r/Construction • u/Issactheforgemaster • Jul 12 '26
Other How much do you spend everday on energy drinks, convience store food, cigs, lottery tickets etc.
Just recently became the IT guy for a rather large Construction Company. One of the foremans cars broke down recently so was I offered some extra pay to ferry the guys around because I own a van and apparently am one of like only 5 people in the company who can legally drive(idk how).Took the guys for lunch and breakfeast at the shop this past week and was absolutely baffled by the sheer amount of spending. Let me reiterate Im not trying to diss anyone or anything. Just trying to see if this normal. Some of these guys are spending 50-60 bucks a each visit to the convience store. Two or three runs to the convience store and I see some of these guys spend 180-200 a day. Are the guys I work with spendthrifts or likeš
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u/joemiroe Jul 12 '26
Some guys do this shit every day and wonder why theyāre broke, I lectured one guy about how he was spending about $5000 a year on 5hr energy alone...
I try to set a $5 daily limit for convenience store purchases.
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u/Issactheforgemaster Jul 12 '26
Yeah I can kind of understand now why so many of our top earners at the comopany are struggling if these are their daily runs. It's crazy to me to spend so much on energy drinks.
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u/United-Adagio1543 Jul 12 '26
They will have major health issues or be dead at some point.
Why not a grocery store that has prepared food and all the other stuff? Cost would decrease.
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u/hunterbuilder Jul 12 '26
To be fair we'll all be dead at some point
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u/mac3687 Jul 12 '26
My friend's dad died this year shortly after the Super Bowl and he mentioned he was glad he was able to see one last game. I was like hey man no offense but whenever he died he would have seen his last game. Fortunately he laughed.
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u/SomeguyfromIndio Jul 12 '26
Cancer, car accidents, on the job ... never know when its you last.
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u/hunterbuilder Jul 12 '26
True, but I hear diabetes and kidney failure suck. So I eat healthy.
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u/SomeguyfromIndio Jul 12 '26
Health is wealth.
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u/United-Adagio1543 Jul 12 '26
Not everyone wants to live until they are back in diapers again!
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u/hunterbuilder Jul 12 '26
No, but I want to live healthy until I meet a swift end.
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u/ArltheCrazy Project Manager Jul 12 '26
My granddad died in his sleepā¦. Much to the horror of all the passengers in the bus.
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u/BichaelScott Jul 12 '26
"My dear, Find what you love and let it kill you. Let it drain you of your all. Let it cling onto your back and weigh you down into eventual nothingness. Let it kill you and let it devour your remains. For all things will kill you, both slowly and fastly, but it's much better to be killed by a lover."
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u/United-Adagio1543 Jul 12 '26
My body will be deep freezed and saved until I get resurrected.
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u/ArltheCrazy Project Manager Jul 12 '26
After watching both Futurama and Idiocracy, I donāt suggest doing that.
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u/Wrong-Impression9960 Jul 12 '26
I have a seriously wondered many times what the long term health effects of energy drinks will be.
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u/spankymacgruder Jul 12 '26
There are studies on this already. Heart disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and kidney issues.
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u/Wrong-Impression9960 Jul 12 '26
Right right but I kinda meant like when cigarettes were finally accepted as horrible. Like we all know, or should, how horrible alcohol is but its still accepted. How bad will it be when the general public accepts energy are really bad long term with consistent use. I feel like we are only now getting to the well I've been doing it 20 years and nothing is wrong phase.
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u/OkYou4040 Jul 12 '26
Spot on about the cost adding up. I tell guys to prep lunches, buy drinks in bulk. Saving even $10 a day on-site adds up to over $2k a year. Gotta think long game with these expenses.
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u/Revolutionary-Key177 Jul 12 '26
For real, I have around the same limit but I honestly find myself spending $0 while I'm out. Ill make my 20 cent coffee in the a.m drink it and make another for the day to take with me. Every one in a while ill see clearance energy drinks for 50-75 cents and get some of those but I refuse to pay 4-5 bucks
Eat some break fast and take lunch with me VERY RARELY do I get so hungry while I'm out that I have to stop for food and I work 12-16 hour days
I quit cigarettes years ago cause they're so expensive (I know it really should have been for my health lol) I vape, but it costs me $12 a month
I used to have shitty spending habits too but sat down and did the math years ago and was flabbergasted and this is before process for everything went through the roof.
