Notices

how much money has it cost you?! what would you spend it on?!

Old 11-19-2006, 07:05 AM
  # 1 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 20
how much money has it cost you?! what would you spend it on?!

hi well didnt sleep too well last nite but hey will sleep better tonite hopefully! was nice to wake up with a clear head...i just went shopping for dinner and didnt go near the booze isle!(admit i was scared, cos im really impulsive) anyway i was thinking about how much money ive been spending on wine and its 70pounds a week! so even if i can just stay dry for two weeks that would pay for my sons bike for xmas! and if i can stay dry for another 2 weeks that will pay for a shed to put it in!!
so thats my mini goal.. how much have you spent on alcohol and what would you spend the money on instead??
luv emma x
emz282 is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 07:26 AM
  # 2 (permalink)  
Member
 
scootinbabe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: road to recovery
Posts: 1,689
hmmmm--at least 7 bottles of wine a week on average=$70-$100/week

not counting hard alcohol for occasional shots.

not counting drinks at restaurants--which really ka-ching!

52 weeks @ $70-100 dollars per week=$3640-$5200!!!!!!!

holy moly--i'm going to FIJI!!!
scootinbabe is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 07:41 AM
  # 3 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: The Northland
Posts: 34
About $50 a week for me if I don't count the drinks my AH paid for at restaurants. I'm spending some of that on taking special care of myself and my family...it's only been three weeks -- what am I saying only three weeks -- it's been THREE WEEKS! The longest I've gone without a drink since my last pregnancy 22 years ago! I feel great.
nelle4 is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 01:02 PM
  # 4 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 15
Congrats Nelle... Im working on 3 weeks from an opiate addiction. WAY TO GO! I would spend 60-120 dollars a day on my stuff.... so i now can finally have money for fun stuff like clothes and make up and my beloved mountain dew! Great Job on going shopping and staying away from the booze isle... im very impulsive as well. THAT is a great step in your recovery! You could have gone down that isle and gave in, but you steered clear of it.... thats really really hard to do! Keep goin at it i know you can do it!!
BLONDEBombers is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 02:17 PM
  # 5 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Antioch, IL
Posts: 32
Congrats to everybody!! About 12 dollars each a bottle (vodka), and I drank about 4 bottles a week. So, it is 48 dollars a week, plus the tonic water, probably a little over 50 dollars a week.

I am sending my son to preschool with that. He was going before, but we were struggling with money, so he was only going once a week, now he will go 3 times a week.
Hanzade is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 03:04 PM
  # 6 (permalink)  
Member
 
1_day@_a_time's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 1,539
Well, I've ballparked the numbers before & it's disgusting.

Over 20+ yrs., all the dope & booze, I figure it's over 100K.

Now that's an addiction!

One to be taken seriously.

Very, very, VERY SERIOUSLY.

It's a disease, suggust you don't try to get sober by yourself.

It would be like operating on yourself, if you were diagnosed with cancer.

Get involved with SOME sort of formal program.

It's difficult enough. Increase your odds!
1_day@_a_time is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 03:15 PM
  # 7 (permalink)  
Member
 
StrongR2Day's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Somewhere there is peace of mind
Posts: 210
Don't forget to add the lost wages, attorney fees, fines, hospitilization (health related costs), insurance, ad nauseum. Years ago, it was figured the long term chronic alcoholic/addict spent/lost close to a million dollars in their drinking/drugging career. The seat you are sitting in at your AA/NA meetings does not come cheap!
StrongR2Day is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 09:05 PM
  # 8 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Belchertown, MA
Posts: 9
GREAT THREAD!

