Motel Show Advice?

[Bennett]

It looks like this year I'll be moving from bush camp planting to all motel shows. Does anyone have any advice for living comfortably out of motels?

[Shwub]

We had a motel show in my rookie year. Try and fill the room with planters, we had four people sharing two beds, it helps cut costs. Groceries are a pain, we all bought stuff and tried to split costs and that was a pain. If i do another hotel / motel show, I'd buy my own food, just easier in the long run.

Best of luck!

[retrovertigo]

-If possible, I like to make larger meals that can be fridged/freezered and reheated for dinner over a shift. Example, cook a large lasagna on day off. Especially if your motel is right in town, it's easy to get lazy about cooking andl waste a lot of $$ eating out.
-I usually pick a tv-show that has a few seasons under it's belt and download the whole thing before, so I have something long to eat my way through over the course of a contract. Or stock up on movies.
-Turn your laptop or TV off an hour before you want to go to bed. Not sleeping in a tent means it can be easy to stay up way later than you normally would on a work night.
-I try to do my laundry on a work night, say while cooking dinner. Odds are most everyone else on the crew will wait for day off and it turns into a clusterfuck at the machines.

(will probably think of more and return; good luck!)

[Shwub]

I gotta agree about the bedtimes he mentioned. Our room some nights would be up till midnight, and its hard to go to bed with the tv on, and the 3 others in your room awake and talking.

One of the motels we stayed in only had a bar fridge, we couldn't freeze anything which was a pain. Just ended up cooking a lot of pasta in the microwave or on a hot plate for dinners.

[Scooter]

We had a motel show in my rookie year. Try and fill the room with planters, we had four people sharing two beds, it helps cut costs.

Doesn't your company cover the cost of the motel out of camp costs?

[Shwub]

When I did the motel shows, we never paid camp costs. With the cost of room and food, it came pretty close to the price of camp costs. We ended up just paying out of pocket and having nothing deducted.

[Bennett]

Thanks for the tips retrovertigo!

[Tupperfan]

Also, a slow-cooker can be quite nice...

[Casper]

Also, a slow-cooker can be quite nice...

Great idea !

[retrovertigo]

Slow cooker, good call!

Last year my roommates showed up with a slow cooker, blender, espresso machine and coffee grinder. I was living better than I do at home.

[Casper]

The blender could be use as a coffee grinder if you want. Battle tested.

[TheHamsterizer]

When I did the motel shows, we never paid camp costs. With the cost of room and food, it came pretty close to the price of camp costs. We ended up just paying out of pocket and having nothing deducted.

What company was this? What an obscene ripoff. 4 people in a room? I would have lost my mind. I can't believe people agreed to pay the full cost of the room, stick up for yourself next time!

[Brandini]

What many of the kitchenettes lack is ovens. You can bake just fine with a thrift store toaster oven, and it makes life much easier than 3 or 6 people trying to use a stove. Not all rooms have kitchenettes.

Also I've seen many people eating cereal for motel shows, you will burn that off on the drive. Boiled quick oats with honey, or granola will keep you going longer.

Unplug your tv, and cover it up. Do you seriously want to plant all day then spend what little free time you have zoned out watching spike tv? Unless the answer is yes, inthat case hit the bong and watch some family guy re-runs.

And hampsterizer. Apex will put 4 people in a single room with 2 beds, at 16 bucks camp costs, but not usually. And I'm certain they are not the only ones. I really wish there was an industry wide one bed one person rule. I guess this is the point where some mentions it's already a health and safety regulation?

[Rainman]

Apex will put 4 people in a single room with 2 beds, at 16 bucks camp costs

That is just plain wrong!

There is a standard. Every company I have ever worked for only put 1 person per bed. 2 guys to a motel room bed (4 per room) is just a cheapo move by a greedy company. I'm used to paying $10-15 a day for 2 planters per room (2 beds).

[Casper]

Apex will put 4 people in a single room with 2 beds, at 16 bucks camp costs

That is just plain wrong!

There is a standard. Every company I have ever worked for only put 1 person per bed. 2 guys to a motel room bed (4 per room) is just a cheapo move by a greedy company. I'm used to paying $10-15 a day for 2 planters per room (2 beds).

Well, it does happen that Apex put 2 people per bed. Happened in Chetwynd last year.