How much do you spend on alcohol?

[~mikey b]

Hey, my b-day is Saturday! Do Owen and I share the same bday or is that just party day?

For me, between home and out I'm easily in the 2 to 3 hundo range. Damn.

June 21 is hiz birfday

Saturday is hudge party if'n you can make it

FYI - I met DaHeel at a brewery

[doughboyshredder]

Zero. But it used to be north of $500.00 a month.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

That is fucked, hopefully it'll work itself out when the laws of supply and demand go to work on it. I remember booze being pretty cheap in WA when I lived there compared to CO.

The problem is the laws of supply and demand don't affect taxes. The recent initiative both privatized liquor sales AND restructured the taxes and fees on it. In order to make the privitazation part palatable to the knee-jerk "omigod my kids are gonna buy booze at Safeway" crowd the initiative promised a big increase in revenue to police and fire agencies from the state. If I heard correctly, the tax on a bottle of booze is now close to 24% plus there's a $3/bottle fee. So, for my $20 bottle of tequila that worked out to $27 total. The retailers aren't going to cut the price of bottles of booze in half across the board. The only thing that could fix this would be another initiative to remove/reduce the taxes and fees but the opponents of fun would have an easy time convincing the knee-jerks that it wouldn't be worth taking money away from Barney Fife and the Rescue 911 crew.

I guess this means my after-work margarita will go back to being an after-work beer.

[shroom]

not shit, im going to miss living near the wa/id border. i havent bought liquor in WA in the 3 years i've been of age, its like 2x the cost, worse now.

edit to contribute: i'd guess 120-150 a month, including buying drinks for my girlfriend. i try to keep myself to one night out per week, or sticking to a pitcher or 2-3 beers if i know i'll be out fri & sat. having some friends with a similar outlook allowed me to be a gearwhore throughout college.

[The AD]

If I heard correctly, the tax on a bottle of booze is now close to 24% plus there's a $3/bottle fee. So, for my $20 bottle of tequila that worked out to $27 total.

You sure about that? It was my understanding that the liquor tax did not change. The difference now is we see it because it gets added on at the till. At the State stores it was built into the marked price.

edit: after doing a quick search I found this:

On top of taxes imposed on consumers, retailers under I-1183 also have to pay a 10 percent distributor fee and 17 percent retail fee to reimburse the state for millions of dollars in lost revenue

I guess this is effectively a tax that wasn't there before with the government controlled system.

[PNWbrit]

However much is needed.

I wasn't aware of any other method.

[systemoverblow'd]

That's a shitty situation up thar^^^

Geez, for a state that didn't even allow alcohol sales on Sunday not too long ago, it's nice we can now AND have no tax on alcohol (again).

[The AD]

Geez, for a state that didn't even allow alcohol sales on Sunday not too long ago, it's nice we can now AND have no tax on alcohol (again).

Mass still taxes alcohol, you just don't have to pay sales tax on top of that tax...at least I think that's how it works.

[systemoverblow'd]

Mass still taxes alcohol, you just don't have to pay sales tax on top of that tax...at least I think that's how it works.

Even if that is the case it still takes those taxes out of the loop. We still have to pay deposit on cans and bottles though. But for the most part our liquor is cheap compared to many places I have been. Had no idea what the cause was in the past.

[DaHeel]

FYI - I met DaHeel at a brewery

I'm starting to see a theme here, and I like it!

[axebiker]

As soon as I run out from my last binge, nothing. It isn't helping me drop winter weight.

[Captain Awesome]

A lot less than I should.

I learned a lesson a long time ago, that drinking in bars can be a very symbiotic relationship. As a result, bartenders and I take very good care of each other. (Enough so that I'm always a little stunned when I have to pay full price for my evening's choices (mostly in a new place) - only because I tend to underestimate what I would have spent if I've been charged for every drink). Even with really generous (aka "appropriate") tips, I still come out ahead. I also know the owners/GM's of a lot of the places I drink regularly, and they're cool with the way things play out (so it's not a case of the bartenders screwing the establishment). I tend to get covered on the "house" tab (or buyback tab, depending on the place).

Even with that, it's probably $300-$400/month between the lady and I. I try not to think of it in monthly terms, though, because that leads directly to thinking of it in yearly terms, which leads to thinking about what else I could've spent the money on. As a "a few times a month" (mostly Friday and/or Saturday) expenditure, I can keep the numbers vague enough that it doesn't bother me...

[XXX-er]

J What are y'all spending per regular month?

