I must be really frugal. My wife just looked over my shoulder and said, "No honey, the word is cheap." LOL
I have been expediting since January.
I have yet to stay in a motel.
I have a backpacker's self-inflating pad and a minus 30 degree rated sleeping bag. The pad fits perfectly between the seats and I stretch out with my feet touching the console and my head toward the cargo area. If I need the extra room for cargo I fold the pad and sleeping at the midpoint and it remains between the front seats on the floor. Cargo gets delivered and I just flip the pad and sleeping bag back to a fully opened position. On really cold nights I use a Coleman Catalytic heater to knock off the chill. I also use a CO detector. Yes, anything that you ignite does produce CO gas, but the measurable amount of a properly functioning Catalytic heater is less than the ambient air born CO coming from the 200 trucks idling in the parking lot. I recommend that EVERY truck have a CO detector even if they are not use a Catalytic heater.
Most of the food I carry is dry: cereal bars, banana chips, fruit, nuts, cereal. I do carry single serving cans of milk for the dry cereal and I top it off with a fresh banana when I am near a WalMart. I also carry packages of Oatmeal and Grits which heat up nicely in a microwave.
I have some Healthy Choice Microwave Soups (No MSG in their soups) and some microwave popcorn. I will ask the clerk at a truckstop if I can use their microwave to heat up my soup. I show them the can so they can see that it is not something they sell and I explain that I am on a special diet. I also do the same with the popcorn and they do not have a problem with my request. You can always use the microwave in the shipper's or consignee's lunchroom to heat some Oatmeal, Grits, Soup etc. provided their employees are not on their break.
When you are WalMart you can get 1-3 slices of lunchmeat and cheese, a box of nice crackers and a small container of cole slaw which makes for a decent meal. I also carry cans of tuna, chicken, turkey, salmon, fish and sardines. Great sources of protein! A can of chicken and a few rice crackers from Trader Joe's...yummy.
I don't sit inside the truck if I am at a truckstop. I make it a point to stay out of the truck as much as possible. I walk and then I find a comfortable place to sit inside so I can log onto the Internet or read.
Now we all seem to have that one special thing we love to eat or drink. Mine is a great cup of coffee. I carry a small 4 cup drip coffee maker, a small bean grinder and a power strip. I put it discreetly on the bench next to me at the truck stop, plug in the power strip, grind enough beans to have 4 cups, open a 20oz bottled water (Exact amount of water needed to make 4 cups) and fill the chamber. In about 8-10 minutes you can watch the noses of people smelling the fragrance of Trader Joe's Coffee. Sometimes I'll make coffee in the shower room while taking a shower. There is always a power outlet and enough room on the sink area to do so. My stainless steel coffee mug will hold exactly 4 cups so I can clean up the coffee maker and keep my brew warm and fresh.
I hesitated in posting some of my frugal money saving ideas because I am concerned about folks using a little common sense when they are a guest in someone's place of business. Just use some discernment and be polite when at a shipper, consignee or truck stop.
Next time we learn how to bake a ham in the engine compartment while under load.
