conversation: User (Dolphlungegrin): "I didn't know who to share this with, so I thought I'd share here. I'm very excited to finally have paid off my CC debt.\n\nHere's what you probably care about.\n\n**Start date: 1-Feb-2015**\n\n**End: 21-Jan-2016**\n\n* YTH: ~$50,000\n\n* Per Check (post insurance/taxes/retirement): $1,560\n\n* Per month (post insurance/taxes/retirement): $3,120\n\n**Expenses per month**\n\n* Auto Insurance: $78 \n\n* Gas: $150\n\n* Rent: $765\n\n* Food/Alcohol (Bars too): $600\n\n* Utilities: $150 (less in the winter)\n\n* Shopping: $100\n\n* Student Loan Payments: $100\n\n* Emergency fund: $200\n\n* Pet food: $100\n\n* Total=$2,243 per month or $877 leftover\n\nSome of the leftovers went into car parts (for repairs), bank fees, or misc so it wasn't always $877 on to the CC each month (obviously or I'd have been done much sooner). \n\n*I'd also like to point out I was earning ~ 40,000USD when I started and received a raise in August 2015.*\n\nI still have ~ 6k in student loans left and will be continuing to pay down the debt. I wanted to thank this sub and the people on it, you gave me the motivation to do more than just pay the "minimum," on my CC like I was doing.\n\nI know some people are going to look at this and say "no shit you paid off your debt you earned a 10k yearly raise." This is true, it helped immensely, I won't deny it. Just wanted to celebrate, thanks.\n\n\n\n"
  Self: "Here is how I read OP's food/alcohol budget:\n\nI spend $100 on food and $500 on alcohol/bars. \n\nJust kidding of course. I love when people lump these two together though because it could mean many different things. "
  Dylan_Tnga (Dylan_Tnga): "Alcohol can really add up.  I drink 6 beers every night (minimum) every single day... I'm addicted to it.  Can't sleep without at least 6 beers in me. So at about 8$ per 6 pack, that's $240.00 a month :(  \n\n"
  sandy_lyles_bagpipes (sandy_lyles_bagpipes): "Indeed, it does add up, but I don't mind.  In a given month, I consume about 2 bottles of bourbon @ $40 each, probably 4 bottle of wine @ $25 each, and buy maybe 20-25 drinks at bars @ average of $10 each.  Yikes!"
  Dylan_Tnga (Dylan_Tnga): "Damn, yeah.  Really adds up fast.  Plus the cigarettes... plus the weed... Kind of wish I listened to those public service announcements as a kid about not smoking or doing drugs.... not because of the health risks but because it's murdering me financially &amp; causing ridiculous levels of stress.  I know I'm making my financial situation worse by doing it, I know I cant afford these habits, but I keep doing it anyway. "
  1000FC (1000FC): "They shouldn't have tried to scare kids with made up stories about drugs, they could have just shown you how much it sucks to live pay check to pay check / spending a good % of your income on drinking/drugs"
  Dylan_Tnga (Dylan_Tnga): "EXACTLY!!  \n\n... Best thing I've read all day.   Probably way more effective than a video of someone clipping a bunch of wires that are supposed to represent your "brain on drugs"  "
  winstonjpenobscot (winstonjpenobscot): "A friend needed major dental work in her thirties. The dentist told her "the only people I've ever seen with this much damage are people who too much cocaine..." She just shrugged but internally kicked herself for having done so much cocaine in the past - if she had known how her teeth would get ruined it would have been a far better deterrent than those stupid anti-drug ads. \n\nCloser to the subject at hand, another friend had hips that needed replacing in his 50's due to drinking so much in his 20's. He said it wasn't really alcoholism but he lived in an impoverished hot equatