How much do your family vacations cost?

[bcrdukes]

Looking back at the dinner we had at the HK Jockey Club, it was cheap in comparison to the dai pai dong we went to

[sonick]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Looking back at the dinner we had at the HK Jockey Club, it was cheap in comparison to the dai pai dong we went to

Did u guys go to the rec room and play the race simulator there?

[bcrdukes]

Sadly, no.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

No offence to anyone who mentioned it before but all these jobs that have “unlimited time off” seem like they are all the same, you get “unlimited time off” but you can never take it or even use an amount a regular arrangement would provide you lol

I did find some places are more restrictive about it. Typically they don't care if you take a few days off, but needs explicit approval for anything more than 2 weeks, and not always granted either.

I didn't have a problem with taking time off since well, I didn't have to. It was always just a few days here and a few days there.

Originally Posted by PeanutButter

Wait, $175 CAD per meal per person? That's not typical though. That's like a nice dinner with your uncles and aunties right? HK isn't that crazy?

It's hobz, his idea of dai pai dong probably includes abalone and shark fin soup. He drives a Corolla, albeit the fanciest one. He'll go to dai pai dong, but the fanciest one

[Great68]

Yeah, stats are showing that on average employees actually take less time off overall in these sort of "unlimited vacation" workplaces.

It's a larger issue in the USA where there are typically no legislated minimum vacation, it's all dependent on what's stipulated in an individual's employment contract. And when an employment contract says "unlimited" or omits designated vacation, the ambiguity is open for abuse. Like say you get let go from a company you have to be paid out your unused PTO. Well, if your contract doesn't actually state the level of PTO days, then you're SOL on that payout. There's also social/moral pressure, ie "Well the boss doesn't take any days off, so I better not either" or "They say I can take time off but I'm worried they'll bring it up i'm taking too much my performance review"

In Canada we have legal minimums for vacation days, both federally and provincially. An employer MUST give you AT LEAST your minimums. So it's far less open for abuse here.

As I've become older and crustier with work and my vacations, like Honda, I supremely value my vacations, more than ever being paid out. They are supposed to be just that, no work. I used to answer calls, check emails etc. I do not do this anymore (My attitude seriously changed one day I was sitting up on the Whistler roundhouse patio after a morning of skiing, and I felt compelled to dial into a conference call because I had a big job going on at the time and it basically turned out to be a waste of two hours of my expensive skiing time, and it just totally put a chip on my shoulder). Nowadays My out of office reply goes up and says "I will not have access to phone service and emails while I am away, in emergency contact X". It's the company's job to accomodate my vacation with coverage, not the other way around.

My last camp trip over the summer my new boss was like "we could get you starlink!" and I'm like "How about no"

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

No offence to anyone who mentioned it before but all these jobs that have “unlimited time off” seem like they are all the same, you get “unlimited time off” but you can never take it or even use an amount a regular arrangement would provide you lol

I worked at two places that had unlimited time off and was able to pretty much take however much I wanted. At the first place I was able to take a paid month off after having been there for only a month for the birth of my kid. At the second I told them upfront I was planning to take 6 weeks off a year and it was no problem for them and that's what I ended up doing (they had a 4 week minimum as well plus a few bonus days) so I really took 7 weeks off.

I think unlimited only works if they have a minimum amount you're required to take and management actually lives it and takes time off.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

I did find some places are more restrictive about it. Typically they don't care if you take a few days off, but needs explicit approval for anything more than 2 weeks, and not always granted either.

I didn't have a problem with taking time off since well, I didn't have to. It was always just a few days here and a few days there.



It's hobz, his idea of dai pai dong probably includes abalone and shark fin soup. He drives a Corolla, albeit the fanciest one. He'll go to dai pai dong, but the fanciest one

In his defense, he went to a pretty shitty (worst) dai pai dong where he was

I wish he were exaggerating the costs. Hong Kong is a dangerous place for your wallet.

