What's a Good Weekly Allowance OTR?

Allowance?

Like the money your mom and dad gives you for doing some chores around the house while still going to school? Hehehehee

Mikeeee

 

When I was training, I made it by on half my check, $160 a week. I just ate the cheapy stuff off the menus.

Lately I have been spending a ton of money, but getting full meals and tipping nicely, and its $60 a day or more.

I get my pair of NOS in the morning for $3 and some snacks, or whatever.

If you put a microwave in your truck, if you have an APU or your company allows inverters, those meals in plastic containers are pretty good, and you can put most canned stuff in red solo cups instead of bowls. Also, many GPS will tell you the walmarts on your route, and you can get decent fruit on the way. I found that eating a few nectarines a week really made me feel better...

 

I spend about 60 a week for food breakfast, lunch, dinner. Then about 20 in cash for stuff like coffee and the occasional soda or candy bar. My wife cooks at home and puts meals together and then freezes them for me. The rest is just lunch meats, oats, yogurt, breads, hard boiled eggs, microwave meals, soups. fast and simple.

 

During training you may not have access to a fridge, but you don't have to apend a fortune on ready-to-eat meals

"value" meals arent. Eschew the fries and drink -- ask for a cup for water. $2-3 in dollar-menuish items
Get a subway footlong, put condiments & cheese only on half, and eat the other half later -- $5
pilot premade oatmeals & soups
Denny's 2-4-6-8 menu (example: $6 gets you a cup of soup for now, turkey sandwich for later)

When you do get to a walmart, get a case of water, a case if cliff bars, packages of dried fruits, nuts, etc -- stuff that'll keep


the hardest thing is realizing you don't need as many calories (dry van otr) as you do in a typical job. Failure to adjust will have a negative inpact on your waistline