Oh

I just thought of something.

To go on this trip, I'm going to have to take time off work. (No, that isn't the part I hadn't thought of yet, silly...) I was planning to use two weeks of vacation time and request a four-week leave of absence. I'd be paid for the first two weeks, but I wouldn't get anything for the following four.

I think I can deal with that. There are certain bills that need to be paid whether I'm here or not, but there are others that will drop if I'm gone. I'll still have to make my car payments for the time I'm away. My car insurance, on the other hand, I may be able to suspend while I'm out of the country. I should be able to sublet my room while I'm gone, but I'll have to get a puppy-sitter. If I combine the two, I can probably get about half rent in exchange for s0me of the puppy-looking-after duties.

All in all, I can live without four weeks' pay. I think I can. It has just dawned on me, though, that I'll be sacrificing my bonus.

Where I work, we make a base salary plus bonuses. Our bonuses can account for roughly half of our income. They are paid out in two lump sums: one for the first half of the year and one for the second half. In order to qualify for bonus, the entire period must be worked. By taking a four-week leave, I won't qualify for bonus for the first half of the year.

Blink. There went a fifth of my annual income. (Apologies to those who read this earlier. I'm usually quite good at math. Honestly...)

And that's on top of the four unpaid weeks.

That's a lot of money.