The Insane Drunk Cost of Alcohol
Table of Contents
How much are you wasting on grog?
I haven’t run the numbers on my university days but i think it would be scary how much money I wasted on alcohol.
Luckily I don’t drink anymore. And it saves me bucket load of money. But I’ve never really sat down to calculate so…
I’m curious, how much is this habit actually costing others… and hence why I’m writing this post.
I want to know if the annual cost of a new drinking habit is equivalent to the pay increase from a promotion.
Example 1
Let’s compare two mates:
Steve and Allan
Steve, has recently got a $5,000 pay rise from a new promotion. He is also a bit more stressed due to the additional workload.
And he has increased his casual drinking habit into a regular drinking habit. Steve now drinks 4 x days per week and has 3 x drinks each day.
Steve is now a senior middle manager position and earning $5,000 per year more than Allan.
Allan is a non-drinker and earns $5,000 less than Steve.
The Numbers:
Let’s assume on average, each of the drinks Steve has, costs approximately $8.50 per drink (averaged across the cost of drinks from bars versus cost of drinks at home).
That’s $102 per week on alcoholic drinks.
That’s $5,304 AUD per year… after tax dollars.
So in other words Steve’s new drinking habit is costing him his entire pay rise from his recent promotion.
He has extra stress and is managing that with the increased drinking and has nothing to show for it at the end.
Not only that he is no closer to retirement from the increased pay packet.
Ouch!
If you want a pay rise of $5,000 per year. Stop drinking alcohol!
Example 2
Let’s take another example John.
John is a more regular drinker, he enjoys a few drinks every night of the week to wind down at the end of the day and on weekends he likes to go out to the pub with mates.
John drinks 7 x days per week and has an average of 4 x drinks each day.
Let’s assume on average, each of those drinks John has, costs approximately $8.50 per drink (averaged across the cost of drinks from bars versus cost of drinks at home).
That’s $238 per week on alcoholic drinks.
That’s $12,376 AUD per year… after tax dollars.
John’s regular drinking habit is costing him the approximate of two levels of promotion, i.e. about $5,000 to $6,000 each level.
This is absolutely insane! He’s working extra hard, then he drinks to relieve stress, then he has to work extra hard again to pay for his drinking habit.
It’s a vicious circle with a sad end.
Getting promotions is hard work, you have to work really hard to get them, and you are competing with a lot of other people so there are no guarantees.
The great thing about habits is that we have the power to decide to make change.
And because you have the power to decide, choosing to change a habit and save money can be far easier than going for a promotion.
Stop pissing your future retirement plans up against the wall. Maker a decision to reduce the insane drunk cost of alcohol or cut the habit altogether.
If you drink $5,000 or $12,000 of grog every year and are no further closer to retirement than the person two levels below you, even though you have had to work much harder, is it worth it?
Seriously, is the extra stress worth it?
So next time you have a drink consider what is the insane drunk cost of alcohol?
Related Post: The Sunk Cost of Caffeine
Final Thought
Ask yourself, “What is this habit costing me, my family, my time?”
And, if you want some coaching around habits feel free to reach out. Click the button below ‘schedule a call’ or click this link here to schedule a 1/2 hour complimentary session, no obligation.
Forge your own path!
