Poll:How much do you spend on Wine, Beer & Liquor on Average?

[RetireAge50]

Poll:How much do you spend on Wine, Beer & Liquor on Average?

We don’t usually drink when we are away from home and buy most alcohol from Costco. I don’t track it but my guess is maybe $50/mo.

 

[Midpack]

We averaged $85/mo in 2018, and we buy higher quality stuff, we just don't overdo "usage."

 

[Bamaman]

Wine? $0 per year

Beer? $10 per year

Diet Coke? A lot.

As a type II diabetic on an insulin pump, I long since avoid any alcohol.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I used to drink but starting in my early 50s or so, a couple of drinks would give me a headache the next day or even cause a hangover. Then a few years ago, I found that I slept better if I drank nothing at all so now rarely drink. I'll probably have a drink tomorrow as I'm going to my neighbor's house for Easter dinner and they are wine connoisseurs.

This is why I have cut back. I find I can get away with one and only one early glass of wine or beer and that's all. Anything else has adverse consequences and it isn't worth it.

 

[Eagle43]

I have Two drinks (red wine) with dinner every night It's a ritual which I believe will keep me alive and heart healthy. So far, so good, I can't estimate how much is spent as I don't keep records, so I'll guess $80/month. DW rarely drinks alcohol.

 

[Reach]

I track every penny using Quicken for the last 10 yrs of retirement. We started out "cheap" and then realized life is too short to skimp and get top shelf gin/wine/beer.

I break out alcohol even when dining so I know our real total... $250/mo in the Caribbean and just over $300/mo in the US for the last 3 yrs. Works out to ~$10/day or two drinks a day on average. About right.

 

[jebmke]

Which is why the gods invented Uber.
Everyone of our neighbors uses it for dining.
The cost is low enough. Also, many households are moving to one car. The savings buy a lot of Uber rides.

Which is fine for urban areas. The services don't operate around us; neither do taxis except during a few set hours.


Fortunately/unfortunately alcohol keeps me awake at night so I have pretty much cut it out. I volunteer to be the DD if we are going out.

 

[audreyh1]

One of the interesting things in Korean dramas - apparently the Koreans having a heavy drinking culture, particularly with business associates - is that if you find yourself inebriated, you can call and hire someone to come get you and drive you home in your car.

 

[audreyh1]

We by a lot of wine. But we have an extensive cellar so we’ll go for months buying nothing, and then buy several bottles at once.

 

[braumeister]

apparently the Koreans having a heavy drinking culture, particularly with business associates.

I believe the same is true in Japan and Russia.

 

[MichaelB]

apparently the Koreans having a heavy drinking culture, particularly with business associates

I believe the same is true in Japan and Russia.

Some countries in Latin America as well, especially Venezuela and Brazil. It Venezuela it was a prerequisite when dealing with Govt or the Oil companies.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

The Koreans have a heavy drinking culture, particularly with business associates.

I w*rked in Korea on and off for 5 years. So tell me about it! To add to it they do not trust you if you do not drink (Heavily) with them in their "Drinking Houses". It took a toll... but they are very nice people to work with.

 

[marko]

I w*rked in Korea on and off for 5 years. So tell me about it! To add to it they do not trust you if you do not drink (Heavily) with them in their "Drinking Houses". It took a toll... but they are very nice people to work with.

+1
Did this myself for many years in Korea. At one point I was out with the president of our rep. outfit. His #2 whispered in my ear that I didn't have to try to keep up, but only had to make it look that way. The old man was so hammered that he didn't even notice how much I was drinking.

Take a sip and then the girl re-fills your glass (for another $50)

This guy had two cars and two drivers --one for himself--who would take you home at the end of the night.

Japan was always a bit less intense. A few drinks, some laughs and it was all good; I was the big boss, so nobody really got too far out of line in front of me.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

+1
Did this myself for many years in Korea. At one point I was out with the president of our rep. outfit. His #2 whispered in my ear that I didn't have to try to keep up, but only had to make it look that way. The old man was so hammered that he didn't even notice how much I was drinking.

Take a sip and then the girl re-fills your glass (for another $50)

This guy had two cars and two drivers --one for himself--who would take you home at the end of the night.

Japan was always a bit less intense. A few drinks, some laughs and it was all good; I was the big boss, so nobody really got too far out of line in front of me.

My trick was to give every other drink to the girl that was sitting next to me (Like a personal waitress, she would pour mine and others on my behalf if needed). We always had full bottles at the table, I never forget because the whiskey was called "Something Simple" but came in a bottle that looked a hell of a lot like Dimple Whiskey.

