringing food along with me when I started but I lose things all the time so I decided to stop. Right now I"m usually getting about $400/mo per diem and thats more than enough for me. I bring snack bars and things like that in my bag but I'll spend money on dinner and a beer because I want to be able to enjoy my time here, especially if the whole 69 plane thing doesn't work out! Even though I'm poor I like to have a decent meal.
 
supertool said:
I tried bringing food along with me when I started but I lose things all the time so I decided to stop.
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so....let me get this straight, your excuse for not saving $4000 un-taxed dollars per year (around $5000 "taxed") is because you lose things???

You're gonna need that $$ if you become unemployed :) Then you might just lose your shirt!!!!!!!! :insane:
 
Ok, attached is my expense report, look at the IRS form and see how it's all broken down.

I'm going to pull it down shortly though just because I'm paranoid.
 
Doug Taylor said:
Ok, attached is my expense report, look at the IRS form and see how it's all broken down.

I'm going to pull it down shortly though just because I'm paranoid.
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wow you're quick - i didn't get a chance to look but I will be going to an aviation specific CPA next year most likely if my income is what I hope for it to be. I think getting good advice right from the start is worth the $200-$300 it will cost.

But making only ~$30k last year there's not much I could do to offset the taxes. I think my effective tax rate was somewhere around 5%...
 
Whoops! Here it is. Deidentified so who cares where it goes...
 
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