I was thinking about the “money saved” feature of TS. It’s a powerful feature for me because I’m very numbers oriented. If you’re honest about your historical average weekly spend I think you’re shocked by the number as I was. I never stopped to calculate the amount because I didn’t want to know (that would require honesty and accountability).
I also realized that number is just a hint of the actual spend. If I consider the times I offered to go pick up breakfast or dinner for the family to eat at home for example. This only an excuse to isolate and hit the liquor store on the way there or back. Thinking I was fooling anyone other than myself. So maybe double or triple the cost of the actual liquor.
Not everytime but often enough to consider that my real number was probably 1.5x or 2x what’s shown in the calculator.
Just a thought. Make it a great day sober people!!
This is a very sobering thought. It seems you took a page out of my journal with your story of isolating to buy alcohol. I even used to buy booze on the way to school pickup, hide it in my son’s school bag, sneak it into my closet then sneakily guzzle it while pretending to do chores.
To hide my alcohol spend (we have joint bank accounts), I would draw out cash at the supermarket or any store, then use that to buy alcohol.
The shame, guilt and embarrassment of living like this were major factors to stop.
In sobriety, the savings are noticeable, especially to my partner. After 2 weeks sober, she checked our bank account and thought we had forgotten to pay some bills or that I had received some extra money. There was about $260 more than usual in our account.
I used it to sign myself and my 2 kids up to a fight gym. We all love it and my mental and physical health has vastly improved. I’ll take the bruises and aches over hangovers any day.
Yes very similar! Also used to pick some up on the way to school pickup. Would hide it somewhere in the back of my SUV. One day he reached over and found it. Shame and humiliation is right.
We also go to a fight gym. My son also plays drums and guitar. At the end of this week I will surprise him with a trip to the music store and the new snare drum he’s wanted for a long time. This from the savings of a week to two of not drinking!
Oh boy, the shame of being caught out is all too familiar. One time I was carrying my son’s bag inside, as I was worried he’d drop it and break the wine bottle inside. He persisted on carrying it himself, found the bottle when unpacking his bag and loudly asked “why is there wine in my bag?”. Mum heard and I pretended it was to have with dinner. It was a cheap bottle that tasted horrible and my partner questioned my choice. I made up (lied) a story about grabbing the wrong bottle off the shelf.
That’s so cool you joined a fight gym and were able to buy some drums for your son. I don’t have drums, but enjoy drumming. I also have an idea of what a good snare can cost. So, nice job on using your savings for more enjoyable pursuits.
I was drinking 25L of cider a day when I got sober i had aold my own belongings and borrowed money from everyone just so I could sit in the dark alone and drink myself to death i have absolutely no idea how much money I spent or borrowed but it must be in the thousands of pounds
It’s amazing how much punishment our bodies can take. Until suddenly they can’t anymore. Considering all the things that could go wrong with us it’s incredible that anyone is even remotely healthy!
My next step towards honesty with myself is an accountability and estimate of how much I spent over 20 or so years of ever increasing alcoholic drinking.
Thinking tens of thousands. Am expecting a massive virtual slap in the face.
I use this feature too but its funny i look at it and im like wow looked at what ive saved but that " money i saved" just gets spent in my hobbies weekly
