$$ on the road

I worked in Walmart for nine years, and there is no way a person can live on $50 per month and get enough nutrition. If you ate just two cans of Great Value pinto beans a day for protein, and one can per day of Great Value canned vegetables, you are still looking at $70 per month, and that does not include bottled water to drink or anything else. I believe you could eat reasonable healthy on $200 though.

 

Perhaps you had a typo in there? I know I'm one of the guys noting I spend about $50 per week on food by purchasing at Walmart. Typical shopping list for a weekly stop:

- Bag of sugar snap peas
- 2 bell peppers
- Bag of baby carrots
- 1-2 boxes of wheat thins
- 6 mixed cans of tuna, mackerel, chicken
- 1 lb cheese (got a thing recently for fresh mozerella)
- 5 apples
- 4 bananas
- 2 1 liter bottles of juice
- 1 loaf bread
- 2 cans lentil soup
- Cherry tomatos

Other items stocked in bulk and replaced as necessary:

- Rolled oats
- Chopped dried dates (I buy these at Winco in bulk foods section)
- Chopped almonds ( " " " )
- Energy bars ( " " " " )
- Wheat germ
- Honey
- Instant coffee

Since graduating training my purchases now include organic mixed greens, fresh basil, arugula (if they have it), Starbucks Double Shot, etc. I'm also buying 1-2 meals per week in restaurants, kind of an "atta boy" when I deliver a load. My total food bill at Walmart has increased to about $70 per week and I spend about $30 per week at the most for restaurant meals.

 

When I was OTR I spent $150-200/week for groceries. (You couldn't pay me enough to shop at Walmart- let alone even walk into one.)

 

Wow, klk, you shopping at Whole Paycheck?

 

Often, yes. Or Trader Joe's. I don't eat crap and don't shop at places (Walmart, e.g.) that pay their employees nothing, have lousy 'brand name' junk, etc., horrible customer service - and are most responsible for off-shoring jobs from the US.

 

Im OTR and I spend $0 - $0 / week for groceries. I grow my own fruits and vegetables inside the truck.

 

I spend $16 a month

That'll get me a case of beans vegetables and fruit
I get free ice water @ the truck stop

Eat once a day if I remember
Spending money on food is something I hate doing. Especially when I can make it way better.

Then again all of this is a tax write off so enjoy yourself and buy nice things rather than let the government have it.

 

I usually spend $30-50 a week at the grocery store. I also try to eat a couple of real meals a week. After 3 days of sandwiches, I feel like a prisoner in the truck.

 

You're gonna bring walmart down any day now. I was just in one the other day and all they were talking about was how they were feelin the hurt from you not being there. You enjoy spending double on the same exact products wal mart sells.

No offense to anyone here at all, you seem happy and healthy for the most part, but I couldn't do these kinds of diets half of you have mentioned. Saving money over the road for most people just means don't eat at restaurants every day. The guys that complain about OTR food expense are the guys eating prepared food 2 to 3 times a day. That's just as expensive as living at home.

I don't have OTR experience, but common says will tell you that your diet is going to consist of anything that doesn't require a stove top or oven. If you can get a microwave or a slow cooker, that's gonna open your options up. Butane stove might work. Oddly enough, I haven't seen one person in any of the threads I've read mention a george foreman (or something similar) grill. I think I might break mine out and bring it with me. Seems like a real easy way to cook meat in the truck, and they're pretty easy to clean (just wipe down, maybe spray it with water or something). Got one of those set it and forget it rotisseries too. Any comment on whether that could be safely used while moving?

 

Good for you standing up for your principles, but WalMart doesn't care and you're not hurting them whatsoever, but you are hurting yourself paying double for your food. Your call I guess. Personally I go where the best deals are, and could care less who pays who what.