|
|
Booze! How much do you spend a month?
08-29-2009, 08:06 AM
|
#1
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 569
|
Booze! How much do you spend a month?
So, I was having a dinner conversation with a friend and we got on the topic of food spending. I mentioned that I spend about $200/mo on groceries, but another $100/mo on wine and beer. She nearly fell out of her chair and was ready to drive me to an AA meeting.
But when I broke down the math for her, it made a little more sense (but I still think she had driving to an AA meeting in the back of her mind )
~ 3 bottles of wine/month @ $20/bottle: $60 / mo
~ 2 six-packs of beer/month @$9/pack: $18 / mo
~ 1-2 happy hours/month: $20-$30 / mo
That's roughly $98-$108 / mo or ~ $100 /mo. I usually have a beer after coming home from w*rk during the week while making dinner, and on the weekends when I cook more elaborate meals (& sometimes have friends over for dinner) I have a glass of wine or two. I guess if I had to tighten my belt if I lost my job, booze would probably be one the first things I cut from the budget, but if I don't have to this seems reasonable to me.
The conversation got me wondering...for those of you that indulge in a drink - about how much do you spend a month on booze
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
08-29-2009, 08:11 AM
|
#2
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
|
About $4 a month. That's one 99 cent Margarita each week when eating out in our favorite Tex-Mex restaurant.
I don't see how you could tighten your belt after all those calories.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:18 AM
|
#3
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 3,519
|
We've been averaging about $115/mo. That's only liquor we buy in the store and does not include drinks in a bar/restaurant. We like entertaining at home, so that drives the liquor bill up too.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:25 AM
|
#4
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 569
|
LOL, I get up @ 5:30 am and run 5-6 miles, 5 x per week before going to w*rk...that keeps the weight in check...
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:29 AM
|
#5
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,072
|
I'm sure you meant to post this under the health forum. My med's are broken down below.
Beer 24/pk of Coors Light 8oz $11.29
Wine 1 bottle $10.00
Happy hours, 2-3 a month $25.00
Total $46.29
No copay's for OTC med's. Oh yes, cost goes up in a declining market.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:30 AM
|
#6
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,321
|
Zero
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:30 AM
|
#7
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy
Zero
|
More evidence of why you chose your user name...
__________________
Numbers is hard
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:33 AM
|
#8
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,145
|
When we started going crazy buying red wine last year I knew I should have created a new category in Quicken and not just kept it lumped in with the "groceries" category.
It all started in April of 2008 when "running away" from a late winter storm near Portland we moved the motorhome 150 miles to eastern WA and ended up near tri-cities, right in the heart of the Columbia Valley wine production. Waiting for the weather to clear, what was there to do but research red wine and go visit a few area wineries. We'd done a little of this in the area before, but this time we researched the red wine blends and discovered so much inexpensive fantastic tasting wine, that we came out with 2 cases of assorted wines and gathered up another case and half in our subsequent wanderings in the Pacific NW.
So, I have no idea how much we spend on wine (and beer)!
Hmmm - I guess I could compare 2008 "groceries" to 2007 and note the difference.
We spend an ungodly amount per month on groceries anyway. It's one of the areas we really splurge because eating well is important to us, and I enjoy cooking but only with "the best".
Audrey
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:34 AM
|
#9
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: North Oregon Coast
Posts: 16,483
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawg52
Oh yes, cost goes up in a declining market.
|
Deflation...
__________________
"Hey, for every ten dollars, that's another hour that I have to be in the work place. That's an hour of my life. And my life is a very finite thing. I have only 'x' number of hours left before I'm dead. So how do I want to use these hours of my life? Do I want to use them just spending it on more crap and more stuff, or do I want to start getting a handle on it and using my life more intelligently?" -- Joe Dominguez (1938 - 1997)
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:41 AM
|
#10
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy
Zero
|
Me, too.
$0.00/month and I don't regret it for a minute. Several years ago I finally threw out an ancient bottle of white zinfandel that I never managed to finish up.
Drinking does nothing for me (except to provide empty calories, and I'd rather have those in the form of Tostitos! )
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:46 AM
|
#11
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
|
If drinking will make me do that, maybe I should be spending more money on booze.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:53 AM
|
#12
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
|
100 to 200 dollars a month. Then we have a wine club membership thats about 150 a year.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:56 AM
|
#13
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,145
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Want2retire
Drinking does nothing for me (except to provide empty calories, and I'd rather have those in the form of Tostitos! )
|
For us, it's all about the taste and dining experience. We only drink wine with food - because they complement each other so well. And we don't drink much either - not enough to get a buzz (well, not usually ). A standard glass of wine is 4 to 5 ounces, and DH and I usually split that.
And we drink beer for the same reason. IMO beer pairs well with spicy food (something like an IPA) and seafood (dark beers work well), and some hearty "homestyle" foods. We always split a 12 ounce bottle (which is also considered a single serving).
Of course if everything tastes really good we might have to have seconds.....
Audrey
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 08:59 AM
|
#14
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,500
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
We only drink wine with food - because they complement each other so well.
|
To me, water complements food SO much better, because it doesn't interfere with the flavor. But if we all agreed on these threads, there wouldn't be much point in discussions.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 09:01 AM
|
#15
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 569
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawg52
I'm sure you meant to post this under the health forum. My med's are broken down below.
Beer 24/pk of Coors Light 8oz $11.29
Wine 1 bottle $10.00
Happy hours, 2-3 a month $25.00
Total $46.29
No copay's for OTC med's. Oh yes, cost goes up in a declining market.
|
OTC meds...
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 09:05 AM
|
#16
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,145
|
Have you guys seen these? Vinturi Wine Aerator (Hoo boy, is that one cheesy commercial video)
We call ours "the guzzler" because of the cool sound effects! They are outrageously expensive, but fortunately ours was given to us as a gift (so no guilt ).
We love it.
Audrey
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 09:05 AM
|
#17
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 569
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
For us, it's all about the taste and dining experience. We only drink wine with food - because they complement each other so well. And we don't drink much either - not enough to get a buzz (well, not usually ). A standard glass of wine is 4 to 5 ounces, and DH and I usually split that.
And we drink beer for the same reason. IMO beer pairs well with spicy food (something like an IPA) and seafood (dark beers work well), and some hearty "homestyle" foods. We always split a 12 ounce bottle (which is also considered a single serving).
Of course if everything tastes really good we might have to have seconds.....
Audrey
|
I agree, Audrey, especially w/wine...it can enhance a really good meal. I'm not a fan of mixed drinks or cocktails. If I'm going to have a drink by itself at a happy hour, I usually go for a beer.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 09:08 AM
|
#18
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,072
|
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 09:09 AM
|
#19
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Austin
Posts: 1,142
|
My SO likes good beer and drinks two a day, one at cocktail hour and usually one at dinner. His current favorite is Anchor Porter, or O'Hara's Irish stout for a special occasion. Say $20/week for him.
Two bottles of inexpensive wine a week for me. I am constantly delighted and amazed at the abundance of good wine available for under $15 a bottle. Make it $20/week for me too.
So together, about $160 a month.
|
|
|
08-29-2009, 09:09 AM
|
#20
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 569
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
Have you guys seen these? Vinturi Wine Aerator
We call ours "the guzzler" because of the cool sound effects! They are outrageously expensive, but fortunately ours was given to us as a gift (so no guilt ).
We love it.
Audrey
|
I hadn't seen this...I do have a decantur that I got as a gift several years ago but I'm usually too lazy to use it. I just give the glass a few vigorous swirls before drinking. But this thing looks interesting...I'll have to put it on my wish list...
|
|
|
|
|
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
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|