How much do you spend a month on alcohol? - Page 2

[Carson]

I'd say DH probably spends avg $30/month on beer for around the house.  Before I was PG, maybe I spent $15/month on wine/avg. liquor around the house?  That's just for consumption of the two of us.  Most months we'll GTG with friends a time or two, so that means buying a round out or bringning something in.  But that can swing wildly, I don't know what that comes to. 

Our budget for liquor/eating out/entertainment is $150/month.  In 2011 however, our actuals were more like $250 for whatever that's worth...

[laura-belle]

Averaged over the year, we probably spend about $50 per month on alcohol, all wine. About half of that is consumed by relatives on Easter, Thanksgiving, or at Christmas time (we host the first two and provide the alcohol for the third). For personal consumption I might drink a bottle or a bottle and a half of wine a month at $20 per bottle.

[weliveintheforest]

The usual amount is probably about $20, plus extra for things like birthdays or guests for dinner.  Maybe averaging 40 or 50.

[averysmomma05]

we spend $0 monthly. Hubby stopped drinking and I didn't drink before pregnant.

[Storm Bride]

DH was spending about $100-$150/month on beer. This isn't as high as it sounds. A six pack of "cheap" beer is somewhere around $12.00, plus recycling fee and can/bottle deposit, and dh doesn't drink cheap beer. He likes craft brews and expensive imports. Drinking in the pub or a restaurant is even more expensive and subject to fairly high liquor tax (can't remember the exact percentage at the moment. He does love his beer, but that doesn't represent the kind of drinking habits it might look like, yk?

However, he's sworn off beer completely for New Year's. He's not planning to be a permanent teetotaler...just breaking some expensive habits (a beer or two with lunch with coworkers type stuff). So, now, he spends $0.

If you averaged out my drinking by month, I probably spend about $5.00 or so. I but a four pack of some crappy cooler or cider every few months, and have found a lovely local berry cider (no corn syrup - all natural fermentation) and buy a half litre bottle occasionally. But, I don't drink it often enough to even finish one.

We usually buy a bottle of wine/champagne (not expensive) for New Year's Eve, and we have wine with dinner maybe two or three times a year. That's about it.

Oh - and we buy brandy occasionally, for cooking. DH will sometimes have a drink of it, but it's really a pantry item, not "booze", yk?

[Sharlla]

none right now, dh doesnt drink at all and Im PG.  Over the summer I probably spend $60 a month.  i like menage a trois wine and whipped cream vodka (with orange soda or rootbeer yum) I also like Blue Moon beer

[EFmom]

Maybe $50 month.  I don't drink, but I use a lot of wine in cooking, and will buy the occasional bottle of rum, brandy or kirsch for that purpose.  Dh likes red wine, but tries to drink sulfite free if possible, which limits the bargains.  He also likes good beer.  He doesn't drink much, maybe three-four  drinks a week or so.

[dangerbunnygirl]

I'm not completely sure since I am pregnant and not buying the beer but definitely under $50. a month, DH likes good craft brewed beer and will pick up a six of something interesting but he is a light drinker, we have a friend who is a vintner and often have some nice wine or mead on the shelf but that's more of a special occasion type thing.

[journeymom]

Over the year it probably averages to $60 a month.  We might buy one $17 bottle of wine a month for a while.  But I'm thinking since October to now we've had 3 bottles a month. And a six-pack of good beer every other month?

I buy a bottle of rum and tequila maybe every year and a half, for mojitos and margaritas.  Same with my bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin.  I'm the only one who drinks it, love my gin and tonic.

I can't say as we actually 'budget' for alcohol. 

Edited to add, can't forget the every-18-months bottle of vodka for Cosmopolitans.  We were drinking those regularly for a while there, but haven't had them in a while. 

[sweetjasmine]

I estimate we spend about $135 a month on red wine. We drink 1 or 2 glasses each night and dh buys a 6-pk of beer once a week. If he buys his favorite Mexican beer it's $9.99 for the 6-pk, if he buys the Texas beer it's $7.99. So total for the month is about $167-$175.

We usually end up buying 2 or 3 extra bottles of wine during the holidays but we don't drink that on top of what we already buy, we just spread it all out. Sometimes champagne for New Year's and then once or twice during the year dh will get a good bottle of scotch.

[aeterna]

We probably average $100/month. We drink wine with dinner a couple nights a week, and meet friends for happy hour once every other week or so. The bulk of the expense is an estimated average of the pricier items, like holiday/entertaining "extra" bottles or picking up a new bottle of bourbon to try. Hey, it's Kentucky, we gotta have hometown pride.

[cristeen]

This is really dependent on a lot of factors, from how much/often you drink, to what you like to drink, to COL. 

I am not a drinker, at all.  I'll have a sip of DH's beer to give my opinion on it, but at most I might buy 3 or 4 bottles of a local hard cider a year for myself (and only drink 1/4 of it before I give it to DH). 

