Budgeting tips for a fellow auto tech

[Kozworth]

Just graduated in may, currently work 32 weeks at a dealer and 18 at an independent shop. Only one day off.

I live with my friend at his grandparents place. I basically have to buy all 3 meals a day, gas (the independent shop is an hour away). I am pretty fortunate I do not have any car payments or other bills.

It sucks because my weekly pay isnt much (just got out of school, how would it be) and basically it goes all to food and gas.

Anyone have any budgeting tips because what I have tried in the past does not really help much. Any meal ideas, or such to save. I feel like I work all the time and never really go out, and wouldnt even have the money to.

[blunttech]

Make casseroles at home and divide them up and freeze them. Buy bread and lunch meat.. Stuff like that and always bring a lunch. Never buy single sodas. When my kids were young and wanted a 1.50 soda at the gas station Id tell them no and make them buy a 12 pack for 50 cents more. It didnt help because they still do it but i did my part. Its the little things that will kill you. Not the large purchases. All those little impulse buys add up. I dont budget now but I still try to save on stuff that isnt important to me so I can splurge on cars and cool stuff

[xAZxE30x]

Never buy lunches. You'll spend 4x as much in a week. Make sandwiches or cook a bunch of chicken for the week and divide it up accordingly

[Kozworth]

I still try to save on stuff that isnt important to me so I can splurge on cars and cool stuff

Exactly. I am tired of throwing money towards food that doesnt fill me up. Sucks to pay so much to live but thats life. I would rather be pissing my money into one of my cars.. Or towards tools (which I just popped the snap on cherry. Great times ahead of me).

Never really thought about the drinks, because I usually just buy arizonas. But buying a power form iced tea, and mixing could last so much longer. It is good to know the small things kill me on money, because those small things are so hard to trace when you pay cash!

Appreciate the input thus far guys.

[z31maniac]

The wife and I typically have a "cooking day" once a week on Sundays to prepare meals for the upcoming week. This way we don't have to buy lunch during the week, or prepare dinner during the week......she is currently working 6 days a week and many late evenings while she moves her business.

Buy a bunch of chicken breasts, marinate over night in your favorite thing (Italian dressing, Jamaican Jerk seasoning, or just olive oil/garlic/lemon), cook chicken and divide it up into salads. Olive oil and balsamic make a tasty, EASY dressing.

Or keep a few back, and during the week for dinner you can just cook some couscous or brown rice and quinoa, for a quick easy meal.

Make a big batch of chili in the crockpot, make some cornbread, have it for dinner that night, divide the rest up for lunches/dinners the rest of the week.

I used to easily spend $300 a month going out for lunch with the people from work, that covers all my HPDE fees for a weekend at the track!

Invest in a big box of good tupperware, you can get BPE-free stuff at Sams and start cooking at home. It will taste better, be healthier and save you money over going out to eat.

We are now even trying to cut back on going out on the weekends. We used to typically go have dinner Friday night and then go somewhere for brunch on Sunday. We were spending as much going out 2x a week, 4x a month as we are on our house payment.

[Mlarsen]

I used to be them same way. I would buy go out for lunch & dinner everyday. I live by myself and it's really easy to just pick something up on the way home than it is to cook something especially if you're tired from wrenching all day. But, after I broke that habit and started cooking and bringing my lunch I found myself eating better and for cheaper too. I've cut my day to day expenses down from around 50 bucks a day to around 15. It adds up quick. I can live off 150 bucks a week easy and that's including drinking and gas. Well the drinking doesn't really compare to other people because I make my own beer.

[mrsleeve]

I know having a the good tools and the right tools for the job is important. But I would keep the Snap On limited to Ratchets, Screwdrivers, The line wrenches and combo wrenches you use the most and just stick with used or cheaper alternatives to fill out your set for now. Once you get established and start to make a real living at wrenching, then you can start to replace your work tool set with the good shit.

Nothing worse than having a tool set payment, thats more than a mortgage

[spdracrm3]

I know having a the good tools and the right tools for the job is important. But I would keep the Snap On limited to Ratchets, Screwdrivers, The line wrenches and combo wrenches you use the most and just stick with used or cheaper alternatives to fill out your set for now. Once you get established and start to make a real living at wrenching, then you can start to replace your work tool set with the good shit.

