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Post by KB on Nov 4, 2016 2:56:01 GMT
Ha .... so that 60 was supposed to have another 0 after it lol. I was all prepped to explain why 60 made no sense and he was like "ya. That's ridiculous." So hahahaha much ado about nothing. Thank you to the peas that have explained the company culture. When I wrote this morning, I had been up late working and up early working and didn't feel like explaining that every CEO I have ever had is well aware that when engineers walk out to get a snack or coffee, that is tons of money going with them. Not to mention if they go in a group. It is non-stop, high pressure and demanding. I LOVE IT! thank you all for reading and your thoughts!! Original post: Hi peas! This is in regards to a start up tech company. Typically the kitchen should be fully stocked with snacks, drinks and quick meals. At my last company, also a start up tech but in a later stage of investment, money was not an issue to keep the kitchen stocked. I typically spent $1500/week on all these items for an office of about 80. I work for an early stage now. There are 12 people in the office. All young (hungry) men and they work long hours. But my budget is only $60/week. I've researched some office delivery services as well as Costco, Amazon, et cetera. But I'm almost wondering if I could feed them more if I go to a brick and mortar? EDITED: Costco is a lot of the same thing for this small of a group, maybe I can talk them into $100/week but it still seems like it will get boring. Oh, and the snacks should be healthy, individually wrapped & each guy probably eats 4-5 a day. Help!  |
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Post by ~summer~ on Nov 4, 2016 3:05:35 GMT
Nuts
Cheese
Apples
Bananas
Yogurts
Trail mix
Kind bars
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Post by lucyg on Nov 4, 2016 3:08:46 GMT
That's just not reasonable. $60 divided by 12 guys equals $5 per week to feed each guy 4-5 snacks/meals per day. Buy a few nutritious snacks (or candy bars, I don't really care) and tell them to bring or buy their own meals. |
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Post by lucyg on Nov 4, 2016 3:10:04 GMT
Nuts Cheese Apples Bananas Yogurts Trail mix Kind bars $60 worth = all gone the first day |
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Nov 4, 2016 3:12:25 GMT
That's just not reasonable. $60 divided by 12 guys equals $5 per week to feed each guy 4-5 snacks/meals per day. Buy a few nutritious snacks (or candy bars, I don't really care) and tell them to bring or buy their own meals. Yeah, so... $1 a day, or 20 cents a snack. As far as I know, just about the only thing that fits that budget is Ramen. Lots and lots of ramen. |
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Post by cmpeter on Nov 4, 2016 3:12:41 GMT
Yeah, that's like .25 a snack if they eat 4 snacks per day.
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Deleted
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Jun 17, 2024 9:30:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 3:31:27 GMT
Sixty a week isn't going to go far.
Some cheaper things
Air popped pop corn
Homemade chex mix. Portioned into baggies
Homemade cupcakes
Home made trail mix
Bananas
Apples
Hard boiled eggs
A large bucket of plain yogurt with toppings
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Post by KB on Nov 4, 2016 3:50:35 GMT
THANK YOU! Maybe I just needed to throw it out there and see how silly that is! I tend to get stuck on "I can make this work!" When I really need to re-evaluate The company is very reasonable, I think what I'll do is a cost analysis and show how much money we actually need to spend. They are just a new start up and the culture of a tech start up is very different than something like a Fortune 500. It is very interesting and the reason I love working in this type of environment. Especially when they sell  |
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Post by KB on Nov 4, 2016 4:12:13 GMT
That's just not reasonable. $60 divided by 12 guys equals $5 per week to feed each guy 4-5 snacks/meals per day. Buy a few nutritious snacks (or candy bars, I don't really care) and tell them to bring or buy their own meals.It is interesting. You would think the part I marked in bold makes sense, I know I did. A tech start up isn't 9-5. The snacks aren't going to people that are too cheap/lazy to buy their own (I'm not saying that lucyg meant that  Our team needs the snacks and meal options because they will work 18-48 hours straight on a code. They are dedicated, passionate and unbelievably smart. I admit that the healthy choices part is me, I'm old and they all seem so young! |
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scrappinghappy
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Post by scrappinghappy on Nov 4, 2016 4:25:46 GMT
My ds is one of those guys and so is Dd's bf. Both boys could each eat $60 worth of meals and snacks a day and both are skinny but tall. Bf "might" eat the hard boiled eggs but neither would touch yogurt. They both like Asian stir fry, sandwiches, soup for meals, fruit or pretzels for snacks. They say their colleagues like pizza and soda lol. Soda is very expensive.