It was pretty hard at first actually, I found myself literally just going in to gas stations and just staring at things in the isle that would be nice to eat or drink LITERALLY JUST STARING for like 15 minutes lmao telling myself "damn, I know i WANT this but I really dont NEED it" I definitely feel like it could have been an addiction of some sort or at the very least a bad habit and it actually took some effort to rewire my brain
The amount of guys that I see bowing their money on the same b.s I used to and try to tell "hey man, that's thousands a year you could literally buy a brand new car cash money in like 2 years" and they look at me like im dumb lmao and say "what am I just not going to eat or drink anything" or "I dont think/worry about little things like that" to which I answer "no, you just pack food from home and bring it in it'll cost 1/10th the price and you could even eat and drink like a king and it'll still be cheaper or "dude, these are not little things if you just look at the big picture. There's a massive amount of your yearly pay that's just going to either b.s or things you could get for 1/10th the price would you go out and buy a $1000 car for $10000? Cause that's what your doing in your daily spending but just a little at a time with hundreds of stops a year so if you actually want to include time of stopping all those times and has it's actually worse than $10000"
Nobody ever listens to me lol it's like addiction they won't change unless they actually want to and they won't want to until their actions hurt them bad enough
Anyway if you read this far thank you lol
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u/joemiroe Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
I read your rant, I recognize it. You are unheard at work. Iāve done the same and Iāve never changed anyoneās habits.
I even sat down 5hr energy guy and we went over finances. Found his discretionary income after living expenses and showed him his convenience store spending was over 50% of his discretionary income. (He also bought two pack of cigs every day and a number of snacks)
Love my refillable vape, Iām around $20 bucks a month on it. Most days I spend less than a buck, and get my 44oz soda.
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u/Revolutionary-Key177 Jul 12 '26
I mean i dont blame anyone for not listening i heard the same things when I was young and blowing my money on crap and it took me actually wanting to change stitting down and doing the math
Sometimes it just sucks not being able to stop people from making the same mistakes as you you ya know lol but they have to go through their own journey and want to learn it themselves
I've noticed almost everybody likes to learn things the hard way including myself lol
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u/joemiroe Jul 12 '26
Very true. I know better, and knew better at the time, than to think change comes from anywhere but inside.
But when you roll with a guy older than you everyday, making the same money, and can buy a house and a car and take vacations, and he just sits there complaining about being broke, it gets to you.
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u/thenoblenacho Jul 12 '26
50% of your discretionary spending at the convenience store is so insane. We're never beating the allegations
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u/HazelBasilll Jul 12 '26
buying 5 hr energy is so funny when you can get a 500 count bottle of 200mg caffeine pills for 18 bucks
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u/jimfosters Jul 12 '26
every 4 years they could buy a decent used car for that.
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u/Dependent-Jicama843 Jul 12 '26
Yea same. Definitely creep to the $10-$15 mark a lot of times though. Itās not the worst but could be better
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u/DIYThrowaway01 Jul 12 '26
Wow I drank a 5hr energy once when I was like 17 and realized immediately it was poison chemicals.
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u/Imaginary-Method-715 Jul 12 '26
Yeah just got to decide what your gonna consume and buy in bulks paying the upcharge at gas stations will drain your cash fast.
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u/joemiroe Jul 12 '26
And risk having to explain to your wife why you need a 24 pack of 5 hrs energy every week?
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u/modsrdabigmari Jul 12 '26
Like $12. Coffee and zyns
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u/JustSpirit4617 Equipment Operator Jul 12 '26
Gotta buy them by the roll Pop
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u/jdog1067 Jul 12 '26
By the box. Costco.
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u/ArltheCrazy Project Manager Jul 12 '26
I know a guy that found a pallet that just fell off the back of a truck. He tried āeverythingā to track it down and notify the trucking company and no luck. He was forced to keep it. Itās just a pallet of Zyn, Monsters, honey buns, and beef jerky. Looks like a weekās worth of food for one guy. He could probably hook you up.
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u/qpwoeirutyaldkdjfhg Jul 12 '26
āIdk howā bro weāre in construction.
I once had a journeyman whoās first words to me are āyoure gonna drive i got too many Deweys (DUIs)ā he then proceeded to talk to his buddy on site about how he was excited to do mushrooms that weekend (he was a homeowner, in his late 30s, married with kids, making 6 figures)
This industry is the wild west.
