"Money pits"?

prolly filters the window wash bucket water

 

You are kidding here, right? Four bucks a day for drinking water?

I can not prove this, as I don't have any links to back up this statement. But I have seen numerous studies showing that bottled water is no better for you than tap water.

So if you have potable water at home, fill a bunch of jugs and take with you. If you don't get home often enough, then just buy the 82 cents per gallon Walmart stuff.

Most of the electronic stuff, appliances etc. that I have seen for sale at truck stops are not only overpriced, they are often junk. I did make one good purchase though. I bought a AC/DC television from the Lodi Hook, that has lasted for many years.

 

HMMMMmmmm....

The only money wasters I've had so far are a couple of coolers (1 Coleman and 1 Snackmaster) that broke soon after buying. I have a Koolatron now and it's working well.

Things well worth the money- A warm blanket, something to cook in (the lunchbox ovens are popular but I have a 12v saucepan myself) a water filter (as Lavender mentioned; I have one too) a 12v inverter for charging phones, laptops, razors, etc (saves a lot of money not having to buy 12v charging cords for each item you need to keep charged) a bicycle (saves money on cab fares when you want to get away from the truck for awhile) and a boot scrubber to hook to your truck step to rub off mud and snow before getting in the truck.

Disclaimer: this is by no means a complete list, just what popped into my head.

 

yeah, I'm kidding. Talk about space eaters. Jugs of water to carry to your rig when your restocking your truck. No thanks driver. Not everyone shops at Wally World.

 

My CDL.

If I'd just stayed home and just taken the #### unemployment money, I'd still be elligable from a job I had 2 years ago. (they keep extending it)

I'm sure in that period of time I could have found a job that doesn't involve me sleeping in parking lots, paying way to much for fresh milk, and using a reward/points card to take a shower.

On the other hand,,, I did get to see 1/2 the country.

 

Get a milk crate or you can buy them at some department stores for putting your water in. NBC did a special a few years ago on bottled water and get this, NYC city water beat out every one of the "mountain" types of bottled stuff and also look at the price of it at 87% more than the cost of your tap water at home! Thats a money killer! I even fill my water jugs at the sinks in the truck stops that have them next to the coffee machines area and it's just fine to drink and I also carry a coffee maker so it gets boiled before it hits my lips! LOL

Actually CBs bought at the truck stops are fairly priced and it's better to buy from someplace that you can get a refund from and has more than one location.

Food: Only buy cooked food from the restaurant at truck stops and stay out of the "convienice store" as this is another money killer. Bring all of your food stuffs from home or yes Wal-Mart or grocery stores while on the road. But if you are looking for savings then get over your hatred for Wallys place and only buy food there as 90% of the food there actually comes and was made here in the good old USA!

As mentioned earlier, learn how to manage your money!
BUT, carrying a lot of "stuff" in your truck such as 3 weeks of clothing and a lot of "extras" will cost you a bundle if you get "canned" by your company and have to take a bus or airplane home. It's about $50 for each bag over the first one or just abandon all of it that you can't carry home. There is another waste of money having to replace all of that "stuff" or pay to transport it home. I did a post in the thread Packing list at this link post # 168 http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ivers/16652-packing-list-for-students-17.html that gives a good idea what you really need to carry with you. It's a complete list and carrying several weeks of clothing is not a good idea! Wash a little more often and if possible use a folding service found in a lot of laundry mats and claim it on your taxes. I even think there used to be one at the Petro at New Paris, OH exit 1 on I70 but I could have forgotten where it was as I've been gone for a while now and this stupid brain surgery a couple of weeks ago has caused a "little" memory loss!

Just hold onto that wallet and watch what you are buying!

 

Yup tapwater is cheaper and healthier for you than that bottled junk. One thing ive been taught and experienced is try to only drink tap water from your area. You body is used to the natural and chemical mix of your local tap water. If you go drinking tap water all over the country you could get sick, yes some people can handle it but some cant and will get sick to the stomach.

 

Not only that, but there are many areas where the tap water, while perfectly good for you, just plain tastes bad. Ever had a glass of tap water out of a motel room sink, anywhere in the Mojave Desert?

 

Bottled water IS tap water.

I spent a fortune during my training because my trainer had no cooler. Luckily he bought me dinner a couple times a week.

 

Things I bought and wish I didn't? There's a few. One sticks out the most however.

- Buffet Meals. Some were good and some not so good, all of them usually gave me 'issues'.
- Cigs from the C-store. A few times I was short cigs and needed them, so I paid the price at the counter. More than once I asked the clerk where the jar of vaseline was while I forked over some cash.

Now I'm real selective on what I spend my quid on. About the only thing I buy in the C-stores is Hot & Spicy pork rinds and fountain drinks. If I'm making a trip I'll make some groceries at the home and pack them in my small cooler. If a concubine is riding with, we'll stop & eat somewhere.

I once saw a guy buying about $300 worth of crap from the fish hook in Valdosta. T-shirts, DVD's, one of those big drink mugs that looks like a mini beer keg etc. As I was standing in line behind him, he mentioned it was cheaper to buy new t-shirts instead of doing laundry. I still don't see that logic!