What America Spends On Booze

[mickeyd]

I don't spend that much on alcohol these days though I do have a lot of extra time to tip a few. For those of you guys who drink, this is an interesting look at where we have been going for the last 30 years. I think that I spend more at the store than @ the bars.

Quote:

Out of every $100 American consumers spend, about $1 goes to alcohol. That hasn't changed much over the past 30 years. But where we spend our money on alcohol has changed quite a bit. We spend a bigger chunk of our booze money in bars and restaurants. We spend less money buying alcohol at the store to drink at home.

What America Spends On Booze : Planet Money : NPR

[Packman]

We go to our favorite warehouse liquor store every couple of months and buy a case or two of wine. Great prices - thousands of wines to choose from. We really enjoy trying new wines at home. Don't drink too much in bars or restaurants, except maybe a happy hour drink with dinner.

[WhoDaresWins]

I am spending less and less, as I am not drinking much at all and mostly small (3 glass) paper cartons of mediocre wine. I would guess this amounts to maybe $20.00 a month. However, when I have dinner out (about once a month) I have a Grey Goose vodka martini, cost about $8.00 or $10.00. This brings the total to roughly $30.00 a month.

[Mulligan]

I follow this trend. I only drink socially. Since I am not social at my house, I don't drink there.

[WhoDaresWins]

I should clarify that my mini 3-glass cartons of wine are for an entire week-end, not one sitting. I have to make-do with cabernet sauvignon as I have not found my fave, pinot noir, in the PA state stores.

I like a glass of wine when I am taking the time to cook something a little special for myself. It just seems civilized...

[FIREd]

Since eating out often means driving, I rarely drink at restaurants (I am almost always the designated driver). So I buy most of my booze at the store.

[W2R]

We neither drink nor smoke.

Guess we are not a barrel of fun, but we are happy with that decision. I think it could be hard for anyone who drinks or smokes to make ends meet.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R We neither drink nor smoke. Guess we are not a barrel of fun, but we are happy with that decision. I think it could be hard for anyone who drinks or smokes to make ends meet.

You can buy Sterno at the dollar store.

[Ronstar]

I spend about $30 a month if I brew 5 gallons or $60 in a big month when I brew 2 batches. I give a lot of it away. It's getting to be more fun to brew beer than it is to drink it.

[ziggy29]

Interesting. I'm not an expert at extrapolating social trends from this, but I wonder if this means that there's less "drinking alone" these days, and more of a trend toward drinking in more social settings?

[haha]

Drinking at home does not mean drinking alone. People often got together in one another's houses, to watch games, and drinks/beer/wine is often served. Even this is perhaps more likely to take place at sports bars today.

My parents had cocktail parties, night parties, etc. People are more likely to go out to these functions now. Also, happy hour in bars was much less common not long ago than it is today. The recession has really helped this takeoff, as the bars need to reach out in tough times.

Ha

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Drinking at home does not mean drinking alone. People often got together in one another's houses, to watch games, and drinks/beer/wine is often served. Even this is perhaps more likely to take place at sports bars today.

Certainly true, but I still think there is some correlation. I suspect there's a lot more "solo drinking" at home than at bars and restaurants. That doesn't mean most alcohol purchased for home consumption is going to drinking alone, just that I suspect the percentage is somewhat higher. I admit to not having data at my fingertips to confirm it, though.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziggy29 Interesting. I'm not an expert at extrapolating social trends from this, but I wonder if this means that there's less "drinking alone" these days, and more of a trend toward drinking in more social settings?

Considering that neither my spouse, me, nor our daughter are drinkers... someone's doing a lot of our heavy lifting.

How long will Bailey's Irish Cream survive refrigeration anyway? As far as we can remember, it's been at least five years.

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Drinking at home does not mean drinking alone. Ha

Reminds me of the great Tom Waits song, "Murder in the Red Barn"... "There's nothing wrong with a lady drinking alone in her room"

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron Reminds me of the great Tom Waits song, "Murder in the Red Barn"... "There's nothing wrong with a lady drinking alone in her room"

"When I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself"...

[RunningBum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords How long will Bailey's Irish Cream survive refrigeration anyway? As far as we can remember, it's been at least five years.

The alcohol preserves it. They guarantee the same taste for 2 years. After that, if it's lumpy or separated, it's probably time to dump it, but it apparently doesn't spoil. It just may not taste as good.

Regarding the chart, it seems to me that people dine out more. It may also be that the cost of booze in bars and restaurants has gone up faster than at liquor stores. Seems like it to me.

[Cessna5354]

We enjoy a beer(me) or glass of Merlot(DW) at home, but rarely drink at dinner out. Probably $50 beer, $25 wine per month.
I wonder if the increased divorce rate has increased bar & restraurant business. Each to his/her own, However.

But, I am a much better engineer than sociologist !!

[Gumby]

In my house, and I'm sure many others, alcohol consumption is tied to meals -- we have a bottle of wine with dinner most nights, whether at home or in a restaurant. I think what the data confirms is simply that more Americans now eat out rather than at home. See this report from the US Department of Agricultures, which is a bit dated, but still confirms the trends:

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib19/eib19.pdf

Quote:

"The away-from-home market grew to account for about half of total food expenditures in 2004, up from 34% in 1974."

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Drinking at home does not mean drinking alone... My parents had cocktail parties, night parties, etc... Ha

Count me in as a person who does not go to bars very often. I host family get-togethers quite often, and occasionally some friends. I prefer to pour some eaux de vie for my guests after dinner, and tell them about where I got it.

When I drink alone, it is usually up in my 2nd home at 7,000 ft elevation. Alcohol is an alternative source of energy for heating, ya know?

I do not track alcohol expenses separately (I did not even know our food expenses until recently), but it cannot be that much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover You can buy Sterno at the dollar store.

That's Extreme LBYM (ELBYM)! Have they found an antidote for methanol?