This is just crazy...how much is spent on beer???

[Shleedogg]

I think it just all comes down to what your priorities are. I think that amount of money on beer is ridiculous. DH and I don't smoke or drink. I might have the occasional glass of wine or cocktail at dinner once or twice a year, but I've been pregnant or nursing for almost 3 years now and will be for another 2 so it's not an expense for us now. It's just not something that's very important to me. It's more important for me to have a 2nd car that is reliable and meets our needs for space (we just bought a 2009 Honda Odyssey), or to go to Disney 2 times a year. We don't really splurge on much throughout the year other than Disney.

One of DH's brothers is in a very tight financial position with his girlfriend and their 2 girls. They couldn't afford formula or diapers when the girls were young, they still have trouble affording groceries. MIL takes them grocery shopping and used to buy the diapers and formula. Yet, they always have beer and cigarettes and the girlfriend always has her nails done. People have different priorities. They always say how rich we are and must be nice to go to Disney so much and they wish they could afford to take the girls. If we spent a ton of money on beer and cigarettes, we couldn't afford to go to Disney either.

It's not wrong, if that's where they want to spend their money and they can afford it, that's fine. It's just not where I or you, OP, would choose to spend our money.

 

[AndreaDM]

I t seems, and I am not judging, but from other posts as well, that it really hits the fan around here when anything negative about booze is brought up

It's not because someone said anything negative about booze, but I find it outlandish that someone can say someone else is "budget minded" because of what they like to (and can well afford to) spend on their hobbies. Goodness, anyone who isn't a Disney freak like all of us would declare us ALL not budget minded if they saw what we all spent at Disney!

 

[finz2left]

We are wine drinkers and we drink good wine usually. I know how much I spopend a month and it's a lot more than that. It's all about perspective. To us it's an important part of a meal.

Lisa

I'm with you Lisa! Wine makes a meal...and I can't even cook with cheap wine.

 

[angierae]

As long as someone's bills are paid/they have savings to fall back on in an emergency/etc, what they choose to spend their discretionary money is just that -at their discretion. I would never spend the $100 a week or so that my coworker and her husband spend on cigarettes - but I'm willing to bet my family prioritizing something else THEY'D never spend money on.

I worry about MY money, and MY family. Everyone else is free to do whatever they want with their money, makes no never-mind to me.

 

[crisi]

Its pretty clear there aren't too many budget minded folks on here

People's budgets are highly variable. If you make $500,000 a year, your budget might include weekly manicures and facials, a seasonal four figure clothing budget, and staying at the Grand Floridian in a suite - but it probably doesn't include all of that, plus spending a month in Tahiti and a new Farrari each year.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are people who hang on the budget board who are very budget minded, and very frugal about some things, but with incomes well above the median.

 

[tlbwriter]

Its pretty clear there aren't too many budget minded folks on here

It's pretty clear someone doesn't understand what "budget" means.

 

[dreamin_disney]

To me it's a lot of money but that because I'm not a beer drinker. I'm glad you posted this. I would love to hear how much people spend on soda.
I started trying to eat better so I gave up soda. Dh bought me an Ice tea maker and we love it. DH started drinking it too so now we are saving money. I was buy 2-3 2 liters of soda per week and it was Shasta. Plus I'd buy 1 can of soda at work @ .50 x 5 =2.50 per month $10.00 per year $120.00

on stressful days I'd drink 2 sodas. WOW! thats $120 I could use towards something else-lol!

 

[jenm2878]

Omygosh, we just discovered the cinnamon-sugar rim Sat. night too, so good! Who would have thought?! We're a little south of you, near Canton. My DH would just die if I could get my hands on a small keg like that, probably too late, huh?

It's probably not too late. We got ours from Simone's Beverage in Lakewood. I don't know if I can post the link, but if you google Simone's Beverage it should come right up.

 

[AndreaDM]

I keep seeing that Soda Stream advertised and have heard people really like it. Maybe look into that? I think it runs around $100, but with a 20% off coupon, it would only be around $80. I think it looks fun, but I have no room for one more applicance in my kitchen!

 

[AndreaDM]

It's probably not too late. We got ours from Simone's Beverage in Lakewood. I don't know if I can post the link, but if you google Simone's Beverage it should come right up.

Thanks! I've already called 3 or 4 distributers with no luck so I'll try them!

 

[jenm2878]

Thanks! I've already called 3 or 4 distributers with no luck so I'll try them!

If they don't have them in stock you can put your name on a list and they will e-mail you when the new shipment comes in.

 

[finz2left]

People's budgets are highly variable. If you make $500,000 a year, your budget might include weekly manicures and facials, a seasonal four figure clothing budget, and staying at the Grand Floridian in a suite - but it probably doesn't include all of that, plus spending a month in Tahiti and a new Farrari each year.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are people who hang on the budget board who are very budget minded, and very frugal about some things, but with incomes well above the median.

AMEN. And, no, we don't make that much...but we certainly can afford to budget and have nice things because we do so

 

[marie1203]

You also like to travel, I can see by your siggy.

And that's fine, but my point, and many others is that $3/day doesn't seem like a lot to make someone happy.

My family goes away on vacation every-other-year (if we're lucky). And we've only been to DISNEY ONCE!!!

