Pboy

I know there's been an occasional thread entitled, "how much money did you spend drinking" ... but most of my adult life a great percentage of my discretionary cash went to the bar. Lucky I'm not a daily drinker, just don't know when to say when once I start.

I'm not rich, and I always pay my bills, but I'm done spending ridiculous amounts of money at the bar. We're talking several new cars.

For some reason I have a personality that once I get buzzed my favorite line is "get a round for everyone!"
Can anyone else relate?

CarolD

you are correct....we have several SR threads on this.
If you do a site search you can find them.

However....some of our newer members may want to
chime in......so........here we go.....

Ceres

I had my monthly budget of around $300 (I drank cheap beer). Then, I met my husband who intruced me to $100+ checks at cheap restaurants. :-)

CarolD

I've never tried to estimate how much I spent on alcohol.....
Impossible to guess as I was a daily blackout
bar fly for years.

Whatever it was had no bearing on the ammount I drank.
I was single.. attractive..always had men in my life....
worked in the hotel/restaurant/bar business...tipped well
So a lot of free booze came my way...

I had no problem financially but I sure
I had saved for my senior years. I did not

The jobs....looks and men are gone...however
I still enjoy life on a limited income
How?

I'm an AA recovered alcoholic.....

Insulated

oh about $6,000 on rum and another $60,000 on various other drugs. And he was so proud that he'd cut back on a coupla pills to buy my engagement ring, at a pawn shop, for $125!

DanielP

My one attempt at formal rehab (28 days in-treatment) cost $18,000. I never spent that much in 28 days drinking.

CAPTAINZING2000

ah no, I hated it when some A hole would want to do that buy a round for the house crap. I was like Norm on cheers I'd take a free drink but, I hated to buy a round. At the very end of my drinking, I drank alone so, I didn't spend as much money as I would've in a bar.

Astro

I always felt that I functioned very well, paid my bills on time and provided for my family. But looking back, how much I spent really doesn't matter, the damage I did was to my relationships, not my bank account or wallet.

In recovery, I don't have a need to look back on the money wasted anymore. I do however notice how much I have in my pocket now, and I try my hardest to donate as much as possible to help others.

ElegantlyWasted

Very relevant angle to focus on P, for a lot of us here. For me the the greatest damage was collateral (how my drinking self treated money in general when I went through periods of heavy consumption). I had a short term instant gratification mindset, where I was conscious of my bad financial decisions, but didn't care. I rationalized by telling myself I was still young and would be more responsible in the future. Took me a while to realize that I needed to totally eliminate booz to do it, but here I am six months and change w/out a drink, a manageable amount of debt and in the process of establishing effective long term result orientated habits. Life is good!

Lindsay

Although I spent a lot on the alcohol itsself, I also spent A LOT shopping while I was under the influence. Whether it was internet shopping or mall shopping, I never failed to buy whatever I could get my hands on. (Mostly clothes, shoes, jewerly, etc)

After about 3 years of serious credit card damage, I'm now happy to say that I'm going in the opposite direction!

Oh, and it wasn't just the shopping that caused financial problems...but the legal troubles I had associated with my drinking. I had a DUI which cost me. Of course there was quite the ripple effect...needed a new car since I wrecked mine, higher insurance, oh the list goes on and on!

Life is a lot more simple now.

Boleo

Now that I think of it, I probably spent $200 a month at the bar during my Epicurean years.

Even during my last Popov Vodka at home drinking days I easily spent $150 a month.

That probably works out to about a new car every 6 - 8 years.

least

At ten dollars for a bottle of wine, and drinking from one to three bottles a day, well that's at least three hundred dollars a month.... probably more.... What a waste of money and time, and all so I could feel either numb or sick as a dog....

Toronto68

During recent years I would spend about $500 per month, as a consistent, chronic at-home beer drinker.

Ten years ago, there was a 2 or 3 year period when I would go out to bars and dance clubs a lot, plus drink at home, though there was less consistency to the at-home part. (The alcohol was in the earlier stages of becoming medicine back then, so I wasn't enveloped inside myself as much.) Sometimes I got free drinks either from pals or people that "liked" me, but not that much. Still, I probably spent more back then, like $800 on average, even though I made way less

Times have changed

freespirit78

OMG this is what my bf and i talked about when we decided to quit...we'd easily spend $100 on dinner/drinks and then at least $150-200 at a bar...easily....

Clutch B

I was probably one of the cheapest drunks out there. I was a business major in college when I first started to drink. I loved economics, operations management, finance, and statistics ... I was a total nerd!

I carefully calculated that the most efficient and cost-effective way for me to get hammered was to buy the cheapest 100 proof vodka available. It was $6.97 for a 750 ml bottle. I drank one of those every day, straight out of the bottle. I hid it in my computer desk cabinet. It was always warm and nasty, but I needed it.

If I was out with family or friends, I would join them with ONE glass of wine or ONE margarita. I'd watch them get tipsy. How cute. But they never saw me hiding my vodka ... I had alot of empty bottles to smuggle out of the house too ...

So glad that's over! No more smuggling, no more hiding. No more hangovers, no more sickness. No more blackouts, no more cravings. No more shame. It's over.

Pboy

I typically spend between $200-$500 per night at the bar

tyler

I was never much of a "bar drinking" kinda guy. More getting hammered by myself in my room. I'd say, at my worst, I'd spend $150-$200 a month. Now pot was a different story, That was a $800-$1000 or more a month habit!! I quit the pot about 9 months ago, and have been competely sober for a month and a bit. Not only do I have more money from not spending it on pot and booze, I was able to get a better job and perform at a higher (no pun intended!!) level, and make considerably more money. Good deal all around!!!! Take care.

exquisitered

There is no telling how much I spent on drinking. At my worst I spent about $100 - $150 a week, and I never went to bars or bought for anyone else. Though I did mostly buy brands of liquor I liked instead of just what was cheapest.

penny74

It cost me more than l an afford... in more than one way...

baker

I think approx $6,000 - $7,000 over 12 months, what a waste of money!