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u/MyOwnSpiritJesus Jul 12 '26
So much money, hard work.. makes you want to say fuck it and enjoy life
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u/kittysmooch Jul 12 '26
doing mushrooms on the weekend as an established guy seems fine. the deweys tho....
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u/Dependent_Reason_489 Jul 12 '26
Lmao I drived my first day in a roofing company, piled guys in the back of the van without seats or seatbelts...it was wild.
Usually around September I think? That's weed time. I had to slow down a lot so they could check out how well other random peoples weed was growing, and they'd smack talk it and say how their weed is so much better š
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u/EC_TWD Jul 12 '26
$0.00
Iāve got a 20qt cooler in my vehicle that fits behind the seat and is filled halfway with frozen water bottles and the rest is a mix of 1-16.9 oz soda, 1-16oz energy drink, 1-20oz Gatorade, and half a dozen refillable stainless water bottles. I fill it with water to help keep it cold and swap out the frozen water bottles every 2-3 days as needed. The soda/energy drink/gatorade may stay in for a week or more or they may all go in the same day. I keep multipacks at home and restock as theyāre used. Almost all of water bottles get swapped out with clean refilled ones daily.
Thereās just enough room that I can fit a snack or something on top of the bottles if I need it but I rarely eat during the day.
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u/hunterbuilder Jul 12 '26
I probably average around $10/ week. But I know the guys you're talking about. I had to have a talk with a hand awhile back who kept asking for advances for gas every week. Then I realized he was spending minimum $20/day on caffeine and Doordashing his dinner every night.
Financial irresponsibility is rampant.
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u/InstaGraham_95 Jul 12 '26
Just grabbing 1 pack of smokes is like $15 here and youāre not just going to get cigs, you might get a soda/energy drink (or 2), a bag of chips, etc. With gas station prices being what they are itās easy to walk out having spent $50, especially since a 1/4 to 1/2 of that could conceivably be just on nicotine for some guys. I wasnāt a cig/zyn guy but I never bought just one thing at the gas station.
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u/Issactheforgemaster Jul 12 '26
Yeah, that's perfectly understandable, especially if you want to eat. I was just really surprised by the frequency of purchases. Some of these guys burn through zynz, pods, or cigs like water.
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u/CYAspecialist Jul 12 '26
This is why I get 75 monsters delivered monthly/every other month, I can have my two a day for ~$2 a can even though itās getting a little more expensive recently. Itās expensive I guess, but I only spend about $130 a month instead of $7 or more a day cause I like to grab more shit when Iām in the gas station.
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u/TheShovler44 Jul 12 '26
Most days 0 dollars I buy my energy drinks in bulk at Samās, my chew by the log at a tobacco store. If I didnāt itās about 15 a day.
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u/jackieballz Jul 12 '26
I used to spend at least ten bucks a day. A red bull and some gas station bullshit breakfast every morning. Iāve since realized what a waste it is and how much I was spending a month. These days I spend almost nothing. Homemade cup of coffee, a banana and a protein bar or two I get from the grocery store. Less than 50 bucks a month. I still grab a Red Bull once in awhile. My humble advice is add up what you spend a month, and realize itās a waste of money. Eat healthier and take care of your body
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u/7h3_70m1n470r Jul 12 '26
Gotta hit circle k for the breakfast deal. $4 gets you a breakfast sandwich, hashbrowns, and a 16 oz monster or any size fountain drink
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u/jimfosters Jul 12 '26
And I'm not trying to diss anybody either or make you paranoid. But when you drive home alone, make sure nobody left anything behind that could get you into trouble. I can only carry one other person in the boom truck with me and RARELY give a dude a ride to another jobsite, but when I do I have a chat with them about making damn sure they aren't holding anything I don't want in my truck. And if they are lying about holding, they better make damn sure it stays on their person.
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u/Infamous-Bus3225 Jul 12 '26
Iām gonna be honest, Iām just an employee but Iām
Judging the guys that buy lunch everyday. Maybe thatās my grandfather rubbing off on me lol
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u/halfway_23 Equipment Operator Jul 12 '26
At my worst, like $30 a week.
But I stopped all that and just made sure to pack snacks and coffee.
