Being on the road and saving money

First off you are not saving anything on the road unless that money goes in a safe or savings account. you are just spending less.......

I just made a meat loaf to put in my freezer. i put different cheeses, peppers, and things in it every time. not as cheap as ramen noodles but its real food. I will also cook boneless chicken breasts, or ham. i still stop for a real meal at my secret hide outs...... or just walk a mile from a truck stop to a decent priced meal. i dont cook in the truck. i try to cook stuff that i can eat cold. make up a big salad and use paper bowls and plastic ware. lots of ways to do it. oh and i put $ in a savings account!

 

Stay single, stay focused and stay safe.

 

Like the other drivers say, learn to shop for good food. Its a real shock getting kidney problems when you take care of yourself anyway. You would be surprised how all things are linked together in the truck driver's world. Eating right, staying away from lot lizards, substance abuse, keeping your temper, taking your time and not making snap decisions, avoiding dangerous areas (when possible, God knows they send us to enough of those anyhow). It will all save you some coin and improve your life all at once. Best wishes to you on finding land and a nice home

 

Put a budget together and stick to it. Make a commitment to save a minimum amount out of each paycheck. You could put a percentage or flat rate. Allow yourself a certain amount of money on which to eat and don't forget something for entertainment. You may want to take in a movie or do something fun every now and then. If you don't have a permanent residence you could save a lot of money. All it takes to save money is discipline. If you want to save $100/week, then make that commitment and stick with it. If you want to save $200/week or $25/week, then stay with that amount of money. Put that money in a place where it may not be as easily accessible as your running money. You can allow yourself a fixed amount to eat on the road. If you eat most of your meals in the truck you should be able to eat for $100/week or less. You don't have to skimp on your food, but try to stick with your budget. For instance, you could eat cereal for breakfast and have sandwich meat in the truck for another meal. You could then eat a regular meal out of the truck or eat another meal in the truck.

If you have a cell phone contract, you may want to not sign another contract and go with prepaid. I save about $50/month by going with prepaid. I was paying about $110/month under contract. I now pay $60/month with prepaid. My wife pays $50/month with prepaid. She was paying $70/month for a limited minute plan. She now has unlimited everything for less money.

Stay away from the video games in truck stops. You can watch TV or movies in many of the full service truck stops. You could also buy a TV for the truck for about $100-200. I don't have a TV in my truck. If I want to watch TV, then I find a truck stop that has a drivers lounge or find something on my computer.

One other thing that helps to save money. Get a composition book and write down everything you spend.....EVERYTHING! Even a pack of gum or soft drink purchase can add up. You don't need to completely deny yourself, but you might be surprised at how much money you can waste on the road. Most truck stops offer loyalty cards where you can receive points for fuel purchases. You could use those points to buy things such as a cup of coffee or soft drink. You could also make coffee in the truck. I bought an electric cup that I can warm soup or water for hot coffee or tea in the truck. I rarely use it, but it is available. I think that I bought it for $1 at Dollar General. You can buy soft drinks at a grocery and keep in the truck for much less than buying in a truck stop. You can easily spend $15/meal in a truck stop.

If you could only save $200/week, you could pay cash for your own place in a few years. If you put that money into an investment account or mutual funds, it could grow even faster.

 

Stay away from trk stops as much as possible,that's where most money is spent.They make a killing off us.Put at least $50.00 away each check and do not touch it.You make more,put more away.The money you do spend,put the change in a jar or coffee can.You'd be surprised how fast that adds up.

 

If possible, have money deducted from each paycheck that goes directly into a savings account of some kind. By "paying yourself first" you have one less temptation to spend that money on something instead of saving it. After a short time you won't even miss it in your paycheck, and you get to see your savings balance grow pretty much all by itself.

 

1) If you have an inverter and enough space in your truck, get a refrigerator, toaster oven, and a microwave. Many Walmart chains have grocery stores and trucker friendly parking. You can easily get by on $250/month on groceries if you budget correctly. Compare this to the $250 some drivers spend in a little over a week on truck stop food.

2) As another poster mentioned, get a no contract phone with unlimited minutes/data/text/etc. I have a straight talk smart phone in which I pay $45/month for unlimited everything. You can download a phone app in which you can tether the phone to your laptop and access the web through the data on your phone. This can save you $50 plus a month on wifi internet.

3) As another poster also mentioned, avoid purchases at truck stops at all costs. They specialize in separating truckers money from their wallet. If you must buy something at a truck stop, rack up as many points on your fuel card as possible so you can purchase truck stop items at a discount or for free.

4) Are you a driver who spend weeks at a time on the road before going home for a few days? If so, it may help if you can store your belongings at a friend/ family member's house and spend your home time living there. You can save a fortune on rent by taking this approach.

5) Keep track of your monthly expenses. By listing all of your expenses on a legal pad over a course of a month, it becomes easy to control what you spend your money on and stick to a budget.

In essence, you want to reduce your discretionary spending as much as possible. It doesn't hurt to splurge every now and then, just do it in moderation.

 

Don't take $20 cash advances if you're going to use truckstop ATM's!!!! Take at least a $100 or better yet, always get cash-back with debit card purchases like at Walmart. I see people spending $3.50 to get $20 and I shake my head in disbelief.

Get a real credit card, use it wisely, pay it off monthly, and TAKE CARE OF YOUR CREDIT at any and every cost. If you don't know why I'm saying this, believe me, some day you will understand.

 

^ Yes, the best way to get cash off your debit card is to make purchases at Walmart. You can get up to $100 cash back per purchase. I've gone through the line a few times if I need to get larger amounts of cash. No ATM fees.