[Razor Ramon HG]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

No offence to anyone who mentioned it before but all these jobs that have “unlimited time off” seem like they are all the same, you get “unlimited time off” but you can never take it or even use an amount a regular arrangement would provide you lol

Probably differs from company to company. I've been at mine for five years and I've pretty much taken four weeks off minimum per year.

My manager started a few months prior to me, and he regularly takes 6-8 weeks off a year.

Makes it much easier for me to apply for that 8 weeks this year.

[Badhobz]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

It's hobz, his idea of dai pai dong probably includes abalone and shark fin soup. He drives a Corolla, albeit the fanciest one. He'll go to dai pai dong, but the fanciest one

I tried to go to the one at the end of temple street but the wife started throwing up in her mouth and gagging at the smell. I guess they put those porta potties right next to the restaurant so it stinks. The “chickens” right across from the restaurant also didn’t help cuz I was totally starring at them.

I wanted more “chicken” than dai pai dong.

[6793026]

Originally Posted by Badhobz

Ill just throw up some random meals receipts i took throughout my trip. Note these are pretty run of the mill places that my wife and her cousins eat at everyday

First of all, you're at chuen kee at Sai Kung and you order the epic meal special.
I live in sai kung and it's a famous tourist trap despite i go there almost daily when I'm back.

You can eat dim sum and get out of there economically but you got the 'pissing shrimp', clams and a few other seafood and a beer... so it's not a typical meal at 2 PM.

Good place for normal seafood with a decent place by the sea though

[Razor Ramon HG]

Man, those places are expensive as fuck and can't be in any way representative of what average HKers or average tourists eat, lol.

[TOS'd]

Originally Posted by Badhobz

20 bucks yo. 20!!!! for one...

Heres my $23 dim sum

Spoiler!

$23HKD ($4.00 CAD)

#feelspoorman

Did HK and Japan this year, AC economy for $860 multi-city per person.

[Badhobz]

Originally Posted by Razor Ramon HG

Man, those places are expensive as fuck and can't be in any way representative of what average HKers or average tourists eat, lol.

I must be doing it wrong then. I blame spy balloon and her baller ass cousins.

Not a single place we went to was affordable by my standards. Heck, the dessert place me and bcrdukes went to ended up costing 350hkd and all we got was some shaved ice (albeit delicious and well presented) but that’s like 60 bucks cad for shaved ice man.

I don’t even think it was in a good neighborhood.

[Razor Ramon HG]

Originally Posted by Badhobz

I must be doing it wrong then. I blame spy balloon and her baller ass cousins.

Not a single place we went to was affordable by my standards. Heck, the dessert place me and bcrdukes went to ended up costing 350hkd and all we got was some shaved ice (albeit delicious and well presented) but that’s like 60 bucks cad for shaved ice man.

I don’t even think it was in a good neighborhood.

https://www.ice-monster.com/

This is like the most famous chain of shaved ice in Taipei. Almost everything is under 200NTD ($10 CAD).

350HKD = 1400 NTD

Can't really compare TW vs. HK costs, but even then it's pretty fucked up, lol.

[Badhobz]

Originally Posted by Razor Ramon HG

https://www.ice-monster.com/

This is like the most famous chain of shaved ice in Taipei. Almost everything is under 200NTD ($10 CAD).

350HKD = 1400 NTD

Can't really compare TW vs. HK costs, but even then it's pretty fucked up, lol.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/WZf5uo3GXrLssk7R6?g_st=ic

We met up here. Honestly the prices are ridiculous
I got this durian shaved ice and the wife got that soup thingy. Dukes and his wife shared a mango shaved ice.

[TOS'd]

Thanks for the invite.

[bcrdukes]

Ice Monster is awesome!

This durian thing, my god.

