I’ve just returned home from a week-long business trip. Now in addition to catching up with my personal tasks, I need to sort receipts and submit my expense report. Traveling for work does provide some opportunity for personal financial benefits, but there are drawbacks too. To take a look at the personal financial impact to me for this trip:

(1) FOOD – gain. The company paid to feed me for a week that I would have spent had I not been traveling. This saves me 1 week’s worth of food costs. (but I’m still paying to feed the rest of the family while I’m gone of course)

(2) CAR MILEAGE – gain. Not much mileage on this trip – just transport to the airport, but with the reimbursement set at over 50 cents per mile, our Honda Fit is doing her share to contribute!

(3) CAR GAS – break-even. I think our car got just as much use at home as it would have if I’d been here. [My commute is from the bedroom to my home office on a normal day.]

(4) UTILITIES – break-even, maybe a loss. Since the family was still here, we still had gas, electricity, and water usage. Maybe fewer flushes & baths, but on the other hand, I doubt they monitored the thermostat like I do. I did turn off the heat in my home office (separate system) while I was out. So for this one, I’ll have to check our bills when they arrive.

(5) CREDIT CARD POINTS – gain. The company pays the airfare directly and I didn’t have hotel costs (explanation to follow) so I didn’t spend a substantial amount. But the rental car, groceries, meals, and luggage fees were all paid with my card. And for the last time, it was my Ally Cashback credit card.

(6) AIRLINE POINTS – gain. I don’t travel as frequently as I did years ago so this isn’t a big benefit, but it does eventually add up. About every 2-3 years I redeem my airline points for some purchase. (I don’t want more travel.) Last time it was a men’s bike for DS5, worth $200+.

(7) MAKE-UP – loss. I don’t wear much make-up when working virtually, but when I’m on-site it’s a ‘full face’ every day. This cost is minor because I still tend to replace make-up before I use it up because it’s old.

(8) CLOTHES – loss. Dry cleaning: the clothes I wear at home are wash & wear, and while the blouses I wear for customer-facing engagements are laundered at home, the trousers and skirts are dry-clean only. I have them cleaned after about half a dozen uses, I’d estimate.

(9) RELATIONSHIPS – non-financial personal gain. This trip was to the city where my brother lives so I stayed with him. Getting a company-paid trip to see family is a plus for sure! I can’t count it as ‘savings’ because I wouldn’t have made the trip regardless – maybe it’s like one of those Mastercard commercials. “Priceless”. With agreement with my company, when I stay with my brother I expense groceries or a dinner out for him and his wife. Cheaper for the company than a hotel and a bonus for my brother. This trip I bought them about $200 of groceries. Good quality too – organic, wild-caught, etc. And, we got to watch our team win the national championship. More priceless.

I can see how business travel could be more lucrative for a person who lives alone. Then for the time on the road, you could eliminate some expense categories altogether!

Did I forget anything?