Travel hacks for better snacks

So a bit of background background: I work in the oilfield, and spend a lot of time traveling from rig to rig, eating truck stop food, fast food, and microwaveable meals / snacks. On top of that, I have severely limited my carb intake. Managed to do the keto diet correctly for 8 months and lost 60-70 pounds.

Eating on the road tends to be more costly; buying in bulk is limited. Keeping perishables cold either requires a premium cooler or constantly refilling ice chests. Here are some hacks I've (or others I've worked with) utilized to cut costs on travel. I hope these tips can help other travelers save a few extra dollars at the end of the day!

1) invest in ice packs or reuse plastic water bottles and freeze them for longer trips. The more ice in the coolers at the start the longer food stays cold. Another option is to use ice. I had the opportunity to buy shrimp directly from a shrimping boat south of New Orleans years ago. Keeping them frozen for a 10 hour drive cost me $5 in ice and salt. The salt melts the ice yes, but it also lowers the temperature as it dissolves! Lost none to spoilage!

2) at times I'll have food left over after the job is finished. Cooked food keeps longer than raw, and homemade jerky can be a great option. This also works after hurricanes to extend / save from food losses if no power to keep meats cold.

3) travel drinks: since I no longer drink calories (except for occasional bulletproof style coffees) sodas, gatorades, juices are not options for me. Water, coffee, or tea are mo go-to drinks.

Water by the gallon at walmart is still under $1. A single small bottle of Dasani at the checkout is $1.25+. Walk the extra few feet to the back and take the gallon jug.

I have also found a few truck-stops that have wide variety of creamers free with coffee purchase, as well as the caffeine boost cups as well. I always grab a couple of those if I need the bump.

Tea is similar to water. Absolutely stay away from fast food sweet teas... those can have more calories than the burgers and fries combined! A gallon of tea at walmart, like the water, is often much cheaper than 2 or 3 of the "Pure Leaf" bottles in the displays. The ultimate cost cutting? Reusing gallon jugs and making sun tea. Gallon size teabags are under $.33 each. Plus work gives us 3-5 gallon water bottles for the trailers.

4) snacking on nuts/seeds. The commercially mixed bags are marked way up. You can save up to 50% buy buying them in the baking section and seasoning them yourself.

Please add other tips you have as well! Always happy to save more!