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truck driver spendingA lot of articles about how to save money overlook the unique needs of spending needs of truck drivers.

Here’s a list built for you.

1. Food

TruckerMike of Trucking Truth says, “It is very easy to rack up $30 or more in a single day eating food on the road. That comes out to over $200 per week, and over $10,000 per year! WOW!”

To save money, buy a portable fridge and a crock pot. The Healthy Trucker recommends the “ARB 10800472 Fridge Freezer- 50 Quart” and shares a few tips and recipes for slow cookers here. If you stock up at a grocery store before hitting the road, it becomes cheaper and more convenient to eat the healthy. The fridge and slow cooker will pay for themselves in less than a year.

2. Budget

“Base your Budget on low mile weeks,” advises Derek McClain of The Healthy Trucker. Most companies pay by the mile, and your miles will change from week to week. It’s better to budget for the low weeks and have a little more than you planned for on good week than to plan for the good weeks and not have enough during the bad weeks.

3. Emergencies

You can’t schedule emergencies, but you can soften the blow by being ready for them. The Healthy Trucker says, “When in doubt if an emergency fund should be used for a purchase, just refer back to the ‘emergency’ part of the name … If there’s a question whether or not it’s an emergency … it’s probably not.”

4. Loans

A cash advance or a payday loan may be tempting but use caution. Many of these institutions tack on ridiculous interest rates and fees (as high as $15 to $30 for every $100 loaned). These fees will eat up your paycheck for months or worse, leave you taking out new loans to pay back your old loans. Always turn to your emergency fund, friends, family or even your company before resorting to a high-interest, short-term loan.

5. Free WiFi

Don’t forget to enable your device’s WiFi at stops rather than relying on your data plan. The free WiFI will cut down your data usage (and your phone bill) every month.

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finance habits

Sure, half a minute doesn’t sound like much time, but turns out you can get a lot done in half a minute–if you adopt some of these great habits. And they can have a lasting impact on your career and finances.

As soon as you pour that cup of morning joe, pinpoint your top three—and only three—most crucial to-dos for the day,” states the Fast Company article.”Once you’ve identified what’s important, you’ll often find it’s not many things,” says Josh Davis, Ph.D., author of . “Having a small number of things also makes it easier [to accomplish the tasks].”

Davis, the author of “Two Awesome Hours: Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done,” suggests blocking off the two best hours each day for accomplishing those three tasks. He also suggests writing things down, such as important points right after a meeting, to help cement details in your memory.

Taking small steps like these can put you on the path to success quickly.

Image from geralt / Pixabay