How do you save money when on the road?

i just wanted to add to the list, (didnt read if this has been posted yet) even though i'm not OTR, one thing i would highly suggest is getting an electric griddle. you can plug them into an inverter and you can cook anything you can cook on a stove top with them. that along with a fridge, and a toaster oven you'll have a mini kitchen in your truck. no excuse not to buy shop at a grocery store and stock up.

 

As long as you can find parking to get to the grocery store or walmart.

 

As long as you stock up on things both dry goods and stuff that needs to be in the fridge, you can supplement as you go. I would keep and freeze leftovers for my hubby when he was on the road, and those would get him through his first week back out on the road. He kept things like cereal, some soups, etc in his truck as well.

It can be done, and as long as you can hit a wal-mart, you can definitely keep your road expenses down. You will still probablly want to hit a restaurant for a good meal now and then that does not have to be eaten in the truck!

 

If your going to eat out, get a meal that has the soup and salad bar with it. load up on the soup and salad get your belly good and full. now take the meal back to your truck and put it in the fridge for tomorrow, get 2 meals out of your night out.

 

If you want to save money, implement most of what has been told here. However, the one thing that trumps all of this, IMO, is that you and your wife make a budget, agree to it, and stick to it. Something actually written down on paper. It may take a few months before you get it right, but it will help you immensely. Especially if you actually stick to it, and use cash for your purchases. You tend to spend less when you use cash, as you see it going, and you see what you have left until the next payday. When you start budgeting, you actually start to see where your money is going. This helps to see areas where you may have been overspending.

 

Also maybe you can get your wife to make leftover containers for you. nice to have some homemade mac n cheese and a good hunk of meatloaf. have her freeze them, even a cheap fridge, they will take a couple days to thaw out. till you get a microwave, most of the truckstops have them for us to use, its just nicer to have your own.

 

You should not have to live like a pauper on the road. If you go to a fast-food place, there are some really good bargains. And you can get an ice chest or cooler/frig and fill it with healthy food - sushi, fruit, flavored water, nuts, raisins, all from Wal-Mart or any major grocery store.