Bringing more than 20 years of total experience to the freight hauling trades, Angela and Scott Griffen have turned their long-distance relationship with the road into a lucrative investment. The couple treks more than 5,000 miles weekly with their dog, Willow. Although they log upwards of 120 hours together on freight runs, they manage to enjoy the trips and save money doing it.
“Wheels aren’t turning, you ain’t earning. It’s true. We have a lot of miles to cover, so we want to make sure we’re trying to live a home life while on the road,” Angela Griffen reportedly said. “We want to retire young, so our money goes to the same bank account. “We drive more miles and all the money filters into one thing, so we don’t have to do it forever. We can retire much younger.”
The Griffens have been married for 13 years and are implementing a plan to maximize their earnings by cutting expenses. Angela explains that truckers can easily drop between $300 and $500 per week eating at restaurants if they’re not cautious.
“By the end of the month, that’s somebody’s mortgage payment,” Angela reportedly said. “We’re out here to save money and make big money to pay off our house.”
The Griffens are not trying to say that a trucking marriage is all roses. Like any couple, there are times they grate on each other’s nerves. But they both do their level best to put things in perspective.
“If it isn’t worth getting a divorce over, it isn’t worth arguing over,” Scott Griffen reportedly said.
That being said, the erratic cost of truck diesel currently runs the truckers upwards of $3,000 weekly. Between fuel expenses and inflation, more than a few truckers are looking for ways to cut costs and keep more of their hard-earned salary. These are ways to save a buck or two on the open road.
- Purchase insurance in a lump sum payment.
- Purchase healthy groceries and snacks at a big box outlet or discount chain.
- Set accounts on auto-pay that offer a discount.
- Use cruise control to avoid getting unnecessary tickets.
- Sign up for discount fuel cards.
- Meticulously record all work-related expenses.
It’s also important not to overestimate the savings truckers gain from tax-deductible per diem expenses. The total amount of per diem deductions accepted by the IRS only reduces your taxable income. The amount is not subtracted directly from taxes owed. That essentially means truckers save the percentage assigned to their tax bracket. It’s typically better to keep that money in your pocket.
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