Here's something I hope Obama will fix (okay, not really, but it would be nice):

mr. flea is a federal employee. He was sent on 2 trips for work this fall, to be fully paid for by work. He did not make the travel arrangements or have any choices about accommodations. He was required to get a special credit card and all the travel was charged to it (overseas plane, fairly nice hotels, meals, etc.) But then the bill comes to him, and he has to pay it, and THEN he gets reimbursed, by check, by the feds. Only one of his trips got audited because the assistant who fills out the paperwork was new and screwed up, so now we are floating large sums of our family money while we wait for the audit to clear it up.

Why not just have a proper corporate credit card like every other organization I have ever heard of?

But then the bill comes to him, and he has to pay it, and THEN he gets reimbursed, by check, by the feds.

This happens in out gov't departments too. And I have heard of lots of instances where the bills come due before the cheques arrive.

Is the Red Lobster chain kid friendly?

Maybe if we were out in the suburbs? I wouldn't go to one.

I am very cranky about this! Why give me a couple hours notice?! Why can't you plan?!?!? sheesh

My bank issues cards that the holders have to pay and then get reimbursed for. My brother had the same system at several banks. It's a PITA.

Lisa, you up for cooking lobster? That might be the easiest. That or a hotel or harbor resturant.

I worked for a bank for a bit and that's how it worked for me as well.

Lisa, you up for cooking lobster? That might be the easiest. That or a hotel or harbor resturant.

Yeah i'm not up for anything tonight except getting in my jammies and lounging on my chaise.

I could have thought of a good option if they'd let me know like a week ago. And prepared mentally for going out tonight instead of staying in and relaxing.

We can get advances of up to 75% of the expected travel costs at my workplace, if we're going overseas or for an extended period somewhere domestic. We have people traveling for months at a time, though, and having them cover that themselves would be pretty onerous.

Otherwise it's haul out your credit card and send in a check request. Luckily we're working off of government per diem rates, so I don't have to hold on to receipts for every Diet Coke I buy at the airport.

I kinda like the way our corporate credit card works. As long as you expense your items right away, the company will pay the charges to the cc company. You are only liable if you do not submit your expenses within 30 days - then you have to pay the cc company AND expense your items before 60 days. After 60 days, you have to write a letter explaining why you are so pathetic and chance not being reimbursed.

It encourages people to be much prompter with submitting their expense details and you don't have to hassle with reimbursements.

This was my actual point. This woman is calling in to a show where people are trying to get out of debt; where, in fact, many are being crushed by their debt and can barely pay their monthly bills. I'm sure the listeners have a lot of sympathy for a doctor with no school loans or other debt, whose house is on a 15 year-fixed mortgage that they apparently could pay off early if they wanted to.

Oh, of course, clearly that woman was ridiculous and should STFU on every level.

I could have thought of a good option if they'd let me know like a week ago. And prepared mentally for going out tonight instead of staying in and relaxing.

Yeah, that's annoying. Can you make them figure out dinner and then have them over for hot cocoa in your jammies or something? (Note: for me, short-notice guests would be way worse than short-notice restaurant suggestions, so I'm just throwing this out there as something that may be possible for other people.)