Author Topic: Booze: post FIRE  (Read 7878 times)

blue_green_sparks

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Booze: post FIRE
« on: January 27, 2020, 07:43:48 PM »
Anybody else wonder if they would drink themselves to death right away? I have seen it happen to several functioning drinkers once they retired....a downward spiral. I had a stressful career and looked forward to winding down with a nice scotch or 2 or 3 each evening. The first week I retired I had a shot everyday at 9:00 AM just because I could. Almost a year in and I just stopped drinking. It was no big deal...It WAS the stress. Stress will kill ya. Daily morning workouts are a lot easier than when I was partaking.

If you want, share your POST FIRE Booze history for our education...

FreshlyFIREd

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2020, 02:17:54 AM »
2.5 years in retirement. Alcohol definitely helped me get thru a toxic work environment. I grew dependent on it. So when I retired, I continued to drink daily (1-2 per day, always in the evening).

I have recently started cutting back. I am now drinking 1-2 drinks about 2 days per week. I feel much better.

When I was working, I was subject to random drug tests, so I have not done weed since I was a teenager. Now that I have retired, I am experimenting with gummies. I like marijuana much better than alcohol, but I do miss the ritual of making and drinking a "great old fashion".

I sleep better with the gummies and there is ZERO hangover.



AdrianC

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2020, 04:50:34 AM »
Alcohol definitely helped me get thru a toxic work environment. I grew dependent on it. So when I retired, I continued to drink daily (1-2 per day, always in the evening).
Me too, not toxic, just stressful. Plus I just grew up around alcohol. Drinking was being adult. I drank every day for years. Usually 1-2, sometimes 2-3, more on weekends, always in the evening. Beer and wine mostly. I definitely had a habit, probably a dependency.

I'd also thought for a while that I didn't want my kids getting into the binge drinking at school that I had done. I needed to set a good example for them.

Last November I decided to quit, again. This time it's working, so far. 77 days sober. I feel good, I sleep better. This is the longest time without alcohol since I was 17.

I still get the craving in the evening. Zero alcohol beers help me. I want to try some zero alcohol wines too.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2020, 06:05:10 AM »
I didnt drink much at all really my working years but in Fire I enjoy a cocktail couple nights a week (but just one) and in the summertime on my boat I will have mostly on the weekends beer, cocktails or whatever on mostly the weekends but socially. Not really worried about it ever become more than that and I exercise more now than I did before being Fire to do so.

LifeHappens

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2020, 09:16:06 AM »
I'm not FIREd yet, but for 5 years I lived in an island community known as "Spring Break for Senior Citizens." I've learned a few things about how NOT to retire!

The people I saw fall into regular drinking lacked any sort of purpose outside of hedonism, as far as I could tell. They are the type who have no intellectual hobbies (maybe fishing), don't volunteer, don't do their own home maintenance or even cleaning. Honestly, it scared me and made me realize you do have to retire TO something, not retire to get away from something.

Greystache

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2020, 09:27:01 AM »
My drinking habits have not changed much since I retired. I usually have a beer in the afternoon and maybe a glass of wine with dinner (depends on what's on the menu and how well it pairs with wine). It's a little surprising because alcoholism is fairly prevalent in my family.  Personally, I hate hangovers and I can't imagine waking up with a hangover and proceeding to get drunk all over again. I guess I am the classic "social drinker". I brew beer as a hobby and so do some of my friends. Whenever certain friends come over, we immediately have a drink or three, but only rarely does anyone get seriously over served. There are some days when I don't drink at all and I never seem to miss it.  If not for the social aspect, I'm pretty sure I could eliminate drinking entirely without much of a problem, although there are certain dishes that just would not be the same without wine.

infromsea

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2020, 09:28:42 AM »
Similar thoughts here, started drinking more often due to work stress.

After retirement and working from home/in between things. I found that I really enjoy a nice day buzz, usually accompanied by a good lunch and maybe a movie/browse a bookstore.

One thing I discovered was that I often confused hunger for desire for a drink. I often don't eat until later in the day, that turned into "I want a drink" (body wanted calories and pushed me for them in any way it "could"?). This turned into "day buzz friday" just about every fri. This is not in alignment with 90% of my other behaviors (distance runner, have a clean diet etc.).

