UPS Drivers: American Icons of Frugality

[dilligaf]

I don't think anyone is advocating absolute frugality but I do think Hoax said it best when he said that he and his wife live below their means. We all make a good living and deserve to enjoy the fruits of our labor but that doesn't necessarily mean having to have the best of everything or the newest of everything.

One of my weaknesses is going out to eat. This is why I choose to brown bag it during the week so that I can enjoy myself on the weekend by going to the restaurant of my choice (sorry, Mobile, couldn't help myself) either before or after going to watch a movie.

We don't live above our means by any means but I do get what I want when I want it. Today I went to Home Depot and picked up some things for the yard. Didn't bother me at all to drop 200$ for what I wanted. Some of the things I needed and some I didn't. However, I do not need nor do I want the best of everything.

We go out nearly every week end, to eat. I would love to go to the movies as well but I can't sit that long in a theatre without having to get up and move. It is much easier and cheaper to buy the movie and watch it at home as often as I want to.

 

[kingOFchester]

On topic..sort of.

I notice that a lot of the drivers in my building do not drive the niceest cars. Atleast cars that don't seem to fit their income. Why?
1) It took so many years to become fulltime/top rate and so they don't want to spend the $$
2)They drive a beat up truck all day and so even a beat up car is better then an 800?
3)They don't want the p-timers dinging their cars in the parking lot?

 

[longlunchguy]

Powerball--the trailer park retirement plan.

Wow, Upstate with the politically incorrect faux pas! And the proper phrase isn't trailer park, it's.... trailer trash (double wides don't count)

 

[Highwayman]

I went threw all the new cars and credit cards when I made full time. I discovered Dave Ramsey on the radio 4 years ago. Now I live on less than I make, house paid for 10 year old car,don't use credit. It can be done. You do not need a new Hummer to drive to work.

 

[trplnkl]

I do use credit, to MY advantage. I used (what I call) the credit card shuffle to get out of CC debt and it didn't cost me one nickel in interest, but you have to stay on top of the matter pay attention or it can backfire on you.
Right now I have a credit balance(interest free for 12 months) for some siding on the house, it will be payed off before the "intro" period is over. When I bought my '03 pickup, it was interest free. I use a credit card( I get frequent flier miles) to pay all my bills and pay it off at once every month, no interest. Credit, if used right, can work for you.
'Ole Dave R would be so ashamed of me.

 

[slantnosechevy]

My house is on my area. It's the only reason I bid on the route. Well... the eye candy is nice too. Catch Andy Griffith or Springer or the better yet the ultimate.....a nooner if the girl friend stops by. Sure makes the day a little easier to take. The nooner is the single greatest stress relief.

 

[edd_tv]

i have budgeted down to the exact penny how much money i will need to pay my bills for the month. house, and utilities and then general living expense are all i have. dave ramsey will be proud. i can survive on $375 a week. all that is left over is like winning the lottery ( we are in the cut routes and pile it on the other guys mood, so the ot is coming my way more than i want) and going into a savings account for a rainy day(new boat, dont tell the future wife!!) .12 year old car. its great. it makes the coming summer days easier to take off and go fishing without having to worry about chugging along in a brown hot box to make my mortgage.

 

[some1else]

Disclaimer: I don't count my large Dunkin iced coffee on the way to work!

I used (what I call) the credit card shuffle to get out of CC debt

i remember people doing this with checks when they used to take a week to clear you could keep 10,000 going in circles forever lol

on topic its bad enough to have to waste an hour of my time on a forced lunch period; im not going to waste another half hours pay on food! i just lay on the 6000 shelf (its wider that the front shelves cause of the door frames) and sleep-- 2 alarms though i learned that the HARD WAY!!!

its very relaxing but it takes me a good 15 minutes to get back up to speed

 

[helenofcalifornia]

There are drivers in my center that swear by that lunch nap. They bring their eggcrate foam and a watch that has an alarm. I would be afraid of not waking up, someone pounding on the door, or just not being able to relax enuf to nap.

 

[anonymous6]

I went threw all the new cars and credit cards when I made full time. I discovered Dave Ramsey on the radio 4 years ago. Now I live on less than I make, house paid for 10 year old car,don't use credit. It can be done. You do not need a new Hummer to drive to work.

We have been living the ramsey way all our lives and didn't even realize it. living below your means and no debt makes sleeping very very easy.

congrats to you.

 

[trplnkl]

=
i remember people doing this with checks when they used to take a week to clear you could keep 10,000 going in circles forever lol

Yeah, pretty much the same principle, except the CC shuffle is legal, kiting checks is not.LOL

on topic its bad enough to have to waste an hour of my time on a forced lunch period; im not going to waste another half hours pay on food! i just lay on the 6000 shelf (its wider that the front shelves cause of the door frames) and sleep-- 2 alarms though i learned that the HARD WAY!!!

its very relaxing but it takes me a good 15 minutes to get back up to speed

For some reason, when I take a nap, I can tell myself that I must wake up in 15 minutes and I just wake up, fresh as the morning dew.

 

[some1else]

when i got a car a few years ago my loan was 4.9% and i had a 6month no interest card so i just made 6months worth of payments with the card then paid it down over the same period; saved alot of cash!

 

[trplnkl]

when i got a car a few years ago my loan was 4.9% and i had a 6month no interest card so i just made 6months worth of payments with the card then paid it down over the same period; saved alot of cash!

Good thinking.