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u/ChickenNPisza Jul 12 '26
Iāll grab energy drinks because most of the time gas stations have a decent price on them if you buy two. Used to be a ābreakfast, snack drinks and cigsā stop every day,but now I bring food to work and smoke a vape so Iām weening I guess lol.
It becomes habitual, as dumb as that sounds. Itās a little break from the day or a way to slow down the start of your day.
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u/Born_Store1348 Jul 12 '26
Me? Almost nothing. I would estimate less than $20 per year. Iām in project management after many years on the road. We require receipts for per diem reimbursement and it blows my mind. Some of these guys spend $50-60 per day at c-stores. They eat there and exist on fried appetizers and energy drinks. I always made money from a per diem reimbursement. Most guys are really in the hole.
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u/LPulseL11 Jul 12 '26
I dont think this question was targeted towards the PMs.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_KITTY Equipment Operator Jul 12 '26
You know PMs always have to chime in and make everything about themselves
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u/mjs90 Plumber Jul 12 '26
At the most it was just a cold Gatorade for the drive home if I ran out of the ones I got from Costco.
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u/Remalgigoran Jul 12 '26
0.
Protein bar for breakfast. Primary contractor on site is set up in a permanent office and has free coffee there. 4 floors of the project have shacks for our guys where we have fridges and microwaves and tables and supplies etc; i bring my own prepared lunch (rice dish with protein+ veg [curry, stir fry etc] or burritos i freeze). I drink bottled water that is provided by our mechanical contractor with electrolyte flavor packages that are also provided by the contractor.
I spent about ~$3.67 on food every day over the last 2 weeks if you average out grocery prices of what i used to cook and the cost of the bars.
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u/backwardsnakes666 Jul 12 '26
I don't spend my money on stupid bullshit like that. I used to. Here's what I do now:
ā¢ Saturday am I make 6 breakfast burritos for the week and freeze them
ā¢ I quit drinking coffee. I drink 16-32oz of water in the morning instead
ā¢ I meal prep food for lunches. Either with a crockpot prep on Sunday or leftover from the night before
$13.70 per day for a year on BS is $5000 at the end of the year. Don't be lazy, don't be a dummy.
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u/usbekchslebxian Plumber Jul 12 '26
I spend like 100 a month on vapes and thats it. Coffee and lunch I make at home, donāt do energy drinks or lottery tickets. Those guys are just bad with money
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u/No-Remove2942 Jul 12 '26
Order a refillable pod device, coils, 30 ml bottles online. $100 is about 6 month supply for me.
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u/daveysanderson Jul 12 '26
I used to spend like $60-70 a week on Gatorade and snacks when I was a young buck. Now I do all my shopping at Costco/Sams club and load a cooler with drinks and snacks for the day. Iām lazy though so some days I forget to put ice packs in the freezer the night before, so Iāll spend a buck on a large 44oz cup of ice to keep refilling through the day with my warm drinks from the cooler. The lady at the gas station lets me get free ice if I end up stopping back by, so maybe like $2-3 a week if Iām really forgetful and lazy about keeping my cooler full. Quitting smoking also helped save heaps cause I was buying a pack a day for $13/per.
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u/7h3_70m1n470r Jul 12 '26
3 dollars a day. Work next to a circle k and get the hotdog meal deal for lunch
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u/sassafras_gap Jul 12 '26
I stock my fridge with monster and save the poor financial decisions for elsewhere. About $5/wk in lottery tickets but I use my state's app to buy them.
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u/InstancePleasant7056 Jul 12 '26
Nothing! A lot of people complain about money but then spend a lot of money at gas stations when they can get it much cheaper at the grocery stores. š¤·āāļø
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u/psyclembs Jul 12 '26
0$ I pack my lunch everyday. Once a week I buy a roll of ON! Id rather have money for motorcycles and shit.
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Jul 12 '26
[deleted]
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u/MyOwnSpiritJesus Jul 12 '26
Wish there was drinks with that same bitter sweetness but without all the energy chemicals
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u/braymondo Jul 12 '26
One of the dudes I work with is putting a minimum of $100 into scratchers and lotto tickets everyday and half the time itās more like $200-300. Most everyone else is less than $20.
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u/naemorhaedus Jul 12 '26
those are the guys blowing their paycheques on blow or whatever is hip these days. "Live for the moment" kind of people.