To counter-act this, I started eating protein before drinking and, about 50% of the time don't have the drink after I've gotten some calories in me. In addition, I set "no drinking' timeframes. Example, the day after the super bowl, I'm meeting a friend for lunch, we'll have beers with the meal, and then I will go cold turkey until later in the month (about two weeks) when wife and I go on anniversary trip.

I find, when it comes to alcohol, abstinence is my best friend, as I set the boundary and don't break it. Without rules I'll find myself drinking without really thinking it over/through.

J.R. Ewing

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2020, 01:16:53 PM »
I imagine I'll increase alcohol consumption in early retirement.  Right now we both work and have 5 & 3 year olds.  Evenings are a mad house after we get home from work at 6:00.  After getting kids to bed, tackling evening chores, getting back on laptops, we collapse into bed around ten.  Finding 15 minutes to sit and enjoy a glass of wine or homebrew sounds amazing. 

infromsea

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #8 on: January 28, 2020, 01:22:44 PM »
I imagine I'll increase alcohol consumption in early retirement.  Right now we both work and have 5 & 3 year olds.  Evenings are a mad house after we get home from work at 6:00.  After getting kids to bed, tackling evening chores, getting back on laptops, we collapse into bed around ten.  Finding 15 minutes to sit and enjoy a glass of wine or homebrew sounds amazing.

It's funny you mention that. The wife and I almost never drank when the kids were younger. We recently asked ourselves why we didn't drink more than "back then" and we remind ourselves of how busy kids kept us, not to mention you had to be ready should one of them stick something where it shouldn't be, break something, jump over the wrong thing...etc. etc. etc. Being a parent means you are 15 minutes away from a last minute trip to the store or emergency room and/or often on your way to or from some after school activity. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Padonak

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #9 on: January 28, 2020, 01:44:50 PM »
Not FIREd yet so ptf

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #10 on: January 28, 2020, 06:08:14 PM »
Similar story for me - I drink a little less post-FIRE due to less stress.  Drinking had crept up a little over the years -- first it was two beers on weekend evenings, then three, maybe four on Friday if it had been a really stressful week.  Then Thursday was added, because, well, it's almost the weekend. 

Now I rarely have more than two, because that little bit of relaxation is enough.  I no longer feel the need to buzz away the stress.  And I don't cram it all into a weekend binge.  Generally, I'll drink every other day.  So my total consumption is down from 12-15 beers per week to about 8.

Padonak

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2020, 08:22:19 PM »
Like I mentioned above, I am not FIREd yet so can't comment specifically on drinking post-FIRE. However, one thing that helps me drink less is a strict rule I have: no drinking alone. If I drink, somebody else has to be present even if they don't drink alcohol with me. One exception to this rule is pre-drinking before going out, but even that I'm trying to cut out completely.

I live alone so the "no drinking alone" rule works well for me. It's obviously different for someone who lives with a spouse or partner. Other rules I try to follow as well: no drinking before sunset and very little or no drinking if I have to work the next day.

Like many people, I tend to drink more when i am on vacation. Almost every day on vacation vs about once a week when I work. My concern is that when I'm FIRE'd, I'll act as if my life is a permanent vacation and drink more, especially if I don't have to worry about waking up early for work.
« Last Edit: January 28, 2020, 08:24:41 PM by Padonak »

seattlecyclone

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2020, 10:19:34 PM »
I FIREd less than a year ago. I think my drinking habits correlate more with the number of small children in my family than anything else. My previous workplace did not prohibit alcohol in the office. In fact they served beer and wine every week prior to a company all-hands meeting, and our building also had a lounge with a couple of beer kegs available at all times. During my last couple years of employment there I did find myself wandering up there once or twice a week to partake in a drink toward the end of the work day while I finished up my last few lingering tasks. I think my drinking has stayed about the same or gone down slightly since I left. I'll usually have a glass of beer or wine with dinner, sometimes another after that, and that's usually as far as it goes. I'm pretty comfortable with this.