 

[COcheesehead]

I used to live in neighborhood made up of mostly 50 - 60 ish year olds. So for the most part no kids at home. So everyone had lots of time to be social. There were at least 4 active wine clubs in the neighborhood. So you were always buying wine for some type of theme party. It got out of hand and we ended up with lots of wine we really didn't care for.
Now we buy what we like, store it and enjoy it over time. No more wine clubs.

 

[W2R]

A couple of decades ago, I had a half consumed bottle of white zinfandel in my cupboard. It had been there for at least 2-3 years. One day I looked at it, thought of how miserable alcohol had made some families that I knew, and how it makes me gain weight, and wondered what earthly good that bottle ever did me. That day I just tossed it out and never bought another. It was probably vinegar by then anyway I suppose.

Most people that I worked with did not push me to drink, even at conferences or while on work travel, because they knew that I didn't drink. If/when someone does push me, I consent, get the drink set down in front of me, and then never take even one single sip. For me, with those people, that got the point across very firmly.

 

[COcheesehead]

A couple of decades ago, I had a half consumed bottle of white zinfandel in my cupboard. It had been there for at least 2-3 years. One day I looked at it, thought of how miserable alcohol had made some families that I knew, and how it makes me gain weight, and wondered what earthly good that bottle ever did me. That day I just tossed it out and never bought another. It was probably vinegar by then anyway I suppose.

Most people that I worked with did not push me to drink, even at conferences or while on work travel, because they knew that I didn't drink. If/when someone does push me, I consent, get the drink set down in front of me, and then never take even one single sip. For me, with those people, that got the point across very firmly.

An open bottle of wine stored in a cupboard would be bad by the second day.

 

[brett]

Just waiting for my preferred Chilean Merlot or Argentine Malbec everyday plonk to go on sale so I can buy a case or two. Lasts a while but when the local liquor store chain brings in a container they blow it out fast and at a great price.

 

[Winemaker]

Last fall I spent $3000 on California grapes, California juice, yeast, and supplies. I spent $600 on a 30 gallon French Oak barrel. I've spent $160 on 18 gallons of Chilean and South African Sauvignon Blanc juice for delivery in May. I plan to purchase a special 60 gallon American Oak barrel for about $600 this summer. Some of these wines won't be ready for consumption for 2 more years. I yielded 125 gallons=625 bottles=$4.80/bottle. My wine cellar holds 1300 bottles; and I noticed I have more friends now!

I do purchase liquor on occasion, rum, whiskey, whisky, bourbon and gin. DW and I usually split 1 bottle of wine a day, some days maybe more. When we both were employed, we hardly ever had a drink. I rotated shifts weekly or biweekly at 10-12 hours /day, had no time for booze then. I took up the wine making hobby in 2010 anticipating retirement in 2014. Now we have time to "savor the flavor", as we never drank to get drunk in the past, present or future. We have too much to lose by overindulging alcohol.

 

[brett]

DW does not drink alcohol but she certainly cooks with it. When I open a bottle of plonk I know that part of it will be going into our dinner.

 

[karen1972]

We tried to put a $100/month budget in but we are often over. One thing driving cost is stupid ABC store pricing but its really just pricing in general in this state. Its almost double what I pay when visiting my family. I paid $43 for a .75 L of Titos Vodka here in NC and got the same at Woodmans in Wisconsin for $28. Menage was $6 w/ rebate at Woodmans, I'd be lucky to find it for under $11 on sale in NC... and then my honey is a huge Craft beer snob so add that to the list and we are hosed. For it being MCOL, food and drink kills our budget.

 

[John Galt III]

About once a week I head off to the beer store to see if I can score some > 5 % ABV beer or ale on sale. They often have the expensive stuff at 40% discount if the 'best by' date is near. I get a case a week on average, so that's around $22 times 4 equals $88 a month on the brewskis. No wine, no liquor.

 

[Tree-dweller]

$49.99, the price of a 1.5 L handle of Bulleit Rye, which lasts me a month (February gets me a generous pour, only 28 days and all ;-})

 

[Physics Guy]

We drink a good beer with dinner 4 or 5 times a week. DW will drink a bottle of wine a month which brings the monthly total to just under a hundred. We'll buy a couple of bottles of bourbon, rum or gin per year but if we make a drink with that we are skipping a beer so it evens out.

No alcohol when we eat out unless its a brewpub but then it falls in the entertainment budget!

 

[ugeauxgirl]

About once a week I head off to the beer store to see if I can score some > 5 % ABV beer or ale on sale. They often have the expensive stuff at 40% discount if the 'best by' date is near. I get a case a week on average, so that's around $22 times 4 equals $88 a month on the brewskis. No wine, no liquor.

I had no idea there was a "best by" date on beer. I learn the most interesting things on this site.