Visits

I'm not quite sure where this should go. It originally came to me reading about sillysnip's post (by the way congrats! and it's almost time!! ) so if it doesn't belong here feel free to move it or whatever lol.

I've noticed some of you guys visit like every few months or something for certain periods of time. I'm wondering how you do this financially and getting time off of work. The most we've done was twice in one year and that's when I didn't have a job and before I started college. Adam wants me to come back this November but I know I could never ask for the time off from work and if I did I knew they wouldn't give it too me and would probably fire me. Plus, he doesn't have the time off left and would be working (2am-10am).

I looked in my work book the other day and for 15 years of “service” you get 4 weeks off of work (paid). I’ve been working there since November 05' so I’m not even on my year one. I think for your year you get 2 days off. I think if I was working there longer I’d feel more like I was able to ask them for the time off but as I’ve only been there a short time I don’t feel like I have the right even though they wouldn't be paying me.

I’m sort of struggling with maybe changing jobs. I like everyone I work with, there’s no drama and everyone gets on very well. I need the money and next year I’m officially eligible for the $2000+ bonus we get in April. I wasn’t this year because I hadn’t worked there long enough but I could really use $2000 especially since he’d be coming in May. I just got a $.50 raise and I’ll get my year raise (which I think is $.55) in November, which I’m excited about.

Okay so back to my original questions…how do you financially do it? Also, how do you get the time off work or do you just quit?

Sorry for going on and on and on...
Ericka

First, I think you really need to study your employee handbook -- 2 days off for one year of service is ridiculous (even in the US!).  Are you sure you aren't looking at sick days or something? 

When DH and I were doing the long-distance thing, I was a teacher, so I had plenty of holidays built in.  We just arranged it so our visits would fall when I was on vacation.  Financially, it wasn't impossible....I don't think either of us ever bought more than two tickets per year.  I generally used my performance bonus money to buy my tickets, so it wasn't coming out of my paycheque.

I had 4 weeks paid holiday.  I believe DH had 25 days at the time.  We both usually tried to piggyback our visits with long holiday weekends, so that we'd have extra time together, without having to use more vacation days.  If we weren't able to arrange a visit, I would volunteer to work on the holiday because my company's vacation policy allowed me to choose between being paid overtime or being paid straight time and receiving an additional day off.  I always chose to receive an additional day off.  As far as affording it, I realise now how lucky we were.  I was in NY and he was in London.  It's easy to find cheap airfare between the two.

I got 3 weeks of vacation every year and it accrewed rather then the "use it or lose it" policies some companies have.  Since I never had money (social work salary) to go on vacations, I never used too much time off and had a lot saved up by the time I met my SO.  And fortunately, he has a really good job.  And he was kind enough to pay for me to visit him the first time and I saved and paid for the second trip.  And when I say save I mean I didn't go out on weekends, I didn't buy myself anything, etc.  He was my priority and my money went to the trip.

First, I think you really need to study your employee handbook -- 2 days off for one year of service is ridiculous (even in the US!).  Are you sure you aren't looking at sick days or something? 

Argh, sorry I misread it. I read something else. I just got it out and it says...

1 average week after 1 year of completed service
2 average weeks after 2 years of completed service
3 average weeks after 7 years of completed service
4 average weeks after 15 years of complete service

When DH and I were doing the long-distance thing, I was a teacher, so I had plenty of holidays built in.  We just arranged it so our visits would fall when I was on vacation.  Financially, it wasn't impossible....I don't think either of us ever bought more than two tickets per year.  I generally used my performance bonus money to buy my tickets, so it wasn't coming out of my paycheque.

We just need to prepare better I guess. Either way I still don't have a week off because I haven't worked there a year yet. I don't want to be paid if I'm not working ...i just feel like they've already done me this favor by letting me go this last time that I don't want to bother them for another.

Thanks for your response

I had 4 weeks paid holiday.  I believe DH had 25 days at the time.  We both usually tried to piggyback our visits with long holiday weekends, so that we'd have extra time together, without having to use more vacation days.  If we weren't able to arrange a visit, I would volunteer to work on the holiday because my company's vacation policy allowed me to choose between being paid overtime or being paid straight time and receiving an additional day off.  I always chose to receive an additional day off.  As far as affording it, I realise now how lucky we were.  I was in NY and he was in London.  It's easy to find cheap airfare between the two.

0o0o I wish I got 4 weeks off a year...even if it wasn't paid i'd be happy. It would make things easier on us if I had equal to what he has. I think he gets 20 days off a year that's excluding weekends of course.   Walmart won't let you do over time, I've checked into it. I'm not to sure why, I once was going to be worked 9 days streight (and later) and was told that I wasn't allowed to that it's against company policy or something. OMG i'd love to live in NY...such a shorter flight. My mom and her husband have talked about moving to the east coast but they are such so-cal people I doubt it would ever happen.

