on the road expenses

AT BEST . . . . figure average junk food combo meal is $9.00
eat three of those a day for 7 days and not only will you turn into a lard-can you'll be out around $185.00
Buffets are $9-$10 so . . . filter in about the same amount,with added down time during 14hr they cost quite abit more.

WalMart shopping for Trucking staples like
Underwood Chicken Spread
Crackers
Vienna Sausages (smoked)
SPAM singles (Gods gift to Truckers)
Ramen Noodles (in the cup $.28 ea) a good thermos with hot water gets you fed on the roll pretty good with these.
Fresh Fruit(always keep it bagged,loop the bag thru a hanger and let it swing in the closet,vibration on hard surfaces destroys it in no time)

The list is near endless but you get the "supplement" idea right?

 

Depends on how and what you eat. Hit the buffets in the truck stops and other rip offs and you will spend a couple hundred a week. Truck stops are for fuel and emergency repairs. Every thing else is over priced except for occasional sale item. their job is to separate you from as much as possible as quickly as possible. And you can wind up looking like Okra Winfrey in a hurry. I have a Seal a Meal vacuum packer and carry as much as I can of what I enjoy. Also pack a few apples, bananas , peaches or what ever fruit I like and find that is not from Chile and smells right. I will still grab a meal at a few places I have found that I know are really good and reasonably priced. If money is going to be tight you can grab 12 packs of Ramen noodles, soup, lunch meat and a loaf of bread. I have a second road atlas that I got at Wally World for $5 that lists all their places in US . If I need something I will sometimes pull in there and get what I need. Also like City Markets around CO. Kind of high, but good quality. Used to get free dry ice from them as well before I got refrig. If you get GPS system you can use it to find alternatives to truckstops. You will figure out what works well for you in time. Good luck.

 

Great idea Tater. Now I can get all that fruit off my pillow. Nothing like flopping down on a nice soft plum.

 

Even though I cant stand them I use the shelf Checkouts to "acquire"
an ample supply of bags,make sure you double bag anything you want to "swing" and double up on the wire hangers because the plastic ones fail.

 

Grunt, it really depends on how you eat. If you eat in truckstops, fast food joints, and cafes, you will need big bucks. Best to hit Wally-world and get the things you need. Bread, Peanut butter and jelly, lunch meat, crackers, cheese, fruit and some easy fix canned stuff. If you have a lunch box cooker or mickey-wave, you can eat lots of soup, stew, raviolli, beans, chili, or whatever. This time of year especially, you need to have some extra food and drink, in case you get snowed in and have to wait it out. You may not be at the truck stop while you're waiting.
Have a good sit down meal somewhere as a treat. But it will take you to the poor house if you do it everyday.

 

YAY!!!! SPAM. I thought me and my Weenie Dawgs were the only ones who liked it. Vienna Sausages in the Hot Sauce are my favorites, and Deviled Ham instead of the chicken spread. Another favorite is the Del Monte small cans of fruit ####tail, peaches or Pears in the light syrup. Also, if you find the links of summer sausage (you slice your own) or sliced pepperoni, and the packaged cubes of cheese at Wally-World, make great going down the road snacks to tie you over till the next stop. I also buy the big bags of Jolly Ranchers or the Big Life Savers and keep them in my over head bin above my seat. It keeps you from wanting to eat when you're bored, and actually helps keep me alert.