But I'd never call your travel extravegent... I assume you can afford it. And I'd never call a $3/night beer extravegent either, as I assume he can afford it.

We all choose our indulgences. Don't fool yourself into thinking you don't even spend "half that much" (as you call it) while you are planning a Disney vacay.

I thought the OP was bringing it up because it seems like it is an issue for her friend is not why is she adding it up?
I can't see how disney vacations or traveling will be the same as beer. Yes we do spend more a year traveling than this guy spends on beer but vacation time is time for us to have together and enjoy each other since DH is gone a lot. I would consider family time while beer not so much. I guess if you add up every time you go to the movies or do any family activity as a comparison with beer then I am sure most of us spend more than that a year.

 

[lucas43068]

This is funny because it just came up on a money board that I frequent. It seemed the average spent on alcohol per household was about $2000 a year which seems about right for us. Of course, we're not buying Bud Lite either. That figure includes what we drink when we go out to dinner and what we consume at home. Just Sat. night we each had 2 Christmas Ales, O so good and we can only get it a few weeks out of the year. Those cost $5.50 each, so $22 of our tab was for beer for one meal. We may do it again tonight! Of course, we buy more than we drink because I like to have a full wine rack and stocked bar in case anyone comes over, or if we're invited to someone's home I can grab a bottle of wine from the rack to take over. We have very few other hobbies and we enjoy fine wine and craft beers, so until our kids are shoeless, we won't be giving it up.

CHRISTMAS ALE IS WONDERFUL!! my girlfriend surprised me with a case a few weeks ago. she knows you can only get it for a short time, im glad she got it for me and didnt complain about it to her friends.

 

[pperfectmom]

We don't drink "cheap" beer at all, so I can't even begin to imagine what our yearly total is. Then again, I don't consider beer a luxury. It is a necessity.

 

[KKB]

I had a friend once who said she was jealous of all the traveling we do, that they just could NOT afford to take a trip like that even once a year! (She says as she is holding her $4+tip cup of Starbucks coffee that she gets EVERY day...UMMMM..you could EASILY take that trip if you give that up!)
Don't get me wrong--I wholeheartedly agree that everyone should spend on what makes THEM happy.
We don't care for things...new cars, electronics, furniture, home, etc. We enjoy experiences...travel, mostly. DH & I both enjoy our cocktails sometimes--and considering it is our only "vice", I am OK with that. (I don't consider traveling a vice...)
I have a hard time understanding why anyone would buy new car/electronics/furniture/home when what they have is perfectly serviceable (I do replace when things break/wear out/become too expensive to maintain) But for some, new things give them great pleasure. Honestly, I like them, too--but NO WAY am I giving up travel for them! (hey, I'd like a tummy tuck, too--but gees, that would blow my travel budget for several years!!!)
You never know what tomorrow will bring--be sure you are spending your time and money on ONLY the things that truly make you happy!

 

[ScoobySMC]

We spend alot more then that it adult beverages at my house. I am a sky cherry martini person myself, or a bailys and cofee person. Thats 45 dollars a month at the ABC store for me. The boyfriend goes through about a 24 pack a week. He is also a large farm manager and his stress level is off the charts..So its between 3-4 a night. so thats between 130-150 in the "non-essentials" for us... As long as everyones happy he loves imported beer as wee so Santa is bringing him a pack with 25 different beers from all over the world from World Market. But we wont discuss that christmas present right now. I wouldnt wanna open up that can of worms..

 

[worm761]

I did the same thing as the OP's friend. I was shocked when I realized how much money we were spending on alcohol a month. But I drink liquor or wine, not beer. And for the most part, I like the pricier stuff. DBF pointed out that it should go in our entertainment budget and not the grocery budget since we don't go out to eat often or go to the movies at all. We rent from Redbox for $1 and have a rum and coke or some wine with dinner. So I moved it to the entertainment budget and felt much better about it.

 

[scrapquitler]

I was shocked. That's about $95.81 per month of their grocery money going toward beer. That's just for one person. What if she also drank beer with dinner too...OMG. Is three beers per night excessive? I rarely drink, so I have no idea. I cant even begin to imagine how much it costs to drink out at a club.

Just thought all you budget minded people would get a kick out of this...

I spend at least that much on coffee

When we go out to our local pub, bottled beers (like Coors, Bud, etc, the normal ones) are $3.25 each.

 

[bumbershoot]

she buys a case of 18 bottles of lite beer each time, which is approximately $18.99, plus deposit and tax.

They need to find a different place to buy their beer! I pay 18.99 for an 18 bottle case of Newcastle Brown, which is really good beer and is imported. OK actually I won't pay that much for it, b/c when I visit my brother in San Diego, his grocery stores sell it for as little as 12, and it just peeves me to pay nearly $20 for it.

I will pay just under $20 for 18 bottles of Sam Adams, of Sierra Nevada, those sorts of smaller brewery types of beers. 17.99 at Costco for the Kirkland selection.

So 18.99 for Bud....she's GOT to find a better place to buy the beer. (or switch him to something with more quality LOL)

I am not one to judge, but he became a pretty heavy drinker for a few years until nature punished him--he ended up getting gout.

One hopes he has given up many foods as well, to help with it.