The cost of alcoholism -- Schick Happens

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Date Posted: 12:54:19 01/01/07 Mon
Author: N
Subject: The cost of alcoholism

Dipsomaniacs post prompted me to go to my calculator and look at some hard #'s as to what it has cost me to drink for the past 20 yrs. My "bar bill" (I was probably drinking for about 24 yrs., but I was giving myself about 4 yrs. of time when I didn't drink and for those more sporadic times when I was younger.)Given that I was a binge drinker and didn't drink every day but about every other day, or 4 days a week, that's 208 days a yr (4 days x 52 weeks of the year). Now I can average out how much I spent at various venues (home, or bars) by estimating how much that would cost me for 1 week. So let's say, of those 4 days I drank, there were 2 nights at home at $20 per night, and 2 nights out at a bar, $100 one night, and $60 another. 20+20+100+60 = $200 per week/4 = $50 per day on average. $50 x 208 days = $10,400 per year. $10,400 per yr. x 20 yrs. = $208,000 total.
$208,000!
And that's just the cost of the alcohol itself. So, really that's just a baseline #. (I could be putting my son and my 3 step-children through college for that, all their expenses paid. Or think if I had been putting that into a decent mutual fund or real estate or any other interest bearing vehicle, I would have more than enough money to take care of myself and all those I love for the rest of their lives.)
But, let's get back to that baseline # of $208,000. Add to this the cost of things that would be almost impossible to calculate. For instance, time missed from work, or times when I didn't work because of low self-esteem or lack of self-confidence. The low self-esteem and lack of self confidence is a cost that is too difficult to calculate because it may have affected my ability to go to that job interview for that really great job I probably could have got. How about the cost of wasted food when I didn't eat a decent meal I prepared because I was too full to eat, and then the cost of running out to eat junk because I was suddenly starving from not eating the food I had prepared? How about the cost of a hospital bill when whatever I was in there for had been preventable? How about the cost of the splurge internet shopping when I was feeling "generous" because of the bad decision making from being intoxicated? What about the more than generous tip that waiter or waitress got because I had thrown all caution to the wind while I was drunk? What about that car repair needed from running into something that I couldn't remember from the night before? What about the cost in time I didn't get with my family? What about the cost of some of the relationships lost due to drinking? How do I put a price on something that is priceless? How do I put a price on my life itself?
If I were to give out a conservative estimate of what all those things cost me in hard #'s I could say, at least, double the cost of the alcohol itself. $416,000. Add to that what the original alcohol cost and I come up with $624,000.
$624,000. And I would bet that is a VERY conservative estimate.
Now, I could look at that, and spend the rest of my life regretting that. But, now I look at it as the amount I will be saving over the next 20 yrs. of not drinking.
But, let's factor in the cost of what it cost for the SSH program. I actually had insurance that picked up most of the bill, but, let's say I paid for this out of my own pocket. If I will save, $624,000 -the cost of SSH, $15,000 = $609,000. I'm still ahead. Let's say hypothetically I have to go back due to a relapse $609,000- $15,000 = $594,000. I'm still way ahead. You get the idea.
I guess I can look at the investment I put into using the SSH program as a tool for gaiing back my life, as a very sound financial decision, and not an excuse to not stop drinking. It would cost me way more in the long run to keep drinking.

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One more thought -- N, 13:04:03 01/01/07 Mon