infromsea

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2020, 08:17:36 AM »
My concern is that when I'm FIRE'd, I'll act as if my life is a permanent vacation and drink more, especially if I don't have to worry about waking up early for work.
This won't last long. Take a few weeks to "get it out of your system" and then you'll likely adjust/settle into a new rhythm or routine. Think about other times of celebration, say your birthday etc. do you celebrate one day or one week? Whichever it is, after a time (I'm up to about a week of "birthday" celebration/reflection/debauchery) the "party/let your hair down" routine/mindset grows tiring and we begin to crave our normal routine. This may not be true for people with mental issues or substance abuse issues, they might be in danger of "starting to party/celebrate" and not being able to "stop" in the time frame they want to. As long as that's not your situation, you'll likely drop the "I"m on permanent vacation" after a time.

Other ways to combat the permanent vacation, side gigs that require more organization, volunteering at places/times/with people that require you to be sober, and other rules mentioned in other places in this post like you said, not drinking alone and maybe requiring a reason to "celebrate" in order to drink (of course, the reasons could be minor/trivial so we must be careful not to fool ourselves here...).

StashingAway

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #14 on: January 30, 2020, 07:02:39 AM »
I still get the craving in the evening. Zero alcohol beers help me. I want to try some zero alcohol wines too.

Don't expect much, at all! Zero alcohol wines are absolutely disgusting. They don't resemble wine or grape juice or anything... they're like a weird chemical fermented mud drink or something. I'm amazed they sell it at all (or rather, that people buy it more than once).

Zero alcohol beers are pretty good and can cover for the real thing. Wine isn't even in the same ballpark

infromsea

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #15 on: January 30, 2020, 09:01:19 AM »
I still get the craving in the evening. Zero alcohol beers help me. I want to try some zero alcohol wines too.

Don't expect much, at all! Zero alcohol wines are absolutely disgusting. They don't resemble wine or grape juice or anything... they're like a weird chemical fermented mud drink or something. I'm amazed they sell it at all (or rather, that people buy it more than once).

Zero alcohol beers are pretty good and can cover for the real thing. Wine isn't even in the same ballpark

No experience on the zero alcohol wine BUT, the Oduls amber IS drinkable and hit's the spot when you are grilling/cutting the grass and just REALLY want a beer.

We have a "total wine and more" around here and they have a nice selection of low/zero alcohol beers. We have tried:

Paulaner Weizen-Radler = Nasty, two sweet, tastes like a kids idea of a summer shandy beer, just gross (we never drink sugar/sweet drinks)

Heavenly Body Golden Wheat = Nice! Not 100% like a full bodied wheat beer but it gets the job done, pairs nicely with food/meals that you might normally grab a wheat beer for

Penn's Best Non-Alcoholic Beer = a great Bud light (yuck) replacement. If you consume lots of light beers and can put back a six pack of bud light/miller light etc, this will hit the spot. Easy drinking, goes well with a burger etc.

Buckler Non-Alcoholic Beer = Tastes like a homeless person drank cat piss, then urinated into the bottle. I wouldn't give this to anarchist terrorists who have my mother hostage and only want a six pack to release her, nothing else in this world comes close to being as nasty as this is.

St. Pauli N.A. = nope, nope, nope, nope, nope... If you drink heinie, similar beers this might hit the spot but I thought it tasted like nasty dishwater, so I poured it down the sink drain!

Kaliber = not bad, get's the job done, is just like drinking a regular beer that doesn't have quite the full taste you desire/or used to (if you are a craft beer kinda person who is used to a lot of flavor/good balance etc.).

Need to try - I think Heineken has a new version of their NA beer out there, we need to try it.

Bottom line, you really have to test these out for yourself since beer is such a personal thing. For us, the Oduls Amber will work in a pinch (wife is on pain meds for surgery so she enjoys an oduls with meals) but the "craft beer NAs" seem to be gaining traction and (hopefully soon) will keep producing more drinkable versions for us all to enjoy.

LifeHappens

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #16 on: January 30, 2020, 09:36:32 AM »
If you're a stout/porter drinker, the cold brew coffees in a nitro can make a nice substitute.

infromsea

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #17 on: January 30, 2020, 10:04:19 AM »
If you're a stout/porter drinker, the cold brew coffees in a nitro can make a nice substitute.

