Monthly Expenses While Driving.... Like Food

I challenge myself to see how long I can go and how little I can spend. I've done 10 days before coming out of hometime before I had to spend money on anything besides water, I go through a lot of water, don't even waste time with the little bottles only gallons and drink straight from them, I digress. A freezer is the key to really being able to stretch it out, if you have an inverter and preferably an apu then there are options out there. Will require money up front but if you're planning on doing this trucking gig for a while it will pay for itself in no time.

 

The government figures that we spend $58 per day and allows us to write it off without receipts. Because we do write it off if we are in the 30% tax bracket we are actually being paid by the government $17.40 per day to eat. That is $121.80 a week to eat on.

Showers are free in you take the time and get a rewards card. Most of us do. We still need money for soap and laundry, shaving supplies and other little things.

But our biggest expenses come from the fact that we love our wives so much. They are the entire reason we are out here. This job is difficult and to be separated from you tears at our very soul. There is only one way for us to stand the separation and that is to go online to Backpages at whatever city we are in and to find a place that is willing to except a small token for the chance to remember those we have left behind. We are able to forget the miles that are between us and can remember those climactic moments we shared with our wives and girlfriends or both. And that can be expensive. My advice is to love your husband and not look real hard at his receipts.

 

While in training my husband got $250/week. Cash was the only way for me to take care of him. Even on his training wages we did OK because I was working.

Once he went on his own and I was able to start stocking his truck his weekly cash dropped down to $150 a week. That seems to cover his eating and smokes. If it's a tight week, he gets a little less, excellent weeks he gets a bit more.

I keep his truck stocked with granola bars (he loves these), nuts in easy to eat from packets, peanut butter crackers, trail mix, a bag of cookies he likes, a case of water (to give him a change of pace from coffee), and about a half dozen apples when he leaves from home time.

At one time he did have a cooler in his truck and I would pack that up with a loaf of bread, PB & J, some lunch meat with cheese, pickles, spicy mustard, yogurt, cheese sticks, and a few types of fruit. It got to the point with him that he decided to take the cooler out because he wouldn't stop at a store to refill it while he was gone from home.

Now my rule of thumb for stocking is whatever will fit into one paper grocery bag. Anything more than that and he tells me I bought too much. My last trip to the store with two cases of water cost me $45.

The things that make me wince the most shopping for him is when I have to pick up disposable razors, laundry pods (easy to use and less prone to spilling accidents), adult wipes for cleaning up between showers (bigger than a baby wipe and you don't smell like a baby's bottom afterwards.) and deodorant. Why is men's deodorant twice as much as women's?!

As one poster mentioned, if you coupon, you can save on toiletries and detergent for him. If you coupon right, the stores will practically GIVE you razors, shampoo and soap!

Hope some of this info helps!

 

Make sure your husband stocks up on cases of his favorite drinks. Our truck has enough to last for weeks. Drinks can get very costly.

 

Since you said he is prone to forgetting to eat, another thing would be shakes. I can't think of what they are called anymore (bf got burned out on them lol) but they are like the Carnation Instant Breakfast things. He can get the nutrients that he needs but not have to eat a meal. When my bf first got his truck we stocked up on them and if he started to get hungry he'd just grab a shake and drink it while driving. We had tried them while with his trainer since they didn't take much space.