DH is a beer drinker, but he's not an every-day drinker.  He'll go in fits and spurts, from one beer a night to nothing for months, and whatever in between. 

We don't drink wine at all (except in a restaurant), but I do keep it in the house for cooking.  And we have a sizeable collection of hard alcohol (even though we each only have a handful of drinks a year). 

I don't buy cheap alcohol, unless I'm planning on making something from it (like Kahlua or vanilla extract from cheap vodka).  We also brew our own beer sometimes (although we haven't since DS was born, we still have some floating around). 

All that being said, for us $150/mo is a ridiculously high number.  I think a trip to a brewery last month (out of state), we spent maybe $100 on beer to bring home (a case of 22s and a growler).  A trip to the brew store might cost me $60 in ingredients (that's the high end), which will get me 2 cases.  An average month might be $30 (that's often $60 one month and nothing the next).  We don't drink out. 

[Adaline'sMama]

We pretty much only drink craft beer, and occasionally get a nice bottle of liquor (about once a month). We go to a lot of potlucks and things where we bring a mixed 6 pack, so its not like we are the only ones drinking it. We average about $35-$50 a week on alcohol. This includes beer out, beer/liquor in, and homebrewing supplies.

[Mulvah]

We almost never drink out because I cannot stomach the mark-up on alcohol.  We do keep wine on hand and specialty beers, but we may spend about $100/YEAR on alcoholic beverages. I may buy a bottle or two of good liquor or a good liqueur once/year for a gathering, so maybe $150-200 on a big spending year.

[Drummer's Wife]

Thanks, all, for the perspective.

I'm realizing lately that wine is an expensive way to drink (I've been trying different wines made here in New Mexico). It should just be an occasional treat, I'm thinking; whereas, I could have a rum and coke, or whatever on a more frequent basis w/o breaking the bank. Especially if I buy the generic/Albertson's brand of rum. DH actually doesn't drink too expensive beer - I guess he just drinks a decent amount of it.

It's good to hear what other households spend.

[onlyzombiecat]

Zero on a regular monthly basis. We aren't frequent alcohol consumers.

Dh brewed some beer a couple of times and we have quite a bit of that on hand still.  I don't know if it was money saving but it wasn't that hard to do. I think he got his supplies from Midwest Homebrewing & Winemaking Supplies.

[journeymom]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife 


Thanks, all, for the perspective.
I'm realizing lately that wine is an expensive way to drink (I've been trying different wines made here in New Mexico). It should just be an occasional treat, I'm thinking; whereas, I could have a rum and coke, or whatever on a more frequent basis w/o breaking the bank. Especially if I buy the generic/Albertson's brand of rum. DH actually doesn't drink too expensive beer - I guess he just drinks a decent amount of it.
It's good to hear what other households spend.

Aw, don't do that!    Don't get the cheap rum.  Get the mid-range stuff and just drink fewer rum and cokes.

[JudiAU]

Er, probably at least  $250/ month. Wine mostly with the occasional bottle of scotch.  DH hasn't been drinking beer so he is on a lower carb diet.

[Storm Bride]

Oh, yeah - when I'm finished breastfeeding, I'll restock on liqueurs. (This isn't because I have any objection to having a once in a while drink while breastfeeeding, because I don't - it's because I'm too tired to really savour my liqueurs the way I like to.) That will mean buying a...think you call them a "fifth" in the US (I call them a 26er) each of Baileys, Kahlua, Amarula, and probably Malibu and Peach Schnapps. Those are the only "impulse" drinks I like to have in the house. I love Baileys and/or Kahlua in a coffee once in a while, a small glass of Amarula in the evening or a small glass of Malibu or peach schnapps (on ice) in the summer.

But, once I buy those bottles, they'll probably last me a year and a half.

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride 

Oh, yeah - when I'm finished breastfeeding, I'll restock on liqueurs. (This isn't because I have any objection to having a once in a while drink while breastfeeeding, because I don't - it's because I'm too tired to really savour my liqueurs the way I like to.) That will mean buying a...think you call them a "fifth" in the US (I call them a 26er) each of Baileys, Kahlua, Amarula, and probably Malibu and Peach Schnapps. Those are the only "impulse" drinks I like to have in the house. I love Baileys and/or Kahlua in a coffee once in a while, a small glass of Amarula in the evening or a small glass of Malibu or peach schnapps (on ice) in the summer.

Ok - what is Amarula?  I looked it up, so I know what it is, but what does it taste like?  Cause now you have me curious.

I actually make my own Kahlua, it's so much tastier.  And I made a batch for DS' 21st birthday that is aging in the cabinet.  I have a batch in there now that is over 10 yrs old that is amazing.  Super simple to make, way cheaper than buying it.