Set a budget and invest X dollars in books, audio files, attend real estate investment club events and maybe some home study courses.

If your car/truck gets 10 miles/gallon, that's 10 gallons of gas, or about $40 in gas (on the high side).

Would it be a good idea to buy a new truck this year?

Like I said I also bought a 53 k 1 ton dully truck I use strictly for my other business.

And it looks like you're budgeting 3% for maintenance and nothing for capex -- that seems risky to me.

Your trash budget seems low, and why are you paying $400/year for advertising?

I know people that started off initially with a $500 per month mailer budget, and it took them awhile to land their first deal, but every time they did they rolled the profits right back into marketing and now this person is closing on about 3-5 properties per month.

To be a good investor you need to: Be self-motivated to work hard (this can be proven by earning a good income)Have basic accounting skills and ability to follow the money (this can be proven by setting and staying within your monthly budget)Live below your means (this can be proven by setting aside a little $ each month for investing)Be responsible and keep up with things (this can be proven by paying your bills on time)Lastly but certainly not least, delay gratification (this can be proven by not cannibalizing your investment savings when circumstances of life tempt you to do so).

I've seen people do various types of rubber coatings, and even truck bed liner material, but have had the impression that these are temporary measures to buy a year or two before more definitive action is taken.Has anyone found a cheaper but not shoddy way of repairing box gutters?

This $398 value is not in our budget.