The Last $20 Alcohol Will Ever Cost Me
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Watford
Posts: 83
The Last $20 Alcohol Will Ever Cost Me
Last week, in the middle of my last binge, before I registered here, something happened at my local bar.
It was about 9pm, and I was about a dozen beers in. This is usually my "happy expansive stage" when I have a habit of feeding stray dogs that walk past, and giving money to beggars.
A young guy was trying to pay his bill with a $20 note. It had a slight tear in the middle. They are weird in Cambodia, not even the banks will change slightly damaged notes.
So me being in the friendly stage of my session, saved him by swapping it for two $10 notes. Part of my brain was screaming don't be so stupid! How will you change it? But of course, the liquid demon didn't care about that.
Next day I try and pay for something at the local shop using it. The owner, of course, won't accept it. After some haggling she agreed to take it, and try and get rid of it, for a small percentage.
This morning, she gave it back to me. None of here suppliers would accept it either.
So I now have a $20 note in my pocket that I cannot spend. I'm going to keep it folded up in my wallet, so that I can see it every time I open it. As a constant reminder of all the things alcohol has cost me in my life.
It was about 9pm, and I was about a dozen beers in. This is usually my "happy expansive stage" when I have a habit of feeding stray dogs that walk past, and giving money to beggars.
A young guy was trying to pay his bill with a $20 note. It had a slight tear in the middle. They are weird in Cambodia, not even the banks will change slightly damaged notes.
So me being in the friendly stage of my session, saved him by swapping it for two $10 notes. Part of my brain was screaming don't be so stupid! How will you change it? But of course, the liquid demon didn't care about that.
Next day I try and pay for something at the local shop using it. The owner, of course, won't accept it. After some haggling she agreed to take it, and try and get rid of it, for a small percentage.
This morning, she gave it back to me. None of here suppliers would accept it either.
So I now have a $20 note in my pocket that I cannot spend. I'm going to keep it folded up in my wallet, so that I can see it every time I open it. As a constant reminder of all the things alcohol has cost me in my life.
A Smart Bug is a Sober Bug!
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Hot and Muggy South Florida
Posts: 1,396
I saved my bank statement with the $1000 damage deduction from the hotel where I broke the toilet with my head and flooded the room.
If I ever want another drink I will look at that and imagine what I could have bought for myself instead of a new toilet for the Marriott.
If I ever want another drink I will look at that and imagine what I could have bought for myself instead of a new toilet for the Marriott.
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Great story (though odd about the practices in Cambodia...).
I bet most of us have a similar memory of misspent/abused money. I sure do.
One thing I have on my phone is a sober tracker app - I have an android and use SoberTime - https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...obertime&hl=en - there are lots out there and plenty for iphones, too. One thing I really like about this one is the money tracker. You put in how much you spent on alcohol (ex, I was drinking vodka hard core by the end, about a handle every 2 days, so I put in $25/2 days - this doesn't count what I was also spending in rest/bars but it was a good enough estimate) - and it is SHOCKING what I have saved in 161 days. I try to think of it not as money lost (before) but money I will keep saving (now).
I bet most of us have a similar memory of misspent/abused money. I sure do.
One thing I have on my phone is a sober tracker app - I have an android and use SoberTime - https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...obertime&hl=en - there are lots out there and plenty for iphones, too. One thing I really like about this one is the money tracker. You put in how much you spent on alcohol (ex, I was drinking vodka hard core by the end, about a handle every 2 days, so I put in $25/2 days - this doesn't count what I was also spending in rest/bars but it was a good enough estimate) - and it is SHOCKING what I have saved in 161 days. I try to think of it not as money lost (before) but money I will keep saving (now).
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Watford
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by earthsteps 
I saved my bank statement with the $1000 damage deduction from the hotel where I broke the toilet with my head and flooded the room.
If I ever want another drink I will look at that and imagine what I could have bought for myself instead of a new toilet for the Marriott.
If I ever want another drink I will look at that and imagine what I could have bought for myself instead of a new toilet for the Marriott.
Needless to say, I was confused by the puddle I found it sitting in on the desk the next morning. Until I realized what must have happened.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
When I was in treatment they had us total up what we had spent on drinking over the past 5 years. I was absolutely floored. I drank in bars almost exclusively, and had two DUI's which cost me major money. I could have taken a couple of nice vacations and bought a new car with cash. Or put it in my son's college savings account. Instead, I pissed away time and money drinking, for absolutely nothing good. I keep that sheet from treatment around, along with all of the legal paperwork from the DUI's. Stark reminder.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1,601
Sorry but this made me laugh.
I was such a cheerful drunk at a certain stage.
One time I used my credit card to pay a $20 cover to get into a bar and I was so loaded and happy that I TIPPED the bouncer $100 on my credit card. I didn't remember til I saw my CC statement. Who does that? An alcoholic...that's who...Good lord.
One more thing - How does one break a toilet with one's head? Inquiring minds.....
I was such a cheerful drunk at a certain stage.
One time I used my credit card to pay a $20 cover to get into a bar and I was so loaded and happy that I TIPPED the bouncer $100 on my credit card. I didn't remember til I saw my CC statement. Who does that? An alcoholic...that's who...Good lord.
One more thing - How does one break a toilet with one's head? Inquiring minds.....
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Watford
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by Bunny211
Sorry but this made me laugh.
I was such a cheerful drunk at a certain stage.
One time I used my credit card to pay a $20 cover to get into a bar and I was so loaded and happy that I TIPPED the bouncer $100 on my credit card. I didn't remember til I saw my CC statement. Who does that? An alcoholic...that's who...Good lord.
One more thing - How does one break a toilet with one's head? Inquiring minds.....
I was such a cheerful drunk at a certain stage.
One time I used my credit card to pay a $20 cover to get into a bar and I was so loaded and happy that I TIPPED the bouncer $100 on my credit card. I didn't remember til I saw my CC statement. Who does that? An alcoholic...that's who...Good lord.
One more thing - How does one break a toilet with one's head? Inquiring minds.....
Mac.
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
When I tell people who are not in AA how hard we sometimes laugh at meetings while telling our stories or listening to someone else's, they are confused. How can those things be funny? Because a lot of them are ridiculous. And because we can all relate. And it's freeing to tell those stories to people who get it. So, we laugh.
Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Northeast WI
Posts: 163
I have pictures on my phone of my broken nose from January (falling forward and mashing my face....drunk, of course!) to remind myself both of the destruction to my person and my wallet, as I don't have health insurance.
It works well.
It works well.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Watford
Posts: 83
Giving up is NOT an option.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 7,808
Originally Posted by MacW
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1,601
I Love Mickey B!
Haha. Yep. I laugh a lot when swapping war stories. I was kicked out of a McDonald's at 2am for screaming and demanding they make me a
Chicken Mcnugget McFlurry. They told me that they could only put m&ms or reese's in ice cream, not chicken. I laid down in the floor in McDonald's and cried. I guess they said they were going to call the cops so my friends dragged me out of there and I was screaming and calling them all racist b---stards. Not sure why, cuz I'm a little white girl from Boston. Anywho. Ah, good times. LOL.
Haha. Yep. I laugh a lot when swapping war stories. I was kicked out of a McDonald's at 2am for screaming and demanding they make me a
Chicken Mcnugget McFlurry. They told me that they could only put m&ms or reese's in ice cream, not chicken. I laid down in the floor in McDonald's and cried. I guess they said they were going to call the cops so my friends dragged me out of there and I was screaming and calling them all racist b---stards. Not sure why, cuz I'm a little white girl from Boston. Anywho. Ah, good times. LOL.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
