Food Cost

[shaun]

I haven't even been OTR for two full weeks, but I've found out one thing. If I don't do something quickly about how much I'm spending on food, then I might as well not be out here.

I brought my girlfriend to ride with me so every meal is for two. So far we've been eating pretty much every meal in a truckstop. We're averageing spending $45-$50 a day.

We bought a coleman 40qt cooler, but it's in my truck in the shop. I'm in my second loaner truck b/c mine isn't getting fixed as soon as they said.

I need help cutting food costs waaaaaay down. We've been talking about it and some of the things we're going to do are...

Buy a lunchbox oven and sandwich maker
Eat canned food most meals... campbells chunky soup, chili, ravioli and eating sandwiches.

Obviously this is going to get very boring very quickly. What are some of the things you guys do to stay out of the fast food joints and truckstop restuarants?

[VitoCorleone99]

I don't cook anything in my truck and I spend between $10 and $20 a day.

A few examples -
Pilot bratwursts, burger dog things, etc., 2 for $2.
Wendy's spicy chicken combo, around $5-6 depending on location
Subway 6" sub, $3-4
Bag of chips, 99 cents
Fruit, usually 89 cents apiece

On the high side right there, it's $14 and that's more than I eat in a typical day on the road.

[LilBit]

We ate alot of canned things and ramen noodle cups out there (have a hotshot that plugs into the inverter to power it up)......now it's just my husband on his own out there for the time being I'm home with our kiddos so we buy the disposable plastic containers with lids and freeze what we had for dinner in those, they stack in his lil freezer in his truck and he can heat them up quick when he stops out there.........once in awhile he'll stop and buy him self something already made up but not that often, we usually keep him pretty stocked up out there

[Kurbski]

Nice to have a chef at home that takes really good care of you.
If thats not an option, I would go to Sams, Costco or similiar and purchase:

case of water, juice etc..
individual fruit cups
canned tuna, chicken
soup
assorted muffins
granola bars
lots of chocolate
or whatever you like that is easy on the road.
Then eventually stop and eat a real meal or get an inverter to run a small croc pot w disposable bags or a foreman grille.
Happy Eating

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

CANNIBALISM

[Rockee]

Well if I was going back out OTR what I would do (again) is get a 12volt cooler and a small coleman two burner propane stove, you would be surprised at what you can make up with two or three pots and pans and some good containers for leftovers. Obviously you dont want to try cooking while you are rolling. Eating at truck stops or even restaurants every day/night sucks, so would eating out of a can all the time. Alot of folks dont like cooking in trucks because of the smell but you can keep your windows open while cooking and also have a box of baking powder open. One of my most favorite cooked in the truck meals was swedish meatballs and sweet and sour chicken. The wife did all the cooking otherwise our meals would not have turned out that good. There is also no need to buy a sandwich maker if your girlfriend is with you ). We also used to bring a little bbq with us, I dont know what it was called but it was stackable/collapsible one and you use newspaper as the fuel, and the fat dripping off of whatever you cook keeps it burning, we mostly used it for hamburgers, not sure if it would do chicken or not. I guess now days they also make little disposable bbq's. Also alot of grocery stores sell whole cooked chickens and have deli's with precooked food just to mix things up some, and most you know you can get into somehow. Ok Ive rambled enough now I'm hungry.

[shaun]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I also should mention that I work for Schneider and they only allow up to a 180W invertor so a fridge and microwave are not an option.

[Rev.Vassago]

If you're seriously worried about money, then hit the dollar menu at McDonalds. You can eat 3 meals there for less than $15, drinks included. If you are worried about the fatty foods, there are still options. Avoid the truckstop restaurant like the plague.

You might also want to try preparing food while at home, freezing it, and putting it in your cooler. It won't keep forever, but it will certainly get you through a week or so. Your plan to get some 12V appliances is a good one. At one point, I had only 12V appliances in the truck, and was still getting away with a budget of less than $70 per 5 day work week. Now, with a fridge, microwave, and several 120V appliances, I can eat very well for about 2 weeks on $100 worth of groceries.

[LadyNorthStar]

If your woman is with you and not driving you should have it made. She should have an idea of how to put together food from a cooler, you should be eating pretty well. Save money on paper and plastic and wash your cutlery, etc. when you stop. You can get pretty creative with sandwiches. A friend of mine from Alaska makes some of the best Salads on the road I've ever ate.
Oh and he has a little propane bbq, hes fed me steak, corn on the cob, potatoes, all on the side of the alaska highway. So its not too hard. =)

[Rockee]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I also should mention that I work for Schneider and they only allow up to a 180W invertor so a fridge and microwave are not an option.