Nothing worse than having a tool set payment, thats more than a mortgage

totally agree here my first set of tools and boxes was a Craftsman superset like the ones they sell during fatherday sales and small bottom/top box and when i had some spare money started upgrading slowly to nicer tools paying attention to those i used the most (and the cheaper craftsmans slowly came home to be the home tools). then down the road i told the mobile tool dealers to keep me in mind for a good used box (have never bought a new one) and a nice snappy came along for a reasonable price so i upgraded. but be careful overspending on tools only to have the latest greatest and a sucks you dry payment (makes you feel like your working just to make tool payments).

and also agree on the not going out to lunch everyday ive been a tech for 32 yrs and can prolly count on both hands the number of times ive gone out to lunch (saves gas money too) , the two techs i work with go out every day and have no money/big debts ,i bring lunch everyday for about $1-2 if you do it right and i dont need to as i now have no car/house payments due to my frugality (didnt spend on any large ticket items for 10yrs to pay off house) ,and im going to keep being frugal no reason to change but as you can see from my sig i know what to spend money on when i want something(just save and pay cash) .i also drive a beater econobox that gets 34mpg but gets the job done (purchased for $600 wrecked and fixed it up,every time i fill the tank it doubles the value) and my motorbike in the summer (save nice cars for weekends),and dont care what people think of my beater as i just laugh at knowing what they are paying to keep their status symbols on the road....as i save for retirement which may come sooner than expected...

[Kozworth]

Well I was all for harbor freight tools (bash me all you want, but I had a snap on socket strip out on land rover head bolts, and then used the hf no issues) but what I was gonna do is get the basic hard use stuff snap on. Just got 1/4 wratxhet with shallow/deep metric sockets, and 3/8 wratxhet with deep shallows for 475. I am just gonna get a gun, impacts, wrenches, and drivers while the rest will be cheaper things.

My snap on guy is very pressed to make a sale which I hate. When I get him the cash up front I'm gonna tell him straight up I will only get stuff when I come to him and in cash full haha.

I'm spending like 30+ a day now between meals and gas. Sometimes more. I would love to cut it down to 100 a week but shooting for about 150 when I see the price of things at the market. Again, thanks for the input so far and if you have any other feedback regarding managing your purchases and such I'm all ears. It's been long overdue that I got something that worked out and I maintained.

[Kozworth]

Spdracrm3 I didn't notice the x2 next to the m3. Already sold on the idea.

[spdracrm3]

oh yea the tools dealers are high pressure as thats their living, once they know your a sucker they keep hounding , but they also know the frugal ones and will not push, they just have to learn about you.....

yes no problem with HF , still have some stuff in my box. but the hard used frequently broken stuff the snappy warranty is the reason you pay up front so buy when you can for easy/frequent replacement to get your monies worth(you can even call the truck to try and have em stop by for warranty if you really need the broken tool replaced (again what you pay for up front). also look for quality tools in the local pawn shops (just know what things are worth up front) they like to get full price but deals can be found or worked out....

[mrsleeve]

I know the warranty is gonna be hard to get full filled, but look for good deals on Used S&K tools. I love the stuff I have from S&K but once they break they are gone

[Kozworth]

Have not heard of s&k. How do they compare to craftsman? (price and quality). As in, whats the advantage of getting a tool that has a life expectancy and no warranty as opposed to one that has a warranty?

[LJ851]

I like to have snap-on tools for those items that wear, taps and dies, allen drivers, etc. I'm on at least my 10th 6X1mm tap from them, new ones as soon as they wear out is nice.

[mrsleeve]

Have not heard of s&k. How do they compare to craftsman? (price and quality). As in, whats the advantage of getting a tool that has a life expectancy and no warranty as opposed to one that has a warranty?

Really you have never heard of S&K, They surpass Cman by a lot, and Cman Pro by a little bit. Its not that they dont have a warranty, they have a life time warranty, its just that S&K has had some financial issues in the last 7-8 years that seem to be on going last I knew a couple of years ago. They wanted to send your warranty item back to them on your dime for inspection and then charge you the shipping back to you for the new one. That policy may have changed back by now to take it get a new one like it used to be.

My point was looking for good deals at garage sales and paw shops and other palces on good used S&K tools since they have been in business for 80 some years and they are all over the place in many people garages basements and shops. They are good high quality tools that can be found for good pricing on the used market all over the place. An if you do break one and cant get it fixed, they should get you by till you can buy the set you really want.

S&K are the ones that come in the green boxes and old school green sheet steel tins...