Interesting... are there any without a ton of sugar/additives?

LifeHappens

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2020, 10:23:14 AM »
If you're a stout/porter drinker, the cold brew coffees in a nitro can make a nice substitute.

Interesting... are there any without a ton of sugar/additives?
Every one I've ever tried is just plain black coffee. The nitro gives it a creaminess that mimics milk.

BreakBad

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #19 on: January 30, 2020, 12:00:02 PM »
I worry about cocktail hour creeping earlier, and stretches of days where I don't have a non-drinking day. As someone else mentioned, that's a byproduct of boredom and not enough mental stimulation.

So, get busy living, or get busy drinking.

That being said, I'd argue that there is nothing wrong with a drink or two per day, or sharing a nice wine with your spouse. In moderation.

NotJen

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #20 on: January 30, 2020, 12:44:02 PM »
Sitting here drinking some leftover wine after lunch.  Not because I'm bored, but because I'm having a good day and I'm happy.

So far, my drinking habits are about the same as when I was working (except that I often start and finish drinking earlier).  Averaging a drink a day - a wine or beer with (or before) dinner, a beer or two when I go out.  I have to make sure I have a day or two a week without drinking - it's not hard, just something I try to be conscious of.

I do have a desire to start day-drinking at local breweries, but so far have not, because I don't actually *want* to leave the house just to go drinking.

That being said, I'd argue that there is nothing wrong with a drink or two per day, or sharing a nice wine with your spouse. In moderation.

Ugh, the joys of being a woman - 2 drinks a day is "problem" territory.

Car Jack

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #21 on: January 30, 2020, 01:51:46 PM »
Mostly stopped drinking years ago.  I think I had a beer 3 years ago at a July 4th celebration.  Didn't stop because it was a problem or anything.....just stopped.

Metalcat

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #22 on: January 30, 2020, 03:15:53 PM »
Sitting here drinking some leftover wine after lunch.  Not because I'm bored, but because I'm having a good day and I'm happy.

So far, my drinking habits are about the same as when I was working (except that I often start and finish drinking earlier).  Averaging a drink a day - a wine or beer with (or before) dinner, a beer or two when I go out.  I have to make sure I have a day or two a week without drinking - it's not hard, just something I try to be conscious of.

I do have a desire to start day-drinking at local breweries, but so far have not, because I don't actually *want* to leave the house just to go drinking.

That being said, I'd argue that there is nothing wrong with a drink or two per day, or sharing a nice wine with your spouse. In moderation.

Ugh, the joys of being a woman - 2 drinks a day is "problem" territory.

Yup.
I think 3 a week is the threshold for significantly increasing breast cancer risk.

Being female is bullshit sometimes.

sui generis

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #23 on: January 30, 2020, 10:48:16 PM »
Same drinking as before FIRE.  I never remember alcohol exists when I'm alone, so I'm never at risk of drinking away my days.  Grateful for this since I have a serious family history of alcoholism.  Generally have a glass or glass and a half of wine with dinner (so long as Husband is not traveling, otherwise see first point above)...probably more often than not.  Plus the occasional cocktail at home or at dinner on the weekend.

I'd love to spend time in FIRE with other mind-altering chemicals though.  After reading "How to Change Your Mind" I really, really would like to use my FIRE time to participate in one of the studies on psychedelics.  Or just find one of the underground networks where I can try it.

bmjohnson35

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #24 on: January 31, 2020, 04:35:42 PM »

  As I've gotten older, the quality of what I drink has increased and quantity has decreased. I don't expect the trend to change.  We drink more on cruises due to social element, but we only do 2 or so cruises a year.  We still drink substantially less than we did before on cruises.

BJ

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #25 on: January 31, 2020, 07:30:54 PM »
I’m so happy I never developed a love of alcohol. I’ll have some drinks every now and then but could go years without ever touching and wouldn’t notice a difference. It’d suck to work so hard to FIRE and then let alcohol consume you.

infromsea

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #26 on: January 31, 2020, 07:47:12 PM »
I'd love to spend time in FIRE with other mind-altering chemicals though.  After reading "How to Change Your Mind" I really, really would like to use my FIRE time to participate in one of the studies on psychedelics.  Or just find one of the underground networks where I can try it.