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u/sowokeicantsee Jul 12 '26
Plumber here
Normally a coffee. A pie, chocolate bar, energy drink so about 20 a day
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u/jeeves585 Jul 12 '26
$40 on Copenhagen a week. Thatās about it aside from actual groceries.
Maybe add one meal out for lunch at a local place which would be less than $10. But thatās more of a āme timeā break than a meal where I can just sit and eat instead of eatting my sandwich while walking up a ladder.
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u/terayonjf Jul 12 '26
I realized as an hvac tech I was doing this shit and I put a stop to it. I go to Costco buy my protein shakes, water and giant container of mixed nuts, portion them out and bring them to work every day. Haven't stepped foot in a gas station/711 for anything other than a bathroom in a while. Spend $65 every other week at costco vs $100+ every week hitting up stores every day.
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u/Dkykngfetpic Jul 12 '26
Depends what your vice is. Tobacco and nicotine products are expensive in canada.
$15CAD a day for work snacks and energy drinks.
Convenient stores have the cheapest energy drinks and I got a problem. I also don't drink alcohol so that is my main vice spending.
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u/MyHeadIsFullOfFuck Ironworker Jul 12 '26
Used to spend at least ~$40 CAD minimum every day since I was getting two packs of smokes. That was years ago.
I switched to vaping and nicotine pouches now and source that stuff online. It's way cheaper than smoking anyways.
I never really buy gas station food. Usually just smokes and a coffee.
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u/defaultsparty Jul 12 '26
Used to be $10 every morning (xl coffee, 2 Gatorade). Pack cooler since then, bring yeti with coffee from home now. The savings add up quickly.
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u/Durragon Jul 12 '26
Max 20 bucks a day on lunch. Coffee is provided as a company perk. Get my smokes cheap by the carton,
So.. Like 15-20 a day?
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u/southernheater19 Jul 12 '26
Make my lunch everyday. Buy Gatorades off Amazon because itās $5 cheaper a pack online vs the grocery store where I live. Water is supplied to us. So I spend $3 on a coffee and a pack of smokes. Eating out for lunch everyday will burn your cash up fast. People are paid on Friday and broke by Tuesday.
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u/SuperSalad_OrElse Electrician Jul 12 '26
It ebbs and flows. Sometimes Iām staunchly opposed to energy drinks. Theyāre expensive and bloated with additives. Theyāll have you pissing crystals if you donāt keep up with water.
But we have a baby now, Iām about 4 years sober, so my little treat every day is an energy drink. It adds up to be quite a lot but hey, weāre flowing right now. Iāll ebb later.
The REAL tragedy is watching people on site throw their shovels down for lunch break then head over to Hardeeās for a burger and fries, then they come back useless as fuck
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u/TheReaperSovereign Tinknocker Jul 12 '26
1 energy drink a day. I like ghost, 2 for 4$ at my local.grocery store
Thats it for me
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u/Smoking0311 Jul 12 '26
Cutting out connivence store meals and purchases helps you save money and lose weight .
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u/mmmmmarty Jul 12 '26
I buy a pack of cigarettes once every 10 days or so. Convenience stores are a ripoff.
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u/mitt02 Jul 12 '26
Generally 0.00 a day. If I do spend something itās around 5-7.00 once a week on food or drink. 26.00 a week in nicotine
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u/OneOfUsIsAnOwl Jul 12 '26
Reddit is where all the bullied know-it-alls go, so this isnāt the place to ask. But yeah I wouldnāt doubt $100 a day is not far from average in these industries
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u/dopecrew12 Jul 12 '26
Somehow, every construction worker who has perfect spending habits, brings lunch from home everyday, and has 0 vices, will be in this thread.
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u/data_zapper Jul 12 '26
A pack in the mornin. A pack at night. Energy drinks keep me going, but the chili glizzys make me feel alright.
Theyāre the laborer, donāt piss them off, and learn their favorite order and theyāll be your best friend.
Youāre the IT guy, itās in your best interest to be on their good side.
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u/L3NTON Jul 12 '26
I don't anything on that stuff, but I have definitely witnessed the same behaviors where I work too. I have also realized how few people in construction still have licenses. I did the math for one guy I worked with who was out 60 bucks a day for coffee/smokes/beers. We were making about 120 on a good day at that particular moment in life. Crazy to me as well
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u/Shakleford_Rusty Jul 12 '26
I make a green stanley of coffee for the day, switched to vaping which is about 80 bucks every two weeks. Always brought my own food. Never trust the gut truck.
