Budgeting tips for a fellow auto tech

[2blue240]

Tips

1. Follow everyone else here and for 100 bucks you can cover lunch for two weeks. 200 would get you breakfast and lunch for two weeks easy.

2. Just tell the snap on guy no. Buy tools one at a time as needed. The best advice on that is if you borrow a tool more than twice you need to buy one. Don't try to be the guy that owns every tool in the world because most of them are useless except that one job. I personally have a mix of snap on , Mac , craftsman and bought my carbide bits from Matco. Oh and buy the Matco hose clamp tool it's the cheapest of the big three ( snap on Mac and Matco)

3. Carpool with another tech if someone lives close to you. Keep your payment free car as long as possible and save that money because when Christmas comes people care more about presents than that ball joint you quoted them on.

[Kozworth]

Good deal on sk all I've used really was snap on Mac Matco or cman huskey hf.

I am not making payments because I have a turbo b25 that is my project almost done and a 650$ 318 e36 for a daily. I don't even like new cars I'd much rather pick up a BMW between 1-2k and daily it lol.

[xAZxE30x]

i second keeping SO to the important things. I am no tech, but i do have a decent amount of SO stuff. I really only NEED my ratchets. eveything else i have i have just because i wanted too. The ratchets are in a league of their own in my mind

[AndrewBird]

Proto is another great brand that is cheaper (and equally as good) as Snap-On. I love their stuff, much nicer than Snap-On in terms of usage IMO.

Just some tips for making lunches in advance, as I do this a lot. Buy some cheap Tupperware style containers (off brand or store brand). You can get 4-packs for only a few dollars. Then you won't worry about losing them and when they start to stain or smell, you can just throw them away.

If you are freezing stuff, be wary of what freezes well. Pasta doesn't do well unless you keep the noodles and sauce separate. Otherwise, it turns to mush. I bought several of these, ate the food, then kept the containers to make my own meals. They have a separate dish for sauce and work great. I just put them in a ziplock baggie to seal it up (no lid).

Chicken and rice freeze well. I will usually make some kind of chicken and put it over white rice.

A small postage scale is nice to help keep track of portions. Allows you to put the same amount in every container.

For snacks, don't buy individually wrapped stuff (more expensive), get a big box and partition it out yourself. A box of snack baggies is cheap.

I try and keep as much of a variety as possible so I don't get tired of eating the same thing day after day. I generally have at least 4 different meals made up and in the freezer (I work 4 days a week). I make several weeks worth of meals at a time. Usually costs $100-150 a month to do this.

[ak-]

I calculated how much my breakfasts cost me which included 2 eggs, toast, home made jelly, piece or two of cooked bologna, cup of coffee/chocolate milk/OJ from our tree and it came out to around .95 cents or something when you break it down.

[mrsleeve]

Proto is another great brand that is cheaper (and equally as good) as Snap-On. I love their stuff, much nicer than Snap-On in terms of usage IMO.
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Shit I forgot all about Proto, Black Hawk is pretty good too

[TimKninja]

I'm a tech at an indie shop as well. I spend $50 a week on gas. $75 a week on tool bills(have a box payment) and next to nothing a week on food.

Try as hard as you can not to buy a tool box. I did. Now I'm like 4k in debt to the Cornwell guy. Not waffleswaffleswaffleswafflesing worth it .