I got 3 weeks of vacation every year and it accrewed rather then the "use it or lose it" policies some companies have.  Since I never had money (social work salary) to go on vacations, I never used too much time off and had a lot saved up by the time I met my SO.  And fortunately, he has a really good job.  And he was kind enough to pay for me to visit him the first time and I saved and paid for the second trip.  And when I say save I mean I didn't go out on weekends, I didn't buy myself anything, etc.  He was my priority and my money went to the trip.

I'd die for that amount of time off. I don't make much money either as a cashier it's quite crap which is the reason for wanting to apply at the hospital doing entry data or something because I can type (they timed me when i was angry and it was 70wpm) otherwise it 60wpm. Of course my grammar and such on line when I'm on forums and such isn't great but when I need to do it I do it. Adam doesn't make great money either but we always seem to manage the visits and he pays for my tickets. I've yet to pay for one which is amazing and I'm very greatful for that because I could never save spending money and get tickets. He just informed me that he's thinking about switching jobs in his company to a driver or something and they make more than he does at this moment and they don't have crappy hours so that would be nice for him. When I saved that $1000 for my last trip I didn't do anything I got what I needed like food and gas and that was it...

omg im rambling...im sorry!

Another thing that helped us afford our trips--frequent flyer miles.  I have a credit card that I used almost exclusively that awards air miles for use on any airline and at any time.  We also both joined AA's, BA's, and VS's frequent flyer programmes. 

Another thing that helped us afford our trips--frequent flyer miles.  I have a credit card that I used almost exclusively that awards air miles for use on any airline and at any time.  We also both joined AA's, BA's, and VS's frequent flyer programmes. 

Ah god! I thought about getting on AA's frequent flyer miles but I don't have credit established. I've been trying for MONTHS to get a credit card but they keep sending me letters back saying "no sufficant credit line was established" or something. They want you to have credit to give you credit...so how the hell do you get credit when you first start out if no one will give you any? 

Also, I didn't know applying for more than one credit card goes against you and one night a few months ago (I think in Jan) I applied for like 5 online. It was late one night and I was reading online about getting credit so I tried and I failed lol.

You don't have to get AA's credit card in order to get their frequent flyer miles.  You can just sign up for the AAdvantage programme instantly online with no credit check:  https://www.aa.com/apps/AAdvantage/InstantEnrollment.jhtml?anchorEvent=false&referer=/apps/&_requestid=406642

You don't have to get AA's credit card in order to get their frequent flyer miles.  You can just sign up for the AAdvantage programme instantly online with no credit check:  https://www.aa.com/apps/AAdvantage/InstantEnrollment.jhtml?anchorEvent=false&referer=/apps/&_requestid=406642

o0o I think i've already done that...after I got back. The old flights I've gone on don't count on it until I go again. I remember now...sorry it's LATE.

I'll second the airmile thing. Virgin has a good programme - they let you swap miles (fewer than it would take to get an entire flight) for cheaper fares. It's called miles for money. Albeit you do have to accrue some mileage before it's useful, but if you fly a few times a year it adds up really quickly.

I took advantage of long weekends - it's easier to stay for a week if at least one day is a holiday. I also worked some overtime and so had time off in lieu. And then once I'd made the decision to move I quit my job and moved back in with my parents until I made the final move.... Getting the deposit back on my apartment funded one trip and selling my car funded my final trip....

Luckily for most of our long-distance relationship, my husband was a student so he would come over for summer and winter holiday breaks.  Then, I would go over in the spring.   After he started working, he still got a lot of vacation days, so he'd come over for three weeks twice a year and I'd go over for two weeks once a year. 

When we would visit each other one of us was still working, but there was time after or before we went to work.  Then, there was always the weekends.  No matter how little time we spent, its still better than NO time spent together.

I'm so glad I don't have to deal with that anymore as I know how horrible it is, especially when you are dealing with an uncooperative employer.  Are you thinking of marrying anytime soon?  Just asking....

We're both students with part time jobs, so it was easy to visit during the holidays, etc.  Last time he came to me while I was actually in school, but we juggled our time between my classes and our together time.  It worked out just fine, because that way we weren't together 24/7 during his visit.

I work as a teacher so i get great holidays, Chris has not visited the UK yet, mainly due to the military changing his ordersm, and then all our plans having to changed. Financially it is very hard, i will be going to see him for 2 weeks at the end of ter, . but he wil be working, but we will still get to see each other evenings and weekends. In january he will be deploying on ship for 6 months so we wont be able to see each other, unles she ports somewhere in Europe and i can get a cheep flight to see him for a couple of days.