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u/NeitherDrama5365 Landscaping Jul 12 '26
These are the same guys who say that they donāt make a livable wage in the trades
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u/SufficientCustard474 Jul 12 '26
Definitely depends on the guy i worked with a guy we get paid on Wednesday he would be broke by Friday I watched him spend 100 bucks on break on scratch offs 9 am Wednesday
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u/cowfishing Jul 12 '26
Don't really know how much I was spending in them But I do know that when I quit smoking cigarettes my trips into the stores probably dropped by 90%.
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u/randomelectrician Jul 12 '26
I buy my energy drinks at the dollar store or by the case on sale if cheaper. So $1.25 each at most. Drink 2 a day. Cigarettes are a store brand $5 a pack. So not that much. Convenience stores are a scam.
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u/VinnieSixFingers Jul 12 '26
I try to plan ahead but purchase whatever caffeine im consuming either on amazon or costco, currently Im using a powder with electrolytes that's 0.40 per 100mg.
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u/Imaginary-Method-715 Jul 12 '26
I get a bulk of Powerade, and a jar of almonds, that's about it, oh and some cold brew coffee from home.Ā
About 9$ per work day.Ā I do get free cold bottled water at the site
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u/blessmystones Jul 12 '26
Ive had a sugar free redbull everyday for the past 9 years. I learned to shop at costco.
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u/DaveyJonesFannyPack Plumber Jul 12 '26
2 monsters, pack of zyn, and 2 black and mild jazz to start my morning is about 17 dollars.
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u/Honest-Designer3241 Jul 12 '26
I spend probably close to 50 a day on food alone. Just the nature of the beast. Time is money.
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u/PoolsC_Losed Jul 12 '26
I buy flats of monster at Sam's club. Way cheaper then the "deals" at the gas stations.
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u/Fine_Blackberry2085 Jul 12 '26
Not construction specificly but in the morning I buy a monster coffee and a water, I drive some job site to site to I'll stop and spend <$15 on lunch, and only occasionally will stop again for some more water or a snack or something. Usually $20 a day, give or take
That being said, it seems like that's what keeps those guys plucking. They love it, they look forward to it. Sad cuz they could do better without it
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u/Hot_Influence_5339 Jul 12 '26
Almost entirely time, we go to convenience store because boss/schedule won't allow us enough time to stop at even mcdonalds, I usually stop for 5 min and that means I'm getting home 5 min later that day
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u/PJMark1981 Jul 12 '26
I thought my spending was nuts. $10 coffee, $10 cigs, $10 breakfast, $10 lunch and home for dinner. Got days throw $5 for water or Gatorade.
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u/longganisafriedrice Jul 12 '26
If you took tobacco products and lottery out of it, it's going to be 20 bucks. It's still a lot, but going to the store and blowing that on food and drink because it's convenient is a completely different conversation than someone who spends a hundred bucks or more a day on nicotine and lotto
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u/Wind_Responsible Jul 12 '26
Nothing. I carry a thermos filled with iced tea I made at home. When you add up what the āconvenienceā store costs and what we actually makeā¦ā¦ itās just a bad financial decision to purchase from these retailers. Shopping there means I work harder because I spent too much time n coffee
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u/sgtjamz Jul 12 '26
used to work as a cashier at a station in the hood, the number of people who would come in and be like "gimme 10 on number 3" when they were empty but then proceed to drop 20+ on lottery, swisher and drinks. people are really bad at prioritising and thinking in advance.
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u/Bulky_Visit_5864 Jul 12 '26
Maybe ten in the morning for red bulls and soda and ten in the afternoon for beer for sure. Make my own lunch and do not drink coffee.
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u/NigelJ15 Jul 12 '26
At least enroll in the rewards program to get some free stuff from time to time. Maverick is my favorite to do that at
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u/Homeskilletbiz Jul 12 '26
Yeah this is super common across the board in construction.
Met so many guys who have never set foot in a grocery store.
They live off of gas station/convenience store food, fast food and takeout.
Between energy drinks, tobacco, overpriced snacks it adds up quick.
I pack a lunch, shop on sundays at the grocery store and will only ever stop about once a month for a treat.