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Deleted
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Jun 17, 2024 9:30:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 4:39:26 GMT
Hi peas! This is in regards to a start up tech company. Typically the kitchen should be fully stocked with snacks, drinks and quick meals. Help! Keeping just myself stocked in snacks, drinks and quick meals cost almost that much. It is those quick meal things that really add up! I can't imagine trying to stock an office kitchen use by a dozen people for that amount. Snacks can be reasonable if you go for the cheap no brand cookies that people will only eat one or two at a time and coffee or tea bags. It is the more meal type of things or substantial snacks and drinks other than coffee or a powdered mix you have to mix up daily by the gallon that is going to bust the budget. You either need a more realistic budget or way lower expectations of what is provided for free and what the employees are expected to bring with them. |
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Post by anniefb on Nov 4, 2016 5:25:39 GMT
You either need a more realistic budget or way lower expectations of what is provided for free and what the employees are expected to bring with them. I agree. Maybe as a start up, the company just can't provide what is 'usual' at tech companies, at least at the moment. At my company (law firm) staff are provided with basic coffee and tea making facilities on each floor, plus we have access to the coffee machine on the meeting room floor. The 'snacks' we're provided with is a fresh fruit bowl for each floor (20-25 people) which is filled 3x per week. We also get a generous morning tea on Fridays (sandwiches, savouries, scones etc etc). A lot of larger law firms do a lot more - providing meals for people working late, better stocked staff rooms, kitchens and so on but that comes at a big cost. Our firm is smaller and that affects the 'perks' we get. |
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Deleted
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Jun 17, 2024 9:30:36 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2016 5:27:24 GMT
Giant buckets of iced tea is a good drink option.
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Post by gillyp on Nov 4, 2016 12:36:21 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours?
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Post by myboysnme on Nov 4, 2016 12:42:05 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? No company I have ever worked for provided anything like this. But I work in healthcare and unless we have an office party or people drop off holiday treats that's it.
Two companies I worked for not health care provided a gift at the holidays.
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Post by secondlife on Nov 4, 2016 12:43:40 GMT
For $60, I would go to Costco and get single serve packs of Cheezits and Pringles, granola bars, bananas, and almonds or pistachios. I would put half out on Monday and the rest out on Wednesday. Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? This is common in some regions and some industries, yes. Tech is one example. I've worked for numerous companies with a stocked breakroom. The idea is that if you keep people fed, they are happier and more productive during the workday. My husband is on a client site now and barely even has a water fountain, but his company's home office has granola bars, beef jerky, nuts, chips, and candy, and yogurt, cheese, and soda in the fridge. In the school and the library where I work, if someone puts treats in the workroom then we have goodies. Otherwise there's a Keurig and you put in .50 per cup and bring your own creamer. I love goodie days and bring goodies for the workroom regularly. |
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schizo319
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,030
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Post by schizo319 on Nov 4, 2016 12:44:17 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? That's NOT typical, but sometimes happens in organizations like the OP describes (48 hours straight of writing code?!?!).
Our office provides drinks/snacks, but they have to be paid for by employees, someone goes to Sam's or Costco and gets sodas, boxes of pop tarts, granola bars, chips, etc. and each item is priced between $.50 and $1.00 depending on the item. Often, there's a little $ leftover at the end of the month that gets donated to a local charity. Something like that might be more feasible for you KB.
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grinningcat
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Post by grinningcat on Nov 4, 2016 12:48:17 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? It's not typical at all, but in start ups especially tech ones, it's very common. The culture of those companies is very different from the stick in the butt cheapass companies that started years ago. It's a much nicer environment to work in. One company I know has beer in the office on Fridays. It's pretty cool. And it makes all other companies look positively Scroogely, outdated and out of touch. As for the OP's question, that's your soft drink budget. Not a food budget. I'd definitely go back and request a larger budget. Maybe present some costed out options to back up your request. |
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Post by mama2three on Nov 4, 2016 12:52:58 GMT
That's just not reasonable. $60 divided by 12 guys equals $5 per week to feed each guy 4-5 snacks/meals per day. Buy a few nutritious snacks (or candy bars, I don't really care) and tell them to bring or buy their own meals. Yeah, so... $1 a day, or 20 cents a snack. As far as I know, just about the only thing that fits that budget is Ramen. Lots and lots of ramen. Bananas are 19 cents each at Trader Joe's I've never worked in a place that provided meals or snacks. We have a vending machine, and coffee, but that's it. Everyone brings their own. I think you'd run into a problem with people having different likes and dislikes, healthy eaters vs junk food addicts, food allergies. It's hard to please everyone especially on a low budget unless someone is baking or cooking from scratch at home. But pre packaged products are expensive. |
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Post by jeremysgirl on Nov 4, 2016 12:54:22 GMT
I think this budget is just not realistic for what you hope to accomplish. I worked at a bank where they provided coffee, fresh fruit three times a week, and every Friday they alternated between donuts and bagels. Something like this might be doable for $60 per week. But 4-5 snacks a day just isn't feasible.
