We have our own truck, and my hubby is gone for 6-8 weeks at a time. Now the good news is that when he comes home its usually for two weeks....and I gotta say that I prefer that then only weekends.

With my hubby, anyway, when he comes home it takes at least a day to adjust for him. So if he came home every Friday night, Saturday would be recoop day, and that would leave only Sunday.

THis way we have lots of time to do all the things we want. And looking more forward to it now that I am at home, we will have much more tim together...

Dreaming of the day I go out on the road with him...Right now he is in Southern TX, said if I was with him today we would be going to South Padre Island for the day...I can't wait...

yea my bf also wants one day of his two days to just rest - luckily it's with me in our apt and I'll veg with him. The other day he either see's his family or friends. I feel bad because his mom reallllllly misses him and she doesn't get to see him as much as I do.
I plan next year to take a week off to ride with him (if he's solo) just to see how it is. I have NO vaca anymore this year so it will just have to wait.

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Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
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Hey crabby........have you ever thought of teaming with your bf? Or do you have kids?

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I HAVE thought about it but I'm a sucky driver to begin with and I just can't fathom driving a truck. Esp. the backing up part. And I get flustered and make stupid mistakes when I get lost and I'm worried the damage I could do in a truck LOL.

We don't have kids, we're not even engages yet but I was wondering - if we're both on a truck, how would we have time to buy a house and have kids, plan a wedding and all that. It almost seems that someone needs to be home to make the home and family.

Who knows - once I have an empty nest maybe I'd feel more confident about driving a truck....

__________________
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.

My BIL raised his eldest on the truck, his middle child until she was 3. His wife and the kids got off the truck when she got pregnant with the third baby. So, it can be done. (I would have gone crazy with an 8 yr. old, and a toddler on the truck, but it worked for them.)

As for planning a wedding, hubby and I did that with the laptop, and help from my sister-in-law.
We are now looking at homes to buy in Ohio, where my family lives, with the laptop, and help from my daughter.
We have a bid on one, now, and are just waiting to hear from the loan agent. (we took a week off for my grand-daughters first birthday, and looked at houses while there.)

These things can be done while you are on the truck....just takes some determination, a laptop, a cell phone, a little help from someone at home, and a whole LOT of creativity!!

Judi Kay

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Livin', Lovin',Laughin'...Makin' Friends, & Lovin' Life, Rollin' Down That Big Road!!! Redneck Women RULE!! Hell, YEAH!!!!

Wow how do you raise kids on the truck when they have to be in school? Unless you home school I guess which seems a huge responsibility to me.
I dunno - it seems overwhelming right now - and one other reason I forgot to mention is that we may kill eachother if we team.
LOL
I love my bf SO MUCH but he can be a bossy know-it-all with me and that starts the biggest fights!!!

__________________
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.

Just a thought but here is what my hubby and I dream about...

If we had met before I had children, of course...

I would have gone on the truck with him...no house, bills, etc

We could have banked all the money he made..(I don't want to drive, just be with him to see the country) After 5 years just imagine what you would have in the bank...Even two years! Witn no household bills to pay!

We imagine we would then build the house that we wanted and start our family! It is very doable! (spelling?)

Yup my hubby can get very grumpy sometimes, but just to be there to give him a hug when things get tough would be so nice!

Anyway just something to think about...also yes a laptop and a cell phone can plan a wedding! Or just say "hey baby lets go to Vegas!" tee hee

wow Snowbunny that actually sounds like a great idea. But is it doable on a beginner truckers salary?

I mean, if I did that we wouldn't have any rent, cable or electricity to pay.
But I would still have to pay the minimum on my credit card - I have an obscene amount of debt on one card. And my school loans are $178 a month and I pay $341 for the car loan and insurance. Plus the cell phone. So thats about $700 a month in expenses alone that I would be counting on him for if I stopped working.

That's pretty much half his income a month right now and it's not counting his car insurance and cell phone. Luckily that's all the bills he has!

We also have 2 cats that I don't think we could take on the road. I don't think my bf would stand for a litter box in such a small space and what if they got out, I'd die of guilt if I lost them? I don't have the heart to give them away, I do love them.

__________________
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.

K, think of it this way...

You won't need two cars...again you really need to focus on the fact that you would be building your nest egg...so cut as much as you can...So there is only one car insurance...and if his car is paid for, sell yours (remember when you decide to get off the truck you will be able to pick up another one...)

You will only need one cell phone with a good plan...you will also be able to IM your family and friends or e-mail if you have a small laptop or notebook....

Now...you can if you want get your CDL and run team...I however, have NO INTEREST in getting behind the wheel of that thing..its just me, I know my limits! Cuddos to you ladies who do! LOL

Ok so you have now cut your expenses by about 400, depending on how much your cell phone is now...could be more, but lets say 400 cause better to think of your expenses as higher than lower...

Now you are depending on him covering $300 (you said $700 was half his salary) so s is where we're at...

$1400/month less $300 for your expenses, and lets say $300 for him (I don't know how much his insurance and cell are) that leaves you $800. My husband spends about $40 every two weeks on food, supplies etc, so lets double it and say $160/month for you guys...that leaves you $640/month for savings....

$640 X 12months= $7680 a year...ours ould have been a five year plan...$38,400 in the bank...(plus interest!)

Now, thats on beginners salary...Pay will increase with experience...and remember we used high expenses so we have a realistic outlook....

The cats, can't help you there...but just something to think about....

PS Budgets are my speciallty!!!!

PSS there might be something you can do from the truck to make extra money...there was a lady posted a while back about doing work from home on the internet....can be done from truck too, keep you mind sharp! LOL

As to you thinking you can't drive the truck................THINK AGAIN! My instructors (men) said that women make the best students and drivers because we're more perfection driven and we don't try to reinvent everything.

They teach you to back and park. Honey I couldn't parallel park my mini van but I learned (after hard hard work) to parallel park this semi like a dream! I look for parallel spots just to park in them and gloat.

You CAN do anything you wish to in life. If you drive with him......as in teaming you get two salaries. You can cut down on your living expenses dramatically. And you get hometime. You can plan your wedding from anywhere AND well........anyway.......it might not be for you but it sure has been for me.

I don't think I'd raise kids on a truck but that's just me. But you don't have any kids yet. It's something to think about but please don't tell yourself you "can't" as in you're not good enough. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING.

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