Count me in as well. This is something I AM going to do, I'm waiting on the laws to become reasonable/clear and am running out of patience. I will add that I plan to continue the counseling I've been attending, along with this path, I think the knock-on effects of those chemicals AND counseling has the most efficacy.
« Last Edit: February 01, 2020, 06:42:22 AM by infromsea »

JoJo

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #27 on: February 04, 2020, 02:31:21 PM »
I only really drink when I travel, since drinks are so cheap.  I plan on traveling extensively after retirement, so I'll have to watch the drinking and my diet. 

AdrianC

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #28 on: February 07, 2020, 06:25:01 PM »
I still get the craving in the evening. Zero alcohol beers help me. I want to try some zero alcohol wines too.

Don't expect much, at all! Zero alcohol wines are absolutely disgusting. They don't resemble wine or grape juice or anything... they're like a weird chemical fermented mud drink or something. I'm amazed they sell it at all (or rather, that people buy it more than once).

Zero alcohol beers are pretty good and can cover for the real thing. Wine isn't even in the same ballpark

I concur. Tried a bottle of Ariel Cab. It was incredibly poor. I thought there was something wrong with it. Tasted like 1 part wine with 9 parts water.

For NA beers I like Heineken, Becks and ODouls, and my favorite is Kaliber. As long as they’re cold most of them are drinkable.


Cassie

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #29 on: February 08, 2020, 01:45:36 PM »
I never drank at all until my kids were grown and gone. I rarely drink during the day. We do drink more on cruises.

Chris Pascale

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #30 on: February 26, 2020, 06:59:47 PM »
A cousin of mine used to come home from his shitty job and knock back a few beers. Every night. He came home and his wife went to work. He said the beers have been sitting in his fridge ever since.

I generally keep alcohol out of my home because I'll drink it. There are some bottles of wine in my basement, but I don't really care for wine unless in particular company. If a bottle of fig vodka or peanut butter whiskey was in the house, I'd have to be having people over. Whatever is left, I pour in the sink. Otherwise I'll drink it - not until I'm drunk, but just slowly through the day until it's empty. I imagine there are people who go through something similar with sugary foods, where they have to keep it away or they'll start in the AM and won't stop until night.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2020, 08:58:31 PM by Chris Pascale »

blue_green_sparks

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #31 on: February 27, 2020, 05:24:12 AM »
A cousin of mine used to come home from his shitty job and knock back a few beers. Every night. He came home and his wife went to work. He said the beers have been sitting in his fridge ever since.

I generally keep alcohol out of my home because I'll drink it. There are some bottles of wine in my basement, but I don't really care for wine unless in particular company. If a bottle of fig vodka or peanut butter whiskey was in the house, I'd have to be having people over. Whatever is left, I pour in the sink. Otherwise I'll drink it - not until I'm drunk, but just slowly through the day until it's empty. I imagine there are people who go through something similar with sugary foods, where they have to keep it away or they'll start in the AM and won't stop until night.

That is how I am. If there is a bottle of whisky in my line of sight, I will sip it away. If there is none around, outta sight, outta mind. I was not physically addicted, I just enjoy the taste and buzzyness too much.

Dicey

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #32 on: February 27, 2020, 07:29:43 AM »
I never drank much, but seven years post-FIRE, I hardly drink at all. DH is still working, but his job is low stress and he drinks less than I do. I'll bet we don't consume a dozen drinks between us in the course of a year. Between gifts and stuff we've just never consumed, there's plenty of booze in the house. Hell, our fancy-pants kitchen even came with a wine fridge, which is nuts, but having it on hand does not equal temptation.

My father was an Air Traffic Controller. He used booze to de-stress, and drinking was not complimentary to his otherwise charming personality. I would definitely characterize my childhood as growing up in an alcoholic household. When dad retired at 50, his enormous stress went away and so did his drinking. To every one of us kid's shock, he became an occasional social drinker. In later years, it was a running joke that the beer in the fridge was only for visitors, mainly my brothers. My dad was FIRE decades before it was a thing. He lived to be 85. Knocking off the booze definitely extended his life and improved the quality of same. RIP,  "Pops".


