How Much does it cost to live out of your truck?

Only expense would be food if you have all your other necessities.

$200/mo. will get you a fair supply of economic and nutritious food. Bulk oatmeal, rice beans, fresh fruit and root veggies. OscarMayer turkey lunch meat is cheap but does contain sodium nitrite. A whole roasted chicken can last at least 2 days for protein source. Convenience and processed garbage will run that budget up quick.

You'll turn into a feral animal if you don't get out and socialize. And a bad attitude can result in a career ending mistake. Lots of psychology in trucking that needs to be recognized and dealt with.

 

^^ Your avatar looks like Sadaam Hussein and Rosie O'donnel's love child! ^^

 

You can always tell the drivers who've been in the truck for too long.

they stand at the fuel desk at 0700 enamored by the little geriatric lady working there, completely oblivious to everyone else lined up waiting to get a receipt. If the desk wasn't there they'd dry hump the poor woman to death.

You can exist in a truck...wouldn't call it living though. Seen guys do it. $25/week and peanut butter and jelly for breakfast and dinner for months on end. Yum Yum. PB&J for sustenance and pocket pool for recreation. Walk by their truck and they sound like Golem, "Oh it's the precious. I am holding the precious."

 

as someone else stated... companies dont care if you do
what happens when the truck breaks down, hello... its a company truck, company pays for hotel room
i spent about 250 a month on groceries, not counting eating out about once or twice a week. 5lb bag of chicken breasts is what like $10, i would separate them in zip locks with some marinades and threw them in the fridge. uncle bens makes microwaveable tubs of rice for 99cents, can also get mashed potatoes for the same price. ham and cheese for lunch, or the premixed tuna thats sandwich ready, of course you can get them in the cans but I was lazy. i didnt really eat breakfast much, tho I carried oatmeal and cereal bars for when I was in the mood. lots of snacks of course lol, only bills I had were cell/internet and car insurance. pilot/fj were usually the stops I was required to make for fuel, so used points there to get coffee/pizza etc... didn't really leave the truck much, restroom and in the am to brushy my teeth and get coffee (you can save on that if ya like and get a coffee pot but for me was just easier to buy it at the stops) im a gamer lol so when I wasnt driving I was playing on my laptop in the truck, honestly the same thing as having an apartment except no bills lol. the first year i was out I took less than 30 days off, every few weeks i would just get a hotel room and just end up doing the same thing I would do in the truck, sit on my computer all day, so why not just stay out and make money while doing it. its not that hard, but everyones different

 

Food on the road...is the killer

prices are very high!

 

i never spend over $100/week
not counting coffee at the TS

have a microwave fridge george foreman
eat better then when my wife cooks


you just learn different things that work in the truck
some are more expensive then cooking from scratch at home
but not as much as lousy TS food

 

Funny stuff right there

 

I spend about $75 and $100, I have no fridge and no microwave. I stay out about 10 days then go home. I live off can foods ...lol

 

I spend about $80 per week for food, stocking up at Walmart or other grocery stores. I have a 12v cooler. For "cooking" I have a thermos bottle that I fill with hot water for free at any truck stop, making oatmeal or cous cous. If you want to microwave and don't have a high watt inverter, then go into the truck stop and use theirs for free.

Most of my diet features fresh salads and whole grain bagels or bread. I eat canned meats like mackerel or organic chicken. During drive time I have a couple of bananas, apples, and Clif bars (which I buy in bulk at Walmart for less than a dollar each).

I generally stay out on the road 4-8 weeks at a time and eat well. Staying in the truck when you are solo, if you have internet and can watch movies, or especially if you get TV, can be almost like living 24/7 in a "man cave".

If you plan on going many months or years living out of the truck I would budget some money toward getting out of the truck every now and then. Pay for a hotel and a rental car and go see some places you can't get to in a truck.

Personally I like the plan, living out of a truck and saving money to buy your home outright is a dream that many truckers have done. Talked to a trucker last month that did it. He went to closing knowing the exact amount required and walked in with a cashiers check. Nothing like actually having the deed to the property and not a mortgage note.