No idea cuz its no fun if you have to count but when all the waitresses in town know you by name its time to mix it up SO I have made a conscious effort to drink less, I try to stay out of the ski hill bar or when I am there I order coffee which is cheaper and has free refills and then "A beer" instead of 2 or 3, I make my own kit wines, I don't drink much hard stuff,

I just spent 20 days kayaking out on the north coast where we ran out of booze on day 9 and it wasn't so bad

I quit dope in march, I plan to stop booze for 6 months in the fall

[Huck_Schmuck]

I helped my in-laws take their empty wine bottles back to the bottle depot. FiL makes a monthly trip. The guy at the depot asked us if we have a restaurant. No shit.

I'm also in the camp that if I thought about my expenditure it would hurt, it comes from my 'recreational' budget and I enjoy drinking so I don't want to know what else I could be doing with the money.

I do know I'll be saving a boat full of alcohol cash when my inlaws move to a new place that's walking distance from my house...

[Tye 1on]

A lot less than I should.

I learned a lesson a long time ago, that drinking in bars can be a very symbiotic relationship. As a result, bartenders and I take very good care of each other. (Enough so that I'm always a little stunned when I have to pay full price for my evening's choices (mostly in a new place) - only because I tend to underestimate what I would have spent if I've been charged for every drink). Even with really generous (aka "appropriate") tips, I still come out ahead. I also know the owners/GM's of a lot of the places I drink regularly, and they're cool with the way things play out (so it's not a case of the bartenders screwing the establishment). I tend to get covered on the "house" tab (or buyback tab, depending on the place).

likewise...

[Name Redacted]

I do know I'll be saving a boat full of alcohol cash when my inlaws move to a new place that's walking distance from my house...

Way to find that silver lining, and maybe they'll start drinking even more when they hear their sweet princess screaming during coitus.

[Ted Striker]

The booze laws just changed in this state and the electorate succeeded in totally fucking themselves.

I argued with all of my friends over this. It felt like I was the only person in this town who was against it. I tried every angle... prices, state revenue, jobs, smaller quality brands becoming scarce due to Kirkland brand everything (for those who don't know, Costco wrote this law), but it fell on deaf ears. Now that everything costs more, everyone is in full justification mode, i.e. this bottle costs $2 more, but I would've spent that in gas, etc. Give us convenience or give us death!
/rant

For us it's got to be $200+ per month. I like expensive beer. Wife likes better-than-cheap wine.

[mnflyfish]

Fuck, I'd bet as much as my mortgage! Actually a little better than $150 a month. Some months more, very few less.

[axebiker]

Fuck, I'd bet as much as my mortgage! Actually a little better than $150 a month. Some months more, very few less.

You're homeless?

[doughboyshredder]

I quit dope in march, I plan to stop booze for 6 months in the fall

When I quit drinking it was for 3 months, which turned in to 6, then a year, then 2, then a realization life was better without it. Over 3 years now, and I don't plan on ever drinking again.

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[jfost]

I argued with all of my friends over this. It felt like I was the only person in this town who was against it. I tried every angle... prices, state revenue, jobs, smaller quality brands becoming scarce due to Kirkland brand everything (for those who don't know, Costco wrote this law)...

Jim Sinegal said that Costco spent $22M of their own money fighting for this because they felt it was the right thing to do for consumers. He admitted that it will take them a VERY long time to recoup that money, if ever.

Kirkland Brands contract with various companies to make stuff for them, so they are not killing brands IMO - the snob market will remain strong!

[montanaskier]

DaHeel is an alcoholic! We are probably 250ish a month. That counts going out to the local brewery a couple times a month.

[XXX-er]

When I quit drinking it was for 3 months, which turned in to 6, then a year, then 2, then a realization life was better without it. Over 3 years now, and I don't plan on ever drinking again.

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well it might depend on how you drink?

I have been buying expensive beers and just drinking one as opposed to knocking off a 6pack but I think taking a good long break might be a good thing at my age

We ran out of booze on a 3 week seakayak trip so I was dry for 10 days and it was ok, going dry might also be why I lost 6 lbs from 162lbs on an already normal BMI?

[Big Snowballs]

I used to spend about $1,000 a month until I lost one of my Kidneys... so I cut my drinking in half.

OK that was a joke but no joke on what I used to spend. Now I'm down to about $300 a month !

[DaHeel]

DaHeel is an alcoholic! We are probably 250ish a month. That counts going out to the local brewery a couple times a month.

Ha, you just have shitty taste!