Chris Pascale

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #33 on: February 27, 2020, 05:20:59 PM »
A cousin of mine used to come home from his shitty job and knock back a few beers. Every night. He came home and his wife went to work. He said the beers have been sitting in his fridge ever since.

I generally keep alcohol out of my home because I'll drink it. There are some bottles of wine in my basement, but I don't really care for wine unless in particular company. If a bottle of fig vodka or peanut butter whiskey was in the house, I'd have to be having people over. Whatever is left, I pour in the sink. Otherwise I'll drink it - not until I'm drunk, but just slowly through the day until it's empty. I imagine there are people who go through something similar with sugary foods, where they have to keep it away or they'll start in the AM and won't stop until night.

That is how I am. If there is a bottle of whisky in my line of sight, I will sip it away. If there is none around, outta sight, outta mind. I was not physically addicted, I just enjoy the taste and buzzyness too much.

Thanks for replying in kind. I hit send and felt like maybe I'd shared too much.

BikeFanatic

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #34 on: February 27, 2020, 05:50:40 PM »
I have the same issue can not keep beer in the house or I will drink it. Same goes for chocolate! I am not bothered by having un opened wine in the house, but an open bottle may tempt me. I quit drinking partly because I do feel I have some issues around food and alcohol.

sui generis

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #35 on: February 27, 2020, 07:43:33 PM »
I guess I'm glad I don't have this problem, given my family history with alcohol.  I generally forget most of the alcohol we have in the house, like I rarely have anything other than wine even though I really like Amaretto and Bailey's.  I remember about twice a year that I have full bottles of them in the booze cupboard.

But, this is definitely me with things like chips or anything sweet.  If we have ice cream, a day will not go by when I will not have at least one serving.  The office I volunteer at one day a week (luckily only one) keeps snacks on hand that everyone else resists and I single-handedly finish off all the cookies and candy there.  I've always wondered how other people are disciplined enough to resist, but this has made me realize most of them are probably just forgetting its there like I forget the alcohol in my cabinet. 

Dicey

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #36 on: February 28, 2020, 09:21:04 AM »
I guess I'm glad I don't have this problem, given my family history with alcohol.  I generally forget most of the alcohol we have in the house, like I rarely have anything other than wine even though I really like Amaretto and Bailey's.  I remember about twice a year that I have full bottles of them in the booze cupboard.

But, this is definitely me with things like chips or anything sweet.  If we have ice cream, a day will not go by when I will not have at least one serving.  The office I volunteer at one day a week (luckily only one) keeps snacks on hand that everyone else resists and I single-handedly finish off all the cookies and candy there.  I've always wondered how other people are disciplined enough to resist, but this has made me realize most of them are probably just forgetting its there like I forget the alcohol in my cabinet.
When I was in Sales, a lot of my acconts had candy available. I made a rule that I couldn't touch it until I was finished with my work and on my way out the door. If I touched it any time before that, the temptation to grab more was too strong. It helped a lot. Maybe a mind trick like that might work for you, too.

BigMoneyJim

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #37 on: February 28, 2020, 10:05:25 PM »
I retired about 5 months ago. I generally past and present drink very little. But I might have one tonight, and that would be the third this past week. Maybe the fourth?

Which makes me a relative lush this past week. But I was on a trip staying in a beachfront house.

My "am I drinking too much" defenses are already kicking in, so I'm not too worried about myself. But it has never been a problem for me or most in my family.

Honestly, it scared me and made me realize you do have to retire TO something, not retire to get away from something.

I don't really want to argue against it, but as a recent retiree whose paradigm keeps shifting I think it could use a lot of nuance.

I think I needed the freedom of time to start better examining what I want to to in retirement.

