Author Topic: No booze for the next 3 months  (Read 5212 times)

trailrated

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Bay Area Ca
  • a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
No booze for the next 3 months
« on: July 07, 2014, 09:21:55 AM »
Quick background, I found this site about a year ago and turned my life around. I went from being $6,500 in debt living paycheck to paycheck to maxing out my 401k, adding $17,000 to my bank account, and paying off my car in full in that time frame. That being said, there is ALWAYS room for improvement.

After reviewing my spending for the past 6 months one number stuck out to me.... I had spent roughly $3,000 on alcohol and bars in the past 6 months. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?! Between weekends out with friends, and fancy micro brews throughout the week...am I delusional? My brother and best friend are in with the "challenge". Started this weekend. I will keep you posted.

frizzywhiskers

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 143
  • Age: 52
  • Location: Canada
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2014, 09:26:39 AM »
Good for you!! That's a hard challenge for sure, especially in the summer months!



Cheddar Stacker

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3700
  • Age: 45
  • Location: USA
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2014, 11:03:57 AM »
Awesome. Good luck!

I've done one month in the past, but it was more a personal challenge than a financial one. It is amazing how much you can spend on booze. I've stuck with close to the $9/week budget MMM proposes, but it typically ends up closer to $15.

trailrated

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Bay Area Ca
  • a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2014, 11:29:09 AM »
Awesome. Good luck!

I've done one month in the past, but it was more a personal challenge than a financial one. It is amazing how much you can spend on booze. I've stuck with close to the $9/week budget MMM proposes, but it typically ends up closer to $15.

Yeah I have just started reading the blog posts from the beginning, and I was considering doing the $9 a week...but figured it would be a lot easier if I started after a "clean slate". Thanks for the encouragement!

Icecreamarsenal

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 600
  • Location: New Jersey
  • Burnt
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2014, 11:34:16 AM »
Good luck. My booze spending is way out of proportion as well. Trying to get down to $20/week on a box of wine. If you've made the commitment you can do it.

farmstache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 188
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Brazil
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2014, 10:19:05 PM »
I've just come from a 4 months dry spell (x-mas to april, with one allowed drink on NYears).

Used an app called Lift-do (free) where you can share goals with your friends, on facebook if wanting to, and track your commitment. So even if you err one day, you can still keep at it and look back to see where your mistakes happened.

Go for it!

trailrated

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Bay Area Ca
  • a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2014, 10:36:07 PM »
I've just come from a 4 months dry spell (x-mas to april, with one allowed drink on NYears).

Used an app called Lift-do (free) where you can share goals with your friends, on facebook if wanting to, and track your commitment. So even if you err one day, you can still keep at it and look back to see where your mistakes happened.

Go for it!

That is awesome. Thanks for the heads up, I will have to check it out! Not much for progress since I started Sunday, but I went and met up with some friends for happy hour and I got along fine with water. Good times, good people, and money still in my pocket!

Iron Mike Sharpe

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 396
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2014, 11:39:37 AM »
Awesome.  I gave up booze and cigarettes four years ago.  The amount of money I've saved as been amazing.

EarlyRetirementGuy

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 133
    • Early Retirement Guy
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2014, 11:46:35 AM »
A tough challenge indeed! The first few weeks are hardest  but then you just go with the flow.

Every year I go dry for January to raise money for charity. I find its getting easier and easier each year. Not quite ready to move up to 3 months tho. Well done!

EarlyRetirementGuy

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 133
    • Early Retirement Guy
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2014, 12:08:30 PM »
Good Luck. I recently gave up alcohol for lent (40 days) and I felt amazing after a couple weeks.

I had the complete opposite effect. Wasnt sleeping properly, mood swings, couldnt concentrate much.

And I dont even drink that much, only ever on weekends. Prehaps it was more the stress of knowing I couldnt have a drink even on days when I wouldnt have had one anyway?

Wanderlusting

  • Guest
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2014, 05:41:34 PM »
Good Luck. I recently gave up alcohol for lent (40 days) and I felt amazing after a couple weeks.

I had the complete opposite effect. Wasnt sleeping properly, mood swings, couldnt concentrate much.

And I dont even drink that much, only ever on weekends. Prehaps it was more the stress of knowing I couldnt have a drink even on days when I wouldnt have had one anyway?

Probably. I know for myself taking an absolutist stance on drinking isn't something that I find personally fulfilling or helpful. But, in my regards to consumption i've essentially gotten to the point where the occasional drink here or there doesn't cascade into a night of binging, because I know it'll affect my other goals which require me to not be hungover. I'm comfortable at this level, since I maybe spend $30-40 a month on alcohol across all manners of consumption.

Of course, when I analyze against my total outlays, it does seem to be a signifigant part of my budget (10%~), so then it becomes an ongoing concern in my quest for optimization.

Tempe

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 147
  • Age: 35
  • Location: Virginia
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2014, 05:49:41 PM »
Good luck on the challenge. My personal budget for alcohol is normally 20$ a month, and it helps I rarely buy alcohol at bars, it adds up so fast. It kills me when people buy 6$ bottles of corona. I just want to ask them for 20$ plus a little tip for me so I can buy them a case of 20 or so bottles(I can't remember how much comes in a case.) Literally drinking money away. I don't drink alcohol often, usually once or twice a week. I'm a lightweight so it makes the drinking cheaper lol, although I tend to drink with good tastes in mind, with the buzz being a plus.

trailrated

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Bay Area Ca
  • a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #12 on: July 12, 2014, 09:44:51 AM »
Good luck on the challenge. My personal budget for alcohol is normally 20$ a month, and it helps I rarely buy alcohol at bars, it adds up so fast. It kills me when people buy 6$ bottles of corona. I just want to ask them for 20$ plus a little tip for me so I can buy them a case of 20 or so bottles(I can't remember how much comes in a case.) Literally drinking money away. I don't drink alcohol often, usually once or twice a week. I'm a lightweight so it makes the drinking cheaper lol, although I tend to drink with good tastes in mind, with the buzz being a plus.

Cheers to you sir! My goal is to settle around where you are at after my "challenge" is over.

nikki

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 642
  • Age: 37
  • Location: South Korea
Re: No booze for the next 3 months
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2014, 09:49:52 AM »
Good luck! I don't drink much. Looking at my expenses, it's been two months since I bought any alcohol--a cheap all-you-can-drink wine pass at an overpriced buffet. I shared soju at a group dinner last month, though.

I'm worried about how spending on alcohol is about to be increased for me, though, because I'm getting married to a man who would happily drink a bottle of wine--alone--every day. We simply can't afford it with our retirement and travel savings goals!