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Post by elaine on Nov 4, 2016 13:00:50 GMT
I would ask to start with a budget of $4 per person per day, or $20 per person per week for snacks and sodas. If by some miracle that ends up being too much, you can scale back. Since part of the goal is to keep morale high and support them while they are working long hours, I'd provide a mix of junk food and healthy. Sometimes, especially late night, it needs to be chocolate. A banana isn't going to cut it. They will appreciate a mix of foods more than healthy-only.  |
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Post by gillyp on Nov 4, 2016 13:02:38 GMT
Well you live and learn, don't you. I don't think there is anything like a stocked snack room over here but maybe there is depending on the industry.
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Post by mama2three on Nov 4, 2016 13:02:54 GMT
Hang on. Companies in the US provide food for their employees to snack on, free of charge, during their working hours? I do company audits that require me to visit a lot of sites. One huge company (had about 1500 people in this one location) had recently opened their new office. As part of their agreement with the town, they had to reduce the number of cars on the road each day. One of the ways they did this (in addition to encouraging use of public transit and ride shares) was to make their full service cafeteria completely free. It was a nice cafe that offered 2 hot meal choices a day, soups, sandwiches, big salad bar, breakfast cereals and a selection of fruit, snacks, yogurt and other options each day. When I questioned my contact at the company about it, she said it made a big difference in the number of employees driving off site for lunch each day, thereby reducing cars on the road, and also increased productivity as people took shorter lunches. IME, it's a rare perk but it does happen |
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Post by aleighl55 on Nov 4, 2016 13:55:31 GMT
$60 just isn't going to stretch that far. I think you can get granola bars at Costco for that amount and maybe some fruit.
I changed jobs in February and one of the perks of this company is that, in the corporate office, where I am, they have a cook who makes breakfast and lunch and a dessert 4 days a week. She posts a menu on Friday after she goes shopping for the next week. We also have a fridge stocked with drinks, cokes, orange juice, milk, water and a Kuereg with tons of coffee and tea choices. Then there's the snacks; fresh fruit, chips, crackers, nuts, candy, granola bars, and cookies. There's always leftovers in the fridge plus stuff to make sandwiches and the company usually pays for us to get lunch on Fridays.
We have a suggestion box that may benefit you. Ours is mostly for breakfast and lunch ideas or wants but you could put one out for snacks. That way you know what your employees want and don't waste money on foods that they won't eat.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Nov 4, 2016 13:59:37 GMT
Funny how different people's experiences are around here. I have never worked at a company that did not have a fully stocked break room - and that includes small companies and a Fortune 100 company. For most of my working career, they also paid for dinner (max $25) although I don't work those kinds of hours anymore. It was all about maximizing the number of hours you could productively stay in the office and work. My husband's experience is similar.
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used2scrap
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,036
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Post by used2scrap on Nov 4, 2016 14:14:23 GMT
Perhaps cutting oranges in sections could help stretch, but that is not a realistic budget for what is expected. Trail mix you buy the components for and mix yourself would be my other suggestion.
But dang now I'm re-angry about the deployments H had to pay for his meals, lol.
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freebird
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Post by freebird on Nov 4, 2016 14:14:45 GMT
Unless they are also on foodstamps, I'd just get a healthy food vending machine and let them buy what they want. Use the $60/week on coffee (probably need it) and donuts 2-3 days a week.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Nov 4, 2016 14:16:28 GMT
I should add OP - I think it's great that you want to include healthy choices. But if it's the typical young start up crowd, you're going to need some junk in there to keep them happy.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Nov 4, 2016 14:32:02 GMT
yeah I don't think your budget is realistic, even if you only did snacks it would be hard, but toss in drinks and quick meal type things?>.. no way..
maybe make all of them pitch in $10-$15 a week. or make the items not be free, put a price on things and put out a honesty bucket and strongly encourage they be honest and pay(though the downside to this is that some wont pay),use the potential for better items as a reason for them to pay-even allow reasonable suggestions.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Nov 4, 2016 14:35:36 GMT
Why does the company need to
Provide snacks for everyone? I think that if they want snacks, they bring them. You can provide some on that budget, but probably not 4-5 snacks a day, which sounds unreasonable to me anyway.
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