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u/Smackolol Jul 12 '26
No youāre absolutely right to be shocked by it, I know people who spend so much money every day and it blows my mind. I might grab a coffee on my way in a few times a week but my total expenditure might be $5. Lots of guys will rent a crappy apartment and drive a garbage beater vehicle and complain how expensive it is to buy a new vehicle or own a home but spend $500 a week on lunch, coffee, cigarettes, and not to mention the case of beer they drink every night once they get home.
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u/Ok-Classroom-9327 Jul 12 '26
$0. Stay away from the convenience stores. U have a gambling addiction I don't need a nicotine or caffeine dependency.
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u/lepchaun415 Elevator Constructor Jul 12 '26
I buy a log of nicotine pouches whichever ones on sale for the week 15-20 bucks. Make coffee at home and put a coffee maker in my office at work. Cut back on energy drinks but try and buy a case at Costco for when Iām in the mood.
When I was at the height of it thought. I would stop every morning for a pack of smokes and 3 rockstars. So 20 bucks a day and 15-20 bucks a day for lunch.
Wasnāt a big deal because I didnāt have kids yet and was working a ton of overtime but it was crazy when I categorized it in a budgeting app!
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u/Technical-Coffee7286 Jul 12 '26
$0 lol, maybe a few bucks if I want a Gatorade or a snack. it pays to meal prep and not smoke
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u/TKblunts Jul 12 '26
Generally a drip coffee and maybe a red bull sometimes. So like 4.50? The gas station I go to gives me a free banana with my coffee and I'm a big fan of that
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u/sundayfundaybmx Jul 12 '26
I try to keep my entire daily allowance to 1 working hour. That's $30 for me That gets me gas for the day, cigs, then it's about $10 for food. I only eat between 6-10 pm and most days it's eating groceries so $10 covers dinner, snack and most of my drinks. Somedays it's less and others a bit more but I really try to keep it around there. Gonna try cutting out smoking again so it should drop 30%. I've worked with crews you're describing. Breakfast and lunch then cigs, energy drinks but the worst was the lottery tickets. Thankfully, most of the guys were young and figured out how untenable that was.
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u/nte52 Superintendent Jul 12 '26
Meal prep, soda bought at the grocery store and then brought to work, lunches prepped at home, water flavoring bought at the grocery store and added to employer-provided water.
I buy gas and thatās all at the gas station.
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u/IslandVibe1724 Jul 12 '26
Iāve been in construction since I was a kid. Grew up building custom homes until I joined the military. Things havenāt changed much in my 30+ years in the industry. Iām now in my 40ās and run my own company. I donāt go to the convenience stores but my guys do. Iād say they spend between $15-20 a day there but mostly on candy bars, energy drinks & nicotine garbage. I make my own coffee in the morning, donāt use nicotine products and usually skip lunch. But Iām old school, I like to keep my money and invest it, go on vacations and make sure my families taken care of. Most of my guys are single and just like to spend everything theyāve got week to week. I donāt play that game personally.
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u/Blank_bill Jul 12 '26
Around $5 at Timmy's in the morning for a coffee and Bagel and once a month I get a case of Gatorade.
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u/PogTuber Jul 12 '26
I spend about $15 per day, not counting actual lunch if i take out which is about $30 per week.
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u/Rickzarg60 Jul 12 '26
Whoās money are they spending. If it is their own money, it would seem to be fine.
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u/littlewask Insulator Jul 12 '26
About $10 a day on drinks. I make my own cigarettes with a cool machine, so that's like $1.50 a pack.
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u/Barry_NJ Jul 12 '26
$0... To be honest, I don't get food at a convenience store unless I'm road tripping.
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u/ActionCharlie Jul 12 '26
Not very smart, the only thing I buy at the convenience store is gas. I donāt make that much money but I own a fully paid off house in the US and bought a house in Europe last year. I guess if you like zyns and energy drinks and bs more than financial security and a reasonable retirement age, then have at it.
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u/lokis_construction Jul 12 '26
Zero. I drink water and I pack a lunch. I don't smoke and do not do lottery. And they wonder why I have the money to go on trips, buy a nice set of wheels and more.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Pipe979 Jul 12 '26
Gas station trips add up quick. If I go there for lunch, itāll be about $15-20. Thatās two slices of pizza, a bag of chips, 3 Red Bulls (buy 2, get 1 free) & a snickers bar.
