VISA PROBLEMS: STAY OR GO? SPREADSHEET PROVIDED

[self-taught-mba]

I recently had to go back to America. I was contemplating staying here by using an agent to extend my Visa. However, an agent can be really expensive, and there are other costs involved, both in extending a stay in China or returning home. (If you stay you incur the delay cost of your flight, if you go back, maybe there other savings back home, Visa is cheaper etc.)

It was a quite complex decision.

At times like these I often put together a simple spreadsheet.

In this case, I used an expected value computation for an uncertainty (whether or not if I extended my stay in China I would have the opportunity to use a $800 travel voucher with an expiration date). If you don't know, you don't need it; can be blank. All cells can be modified unless they are shaded yellow which means they have a formula in them.

It was a little bit more complicated, but I removed things and this is just a simple, tool which may be of use to people.

Here it is: http://www.chinese-forums.com/files/stayorgo.xls

(thanks to Roddy for uploading it for me)

[wfujkramer]

I'm a CFA/CPA and even I think this is going a bit overboard.

[self-taught-mba]

even I think this is going a bit overboard.

LOL, well it helps me get organized to write things out and if I write them out, I prefer spreadsheets.

I'm still poor enough that I can't afford to lose $.

Btw, you should see what I do for real decisions. Decision Trees with a million nodes or so. (But that was when I was a landlord)

Someone out there is unorganized too and maybe they'll get a kick out of it.

[James3]

Thought the spreadsheet idea was interesting, so replying to make this post appear in the recent posts so people can get a chuckle from the spreadsheet.

[self-taught-mba]

Good to know that I write some of the classics here and even years of absence can never change that. :-)