When I think of all the money I spent...

[spiker]

When I think of all the money I spent on drinking. Paying for liquor and cigarettes at the store was one thing. But going out to the bars was another. I remember some places charging $5.00 to $10.00 for admission, $3.50 minimum for one single beer, it took at least 6 or 7 to get me buzzed. Not mentioning how many it took to get me tore up.
Cocktails are like $4.50 minimum each, and that was the cheap stuff. How about buying a round of shots for friends? How much was that? $15.00 or $20.00 maybe?

Not to mention that I tip a minimum of $1.00 for every beer or cocktail I drink. Then you run out of smokes, and stupidly buy them from the bar for $5.00 a pack, even more now.

It was nothing for me to go through $60.00 in one night at the bar.

Waking up the next day and being horrified at the amount of money I spent. Then, there was the 2 years I was also doing speed at like $40.00 a pop. (luckily I didn't get addicted to speed and gave it up easily, can't say the same about liquor though)

Oh my God, when I think of 15 years of that behavior. All that money. I remember skimping on certain things in life, being cheap about one aspect, and then going out to drink and spending money like a king.

I am angry about it. It was just pissing money away.

I still fall off the wagon. But things are in better control these days. I no longer order the cheapest thing on the menu at dinner. Hell, I go for the $20.00 steak now.
When I get the urge to go out to a bar, and then don't do it. I wake up knowing I am that much more wealthy than I could have been, and will go buy those shoes I have wanted so bad.
So, that is my new therapy. I will say to myself, if you don't go out and drink, then tomorrow when you get up, have a nice breakfast and go buy that DVD box collection, or new clothes, or something fun.

[jhay]

This is something I think about everyday - how much I blew on blow and alcohol. It's a good reminder for me whenever I get an urge. It's nice to treat yourself to something nice every once in a while, unfortunately I'm still paying to get out of the financial hole those years put me in.

[utopia]

I don't go out on the town more. I found it was good for me when the morning after friends at the time had hangovers and were grumpy. I'd had a massage and a good meal and was feelin mighty fine thanks. Showed me the power over my own life!

[bjork]

I have been able to indulge in more shopping as well as a result of cutting out my $100/week drinking sprees as well. Keep it up, Spiker!

[sct]

Haha... yeah...

At my lowest point, I was going through easily, five or six hundred dollars a week in drugs, and homeless. I stole, scrimped, stashed, and I was always broke. When I first got a job in recovery, I was able to pay off some fines, and afford rent on my own, and put away a couple thousand dollars in savings, because I wasn't putting it all up my nose.

Recovery is kinda cool that way.