I am assuming that the cooler you already have is a 12volt one, if not, I would ditch the other and get one. How would they know what size inverter you are using?

[matcat]

180w?! Heck you can easily and cheaply get a 500w inverter that runs on 12v, it wont power a microwave, but 180w is nothing. My swift acedemy instructor told me how to get around swift's no hardwired inverter policy :P So I will probably get a 2000w inverter, rofl.

[Chevian]

1) you don't need an invertor. My 12v fridge keeps things about 40d less than ambiant temp. Iow cold enough to keep milk, meat and etc.

2) do not buy anything from a truck stop unless its from the resturnaut. Drinks, chips, general items are marked up at least 10-15% over reasonable retail.

3) WAL-MAR; lower prices and vast selection. Ie, hot, ready to eat rotiseere chicken for $4.48
8 piece fried chicken for 4.84.
Massive near 2lb sandwichs for $5. Point is decent food and cheap.

4) some guys will say "gotta have one 'real' meal a day" and drop 15 a night on dinner. For two over $30. Stop being so sorry for self and just eat out of your truck.

5) cut back your food intake, your a truck driver not a brick layer. Trust me your not expending 2000 Cal a day driving and nor is your girl. Drink water and tea and stop snackin.

[coastie]

In the last 4 weeks I basically ate a good Breakfast, $8.78 and would only snack rest of the day if I got hungry. I spent less than 40.00 per trip, 3 day trip. On one day trip I spent 6.00 Stopped at a Hardees. But The longest I was out was 3 days. Leave out Monday at midnight, and home on Thursday Morning. Well last trip got home on Friday AM, got Shut down by the DOT... Ooops. Knew I was forgetting something.

[acranger]

2 words: Ramen Noodles

If you're seriously worried about money, then hit the dollar menu at McDonalds. You can eat 3 meals there for less than $15, drinks included. If you are worried about the fatty foods, there are still options. Avoid the truckstop restaurant like the plague.

You might also want to try preparing food while at home, freezing it, and putting it in your cooler. It won't keep forever, but it will certainly get you through a week or so. Your plan to get some 12V appliances is a good one. At one point, I had only 12V appliances in the truck, and was still getting away with a budget of less than $70 per 5 day work week. Now, with a fridge, microwave, and several 120V appliances, I can eat very well for about 2 weeks on $100 worth of groceries.

To mirror what the Rev says, when i was doing 2 weeks out....i was doing it on about $100. Sometimes less. I would get at the begining of the week about $60-70 worth of groceries and the rest would be nickled and dimed here and there on typical truck stop hurry food,dollar menus and the occasional sit down meal. i carrier a colman electric cooler and one of those little burton 12V stoves. thos two things are realy great additions if you dont wanna drop the cash on an invertor big enough to handle a microwave.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

2 words: Ramen Noodles

2 words...JUNK FOOD .

[acranger]

Ramen is one of the 4 food groups dude.


I learned that in college.

[JR OTR]

I live on about 30-40 a week. Stock up at any discount food store before you go (fill your cooler) and limit your on-road snack purchases to what you make off of your rewards cards. Like the 2 for $2 candy promotions at Pilot.

DO NOT buy the rotisserie birds from places like Wal-Mart. If you do, you are getting the old chickens that they have to throw out at the end of the day anyway, so you are guaranteeing yourself the worst meat possible.

Eat a lot more fruit and vegetables... grapes, apples, bananas are plentiful and cheap, and salads are easy to make. Add some tuna or chicken to spice things up, or change dressing once in a while, make sure you have the extras you like (croutons, bacon bits, etc.).

[boneebone]

I live on about 30-40 a week. Stock up at any discount food store before you go (fill your cooler) and limit your on-road snack purchases to what you make off of your rewards cards. Like the 2 for $2 candy promotions at Pilot.

DO NOT buy the rotisserie birds from places like Wal-Mart. If you do, you are getting the old chickens that they have to throw out at the end of the day anyway, so you are guaranteeing yourself the worst meat possible.

Eat a lot more fruit and vegetables... grapes, apples, bananas are plentiful and cheap, and salads are easy to make. Add some tuna or chicken to spice things up, or change dressing once in a while, make sure you have the extras you like (croutons, bacon bits, etc.).

Same here, except I do not buy anything from the truckstop. Wait and find a Walmart or Target. If you keep on eating and buying food at the truckstop you will have spent your money before you earned it.

[fasttruck]

Boxes of cereal are good along with milk. Also oatmeal and a liquid warmer work great. I used to make instant mashed potatoes and warm up gravy for dinner with a can of roast beef in gravy. It was an excellent dinner for less than 5-6 bux a night. Use your imagination, most foods have an instant version that although not as good as the real deal will beat the boofay line at the hook.