I’m 17 and still figuring out budgeting, so sorry if this sounds dumb.
In August, I’ll finish school and start training as a truck driver. For the next three years, I’ll alternate between working three weeks and then spending a week at trade school. But what I’m really wondering about is what happens after that when I’m 21.
Based on my estimates, I’ll earn between 2,800€ and 3,000€ gross per month, which would leave me with around 2,000€ net after taxes (since I’ll likely be in tax class 1 with no kids or spouse).
Now, here’s my budget:
Fuel: My car does 12L/100km. I’ll drive about 800km a month, which means I’ll need about 100L of fuel. Assuming fuel prices hit 2€/L, that’s 200€/month.
Car expenses: Insurance (30€), taxes (20€), TÜV (10€), car wash (40€), repairs/parts (200€). Total: 300€/month.
Food: I survived on 150€ for a week on a class trip, including eating out, so I think 70€/week for groceries is realistic. That’s 350€/month.
Entertainment & extras: Unlimited data plan (60€), vacation savings (100€), going out (300€). Total: 460€/month.
License renewals & medical exams: These cost around 470€ every five years, so I’m rounding that to 10€/month.
That brings my total expenses to 1,320€/month, leaving me with 680€ left over every month. Over four years, that adds up to 32,640€ saved.
I feel like I must be missing something—this seems too good to be true. Am I underestimating my costs, or does trucking actually pay better than people say? Any advice is appreciated.
You did a great job breaking everything down, but a lot can change in a few years. Fuel, insurance, and the job market are unpredictable, so you might want to leave some room in your budget for unexpected costs.
Can you actually drive a truck at 18 where you live? In some places, like the US, you need to be 21 to cross state lines, and even if that wasn’t the case, insurance might be an issue for hiring someone with no trucking experience.
@Maximus
Yeah, in Germany, you normally need to be 21 for a CE license, but if you go through a trade school program for trucking or similar jobs (firefighter, soldier, construction, etc.), you can take the test at 18.
The only catch is that until I turn 21, I can only work within Germany since other EU countries don’t recognize the license for under-21 drivers. But there’s plenty of work here, so that’s not an issue.
If your spending stays the way you planned, then yes, saving 700€ per month seems reasonable. The challenge is making sure you actually stick to that budget.
Your level of detail is impressive, and that’s a great habit for managing money. One thing to think about long-term: being a long-haul trucker means you’ll be gone Monday to Friday. If moving in with your girlfriend and possibly starting a family is important to you, that lifestyle might not be ideal. Also, trucking can take a toll on your health, so you may want to look into ways to stay active and eat well while on the road.
Yeah, I could probably get a more efficient car, but I really like my old Opel. It’s been reliable so far, and most of the 200€ I budgeted for repairs would probably go toward customization rather than fixing things.
As for helping out at home, I already do a lot—fixing stuff, helping with my dad’s car, bringing in wood, cleaning dishes, etc. I like doing that anyway, so it’s not really a burden.
I just wanted to check if my numbers make sense because 680€ left over each month sounds too good to be true. But I guess it’s mainly because I won’t be paying rent, which makes a huge difference.