northland

I'm typically broke, but it seems the times I do have money, the immediate thoughts that dominate are thoughts of drinking. I'm sitting on day 18 today, I looked in my bank account and saw that the government owed me $440, and they payed up. I know I can spend that money on so many other better things, but whenever I have extra money, I can't help but think about drinking.

I'm just curious if money is a big trigger for anyone else? I'm not going to drink, I have a lot going right now and I don't have an overwhelming desire to drink, it's just amazing how quickly the thoughts come back just because I have some extra money now

LaFemme

Well, when I drank everything was a trigger.

That said, yesterday I lost my wallet, which means I had no money until this morning when I could get to my bank...no biggie, except, for about 5 seconds my brain sent out an anxiety message which was an echo of "How am I going to pay for my booze".

Thankfully, these echoes get fainter and fainter with every passing day

bigbook

It's never been a real trigger for me, I look in my wallet today and amazed that there is money in it, I always spent it all and then borrowed too so i could keep drinking. Then court costs came into play for me.

Someone told me once to think the drink through. How much money will you really need to start drinking again? Lets see I'd need a lot and it would run out fast and that's only to cover the alcohol, there's always additional costs at least for me there were, I never knew exactly what was going to take place when I decided to stop for a drink. Some of drinks ended costing $3000.00 or more.

Supercrew

Money helped my addiction take it's course. The more successful I became the more money I had and the more free time I had. Add no outside accountability and you can see a big problem for a person who was obsessed with alcohol.

Don't get me wrong, the money also gave me the freedom to work on recovery without bosses and bill collectors on my butt. But the money helped the progression of my issues to begin with.

Nikkle

I too am typically broke, so yes I can identify with what you are saying. If not a trigger, it certainly made the process of getting drunk easier. Didn't have to scrounge for change in the couch cushions, the laundry, my poor 3 year olds piggy bank or cash in my fiancé's old muddy beer cans he throws all over our property. So yes, having money for a bit gave me a holiday from the daily hustle and during those times, I drank more than usual. Funny how quick the money always ran out with little to show for it!

Dee74

I couldn't buy booze without it, so money was always a factor - I never missed a payday 'blowout'... but I'm not sure it was a trigger as such for me.

If you're anything like most of us northland I know you can use that $440 right now - think of all the good uses you have for it

D

beaglenut

Big trigger for me. I have given my bank card to my partner and he is going with me if I need to shop for anything.

When I think of the money I have blown on alcohol, I am appalled. I could have put that money aside for my dds university fund,

chebella

No, I've never went drinking just because I had extra money.
What is a plus for me now, is that I haven' t had drinks since 6 days and already I've saved up 30€.
This summer I remember talking to my friend about never having any money (my regular drinking pal). We checked our bankstatements together in our regular bar named Taberna, and found out that all our money went to that bar.
Every weekend and Wednesdays we payed with our bankcards. Mostly the day after because when we are drunk we leave without paying and who knows the next day how many wisky's we've had?
So at the end of the month , I spend about 300€ there and my friend 500-600€. I changed bar then, he is still there spending ...

so maybe , if I can stay sober, I can save up a bit?!

FrankBarone

Not really. It always helped if I had it but if I was desperate for a drink I'd have gotten money from somewhere.

understated

Not really but now that I have been unemployed for the past month anything I spend money on I really have to think about I had to tell myself I couldn't afford McDonalds today and drive past.

I have to admit...I was pretty bummed.

ISPYSOBRIETY

Prior to quitting, I would often think about how much money I was spending to make sure I had my booze ready to go each night. When I added up the amount it typically cost me to be comfortable drinking each night, I was not happy with the amount I was paying out to be "comfortable."

I've always been financially responsible for the most part. It just seemed that I could have been paying more towards some of the credit card bills, or a list of other things, than I did discarding empty bottles once every couple days.

Money was then a reason to give it up and if I did, earlier, I might have spared myself about 20k in a wrecked car, attorneys fees and fines that I may face.

Sobriety could have saved me a ton of money. Money is a trigger for my sobriety now.

nitenurse

I (vaguely) remember once opening a tab at a bar in the front of a club and then wandering 3 feet to open yet another tab at yet another bar in the same club. I then abandoned my debit card altogether in a drunken haze. When I was eventually sober enough to check my bank account, I saw that I'd run up astronomical tabs at both bars. And I never saw that debit card again. I now save a significant amount of money by not doing stupid s#!% like that.

Maryjan

Northland, hope you take a dollar for every day of your sobriety & buy something great for yourself. You deserve it.