My biggest driving factor for retirement was to take control of my time away from others, but managing my own time is largely a new skill I still need to develop. Before retirement I was quite decent at optimizing my off-time for recuperation, relaxation, and fulfillment, but once I got control of ALL the time I found it easy to get mentally lost.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #38 on: February 29, 2020, 03:08:37 AM »
We live in a country where alcohol is really expensive. Therefore we brew beer at home. We have it in a beer cask in a separate fridge in the corridor. We often take a glass, sometimes two, on any day of the week that we feel for it. Mostly later in the evening. DH is quite fond on whiskey (very expensive) and often drinks a glass a day now, after FIRE since Jan 2020. When we drink wine, we often open a bottle per week and drink a glass each for dinner, two days in a row.

When we are at our cabin, we tend to drink more. Mostly a glass of wine at dinner almost every day. And something else late in the evening, whiskey or portvin. Not so much beer, though.

When I am alone, also before FIRE, I tended to drink to "celibrate" being alone for a change. Then I would finish a bottle of wine by myself, over two evenings. But this has only been very occasionally.

I normally don't drink early on a day. With exception of visiting my mother or FIL who always offer drinks in early afternoon already. They live in a place where alcohol is much cheaper and drink much more than we do. Sometimes at the cabin, I drink a beer in the late afternoon because I feel like it after a ski trip.

Metalcat

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #39 on: February 29, 2020, 04:22:11 AM »
I retired about 5 months ago. I generally past and present drink very little. But I might have one tonight, and that would be the third this past week. Maybe the fourth?

Which makes me a relative lush this past week. But I was on a trip staying in a beachfront house.

My "am I drinking too much" defenses are already kicking in, so I'm not too worried about myself. But it has never been a problem for me or most in my family.

Honestly, it scared me and made me realize you do have to retire TO something, not retire to get away from something.

I don't really want to argue against it, but as a recent retiree whose paradigm keeps shifting I think it could use a lot of nuance.

I think I needed the freedom of time to start better examining what I want to to in retirement.

My biggest driving factor for retirement was to take control of my time away from others, but managing my own time is largely a new skill I still need to develop. Before retirement I was quite decent at optimizing my off-time for recuperation, relaxation, and fulfillment, but once I got control of ALL the time I found it easy to get mentally lost.

Agreed.

You do need to retire 'to' something, but you don't have to have that figured out before you retire.

It can also mean having it as a priority in your retirement to figure out what your 'to' is. For some of us, we had no space to figure that out while working full time.

I know I was hugely overloaded in my career, I had no mental room to even contemplate what I might want my life to look like until I downshifted and started getting an idea.

I still didn't know what I really wanted to do even this year until I finally decided to leave my day job completely.

It is very important to recognize that removing the barriers to happiness is not enough to be happy, but sometimes those barriers do need to be removed before you can even figure out the next steps for happiness.

If someone's life isn't already rich and full during working years, chances are it's going to take some time to rehab their life to something that actually works for them.

As for the topic at hand, my retirement from my career coincides with me completely giving up alcohol.

I never knew that quitting was what I wanted to do until I no longer lived under constant intense pressure. I was a daily wine drinker, it was a core component of my after work decompression.
« Last Edit: February 29, 2020, 04:27:26 AM by Malkynn »

Linea_Norway

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #40 on: February 29, 2020, 07:28:03 AM »
Drinking as decompression after a working day or working week is indeed a thing. When I still worked, I always craved for wine at the start of the weekend, because we deserved it so much.

Currently I am drinking a cup of herb tea (from wild plants that I dried). A nice warm drink can also feel like a treat, in a very different way than alcohol.

blue_green_sparks

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Re: Booze: post FIRE
« Reply #41 on: March 01, 2020, 03:45:29 PM »
Drinking as decompression after a working day or working week is indeed a thing. When I still worked, I always craved for wine at the start of the weekend, because we deserved it so much.

Currently I am drinking a cup of herb tea (from wild plants that I dried). A nice warm drink can also feel like a treat, in a very different way than alcohol.

Yes, there is a ritual part to making up some tea that I also find enjoyable. I was at my rock band practice session and during break I was offered beer, whisky, cheese bread and pizza. I was like "I'd love some tea". Oh boy, that did not go over well. I don't care anymore. I just do what I want to do and mostly that involves simply keeping my mouth shut to crap food and booze. Lost 5lbs last month. Somehow being FIRE'd has given me a sense of empowerment and independence that I lacked before.