$20.00/day x 7 days x 7300 (20 years)...$146,000.00. Pretty sobering (pun intended), isn't it?
atticus is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 09:44 PM
  # 9 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 225
Would have been Enough for:

Any of the mansions I walk past daily (never had)
More cars than I can drive at one time (haven't)
All the latest electronic media (haven't)
Things to help me cook (a few, are still in boxes)
Space to live well and host friends (only ever had for a short time)
Ability to promote myself wholesomely (never had)
A Wife (never had)
Several beautiful children (never had)

Six figure embezzler against myself - and the first figure is not a 1

(I don't see myself as alcholic/addict only - have several "invisible" diisabilities, without appropriate support - have to guard against self pity

At least I'm alive and can post here. A couple of non-institutional professionals are beginning to show interest but I don't know how much good can be done now)
Found is offline  
Old 11-19-2006, 10:04 PM
  # 10 (permalink)  
Raised from the Dead
 
chicago's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Chicago
Posts: 376
oh boy figuring out a realistic estimate for me is gut-wretching. tough to even think about. but i dont regret the past anymore or wish to shut the door on it, so lets examine.

the last year of my run was my 6th consecutive year as a full blown heroin addict (ages 19-25). my habit was $40-$100 a day depending on how much money i could borrow/con/hustle/steal/etc. we'll average it out at $70 a day. bringing me up to $420 a week! that is a whopping $1680 a month.

dont wanna know how much that is a year.

sad part is going on 10 months sober i have a stable job and im still broke!!
chicago is offline  
Old 11-20-2006, 01:40 AM
  # 11 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 20
wow! well done 3 weeks is great! im 3 days...haha but im not looking past kikis bike yet....fiji?!! sounds great! can we come! its really amazing when you think how much we have spent throughout our lives on this garbage isnt it? some of you could have bought a new house outright!
well it helped me today, i have a pic of that bike up on my fridge and a jar for my booze money next to it! i cant wait to see his face! little monkey betta look after it tho!
emz
emz282 is offline  
Old 11-20-2006, 07:43 AM
  # 12 (permalink)  
Member
 
michski's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: California
Posts: 972
I figure 20 bucks a day on booze = 140. a week x 10years =7,280 a year =72,800
I can't even bear to think about the money I've put up my nose...
michski is offline  
Old 11-20-2006, 11:47 AM
  # 13 (permalink)  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 20
oh god michski!
dont even go there! i fell of the waggon in the last 12 months after a gud few years!! before it was a much bigger problem, i never went back to drugs just wine and i never associated alcohol in the same way...even tho i was brought up in an alcoholic house... but god!
if i thot about how much money i spent in those few years .....thhhhch it doesnt bear thinking about....and money was the smallest damage (i havent thot about those years in a long time) i dont blame myself or i try not to...i was a child trying to be a grown-up reacting to the life and neighbourhood i was living in,if i saw me now? god i would take her in and love her( i have actually! she bit my hand off! just like i would have done back in the day!)didnt expect anything else! but i hope when she is older she remembers us and what we did for her, she didnt know any better.......but i do and MY FAMILY deserve a chance
emma x
emz282 is offline  
Old 11-20-2006, 12:05 PM
  # 14 (permalink)  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: canada
Posts: 16
My husband smokes at least a pack of cigs a day(approx 9$)drinks beer every day, sometimes splurges on rum, smokes hash/weed combo joints like they are cigarettes. Over the years, I don't even want to think about the amount. Sometimes we didn't have gas, food, dog/cat food,tampons etc. But we always had his needs. I had to start hiding money from him. The last time I left (was about 3 hours before I went back) I told him i'm tired of not having money. He still manages to work full time and makes good money.Plus I work.Anyway, I told him I was going to start hiding money.He thought it was a good idea. Ever since we always have money. I refuse to give him any but he finds people who will front him drugs and pays for it later. They will always find a way.
scared and sad is offline  
Old 11-20-2006, 12:36 PM
  # 15 (permalink)  
Old & Sober Member of AA
 
Jersey Nonny's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Nursing Home in Brick, New Jersey
Posts: 5,174
WOW! Since I drank for 32 years, I shudder to think how much I spent over that time. And, since I quit 27 years ago, when alcohol and cigarettes were still somewhat affordable, I doubt my pension and social security would cover it...something would have to go...like rent, food, utilities, etc. But, just as during my active alcoholism, the alcohol would be the last thing I gave up.

If only it were possible to have all that money I p***ed away...and, I mean that literally, since frequent trips to the loo were always part of the drinking...I know exactly what I would do (for starters). I'd have my severely arthritic knees replaced and take a month-long first-class trip to Europe.
Jersey Nonny is offline  

Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:50 AM.