Costs in Taiwan are still reasonable. Your dollar goes further, even at places like Ice Monster. The place we met up with Badhobz at for dessert in HK is actually quite "normal" for HK standards. Yes, there are cheaper places but you might get yelled at or share a table with strangers and have visits from unsavory bugs and rodents haha

Edit: Weren't we just around the corner from Time Square?

[Hondaracer]

HK sounds like a treat. As if it wasn’t a place I cared to ever go to to start with lol

[mikemhg]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Thailand =/= HK

Cathay had some smoking deals a few months back, sitting at $1,300 - $1,500 roundtrip. We were actually going to fly with them to HK > Thailand.

They were running a good sale around August/September for dates in Q3/Q4 of 2023 and Q1 of 2024.

We just sat on it too long and the sale was over. I regret it actually because I've never flown Cathay, they used to be a client of ours, and I've been wanting to try that damn beer they make that supposedly tastes better at elevation

You just need to be on top of it.

[mikemhg]

Get a job where you WFH, vacations become endless

I can't tell you how many times I'm running meetings and firing off emails from the balcony of some random Airbnb in a tropical land

Props to you guys with 6-8 week vacations, that's quite impressive, that must be based on tenure.

Nurses have it the fucking worse as someone else mentioned, I hate how my GF has to book vacation time a year ahead of time, it's a real pain in the ass for spontaneity.

[radeonboy]

Originally Posted by mikemhg

Cathay had some smoking deals a few months back, sitting at $1,300 - $1,500 roundtrip. We were actually going to fly with them to HK > Thailand.

They were running a good sale around August/September for dates in Q3/Q4 of 2023 and Q1 of 2024.

We just sat on it too long and the sale was over. I regret it actually because I've never flown Cathay, they used to be a client of ours, and I've been wanting to try that damn beer they make that supposedly tastes better at elevation

You just need to be on top of it.

My parents want me to visit them for CNY and Cathay tickets started at $2,500 for economy per person. I usually go one step up to Premium economy and those are $4,500. I really like the airline despite their recent cost-cutting measures but those prices are a bit hard to swallow.

Ended up finding tickets through Lufthansa - I get a 12-hour layover in Frankfurt out of it as well which is worth the extra leg for me. Not sure if I can make it to Stuttgart and back but it'd be nice to visit a museum while I'm there.

[Badhobz]

i hate to sound like some amex promoter, but that Aeroplan reserve card paid for itself and then some.

Due to me having to travel for work occasionally and our monthly spending, I easily hit Aeroplan 50k status this year. This gave me almost 80 e-upgrades to burn. Hong kong costs 17e upgrades per trip but I basically paid 3800 bucks for a business class fare (~9000 bucks for the fare).

Granted e upgrades are not always a guarantee, but the higher your status with Aeroplan the higher the chances. Before I was only getting cash back and I thought that was worth it, but this is SO SO SOoooo much better. On these 13h+ flights, you want to lay down and sleep. Being crammed into economy is brutal.

On the way back i literally slept for like 8h straight and because of that, i was able to head into work the next day. Otherwise, id be rightfully fucked up and jetlagged to all hell.

[Hondaracer]

Yea I’m in idiot I’ve been humming and hawing that aeroplan reserve card for almost a year now and in that time I would have easily spent enough on it to get all the reward points as well as status.. annoying

[Badhobz]

this jan will be my full calender year, but i truly believe it's a friggin fantastic card. They give you 80k with of aeroplan right off the hop which is enough for a round trip asia flight.

OH and i found out that if you previously held any amex cards (which im sure a lot of us did, because amex used to be the only card taken at COSTCO!!!!) then they backdate your "join date" to whenever you activated that previous amex card. This allows you to straight away ask them to lower the annual fee. They'll do it because of your loyalty

[HonestTea]

YVR-HKG is so expensive these days, I was able to use 70k pts to get me to HKG in biz (one-way) or else it'd be $4500-ish

If you got any questions regarding what credit card sign-ups are best, DM me and I'll try to help.