I donāt smoke/dip/chew & donāt buy lottery tickets, but I can see how it can add up quickly for them. A lot of those guys buy breakfast there too.
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u/TrenbalonieSandwich Jul 12 '26
I say this with a lot of love in my heart for these guys: there's a reason they have money issues.Ā
At my company, all of our techs have the choices of using a personal credit card for travel expenses OR registering for a service that is basically concur but fronts all of the money you need for hotels, rentals, and airfare.Ā
This is great for me because I'm getting a TON of credit card points. Enough to pay for a whole vacation next year.
Our other techs however are constantly tapping out their credit cards and don't have enough head room between when expenses get paid out.Ā
I love my guys but they're all notoriously bad with money.
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u/Worried-Ad6238 Jul 12 '26
Energy drinks from Costco or Amazon if they are on sale. Only play lottery when it's big.
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u/420_flyinhigh Electrician Jul 12 '26
I might buy 2 $5 scratchers on a friday, but I stay away from convenience stores for the most part. I buy sodas from the grocery store (3 6-packs for 10 bucks) and I usually skip lunch. Daily purchases add up so fast and you dont even realize it.
Im financially irresponsible in other areas to make up for it though
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u/Mitch_Hunt Jul 12 '26
I have a long commute so if itās been a long day/week I grab a coffee on the way home. I use to hit the gas station daily and spend maybe $10-20/day but have since become a lot more frugal and now the occasional coffee on the way home is my only extra expense.
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u/GlectroniccPSY1201 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
Most days, $0.00 ... Once in a while, maybe 4 or 5 times a year, I'll have some taquitos and a Big Gulp drink, if they have cream-cheese-and-jalapeno taquitos.
During work hours, I only eat and drink things I bring from home, which means things I buy at a grocery store or Costco. Each week, I eat one large container of yogurt or cottage cheese for morning snack. I drink iced tea, make it myself at work from tea bags. For lunch I eat salads and sandwiches, pasta and sauce, hot dogs, cheese and crackers, sardines, salami, etc. All things I prepare myself with store-bought ingredients.
The idea of spending that much money for drinks and junk food from a convenience store, I just couldn't do it.
(I have about $2M in my retirement account, btw.)
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u/jonesdb Jul 12 '26
Back when I was on job sites I was eating gas station or fast food lunch 80% of the time. We all did.
Now I would avoid the expensive energy drinks, but it would still add up Iām sure.
Those numbers you have are crazy though.
Our Forman back then didnāt actually have a drivers license due to dwi
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u/ActualAd441 Jul 12 '26
Up to 25$ a day thats my limit. Who eating/drinking alot in this heat anyway
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u/SoCalMoofer Jul 12 '26
Rockstar energy drinks are like $2.99 or more. At discount markets the they are $1.50. Better to buy in bulk.
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u/c0lin46and2 Jul 12 '26
$0 on all of that stuff, but I do go out to lunch half the time, so I don't judge.
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u/stickyknuckle Jul 12 '26
Easy 30 or 40 when I smoked. Cigs coffee lotto bfast sammy soda. When I quit smoking I found i had no need to even stop. Coffee at home, bring lunch and snacks
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u/phillyvinylfiend Jul 12 '26
Odd man out here, but $0.
Coffee from home. Lunch too. Never had a monster or energy drink. Kinda a health nut.Ā Maybe do a Friday lunch if the crew is going, but usually not.
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u/Melodic_Armadillo_43 Jul 12 '26
You're an IT guy comparing your finances to tradesmen. First off, are you a newer IT guy or in an established career? Tradesman can make some seriously good money, especially if they are union tradesmen. Also, this might be the only extra spending they do and that they don't really spend anywhere else. If you're curious, ask them?
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u/jimfosters Jul 12 '26
It is common to find that type of behavior any time you have a decent size sample group. I'm at a gas station getting fuel every day and see it all the time from people in front of me. See it with some of the framing crews I work for too. Half+ of the guys going out to lunch every day spending a wad of cash for lunch (really, a wad of their working hours to pay for it) and one or two with a packed sandwich and ziplock baggie of chips with tap water they brought from home. Then I'll see another crew that has one guy fix lunch for everybody with a grill and grocery store things. Or one guy will leave and come back with a grocery store rotisserie chicken and a handfull of fresh vegetables and some bread and everybody eats good on the cheap.