PAY / EXPENSES ON JOINING RAF REGIMENT

[gtansa]

My stepson is starting Raf Regiment basic training soon , and I wondered when his first pay day is likely to be , and how much in the interim he will need to live on ?

[gtansa]

Cheers Roki !

Been told by another recruit that his ATC unit recommend taking £100-200 , especially if you are a smoker . Apparently opportunities to have a few beers are very limited in the first few weeks - and most are so knackered they 'crash out' to bed quite quick !

[ofens]

I don't know about RAF Regiment, but when you start RM training you get the option of a cash advance (£200 I think) during the first week, to see you over until the first payday.
This may also be the case for RAF Regiment recruits.

Your best option is to call the Careers Office dealing with his application, and ask the person who is processing his application, I am sure they will know and if not they will be able to find out for you.
Best of luck for your stepson!

[Hyperlithe]

I can't see how anyone would need £200 spends in the first two weeks of training (except for the dirty tabbers...) - the only place you can go to spend it is the Spar, and all they sell is snacks and cleaning products...
Think I probably spent all of about £50, and most of that was on stamps for letters home, and bottles of water for drinking while doing block jobs.

[adamb]

Think I probably spent all of about £50, and most of that was on stamps for letters home, and bottles of water for drinking while doing block jobs.

Question, whats block jobs? thanks.

[Hyperlithe]

Adam, block jobs is cleaning your barrack block. Best way is to divvy it up so everyone has their own area of responsibility, hence block jobs.
I remember having to dry the showers, make sure they had no hint of having been used, and brasso the pipes under the sinks...
(Put the brasso on in the evening, take it off in the morning!)
Everyone does their own bedspace as well.

[adamb]

Ahh i see, sounds fun . Cheers .

[ofens]

Yep it was an option to have up to £200 advance when I was in week 1.
Of course you shouldn't be able to spend that much, it's just for those that have expenses at home (i.e. for those of us that don't live with parents).

One of the best block jobs I've done is putting baby oil on the metal hand and foot plates on doors (after they've been cleaned "normally") to make them look cleaner... utter bullsh/t.
Next thing you know, we'll be painting the grass green and the coal black...

[Hyperlithe]

Funny that never got mentioned to me, and I had a mortgage and all associated home-owner type bills to pay...


Oh well, I obviously managed without it!

[ryan123]

I go in on the 30th nov, i was thinking how much will ya need if ya dont smoke .

[Hyperlithe]

Blimey!
What were you buying??
I know the Spar's not the cheapest place in the world, but even so...

[Hyperlithe]

That can't have been on Basic Training?
We weren't allowed off base for at least the first three weeks!
Didn't have pay as you dine up there when I went through, food and accommodation was just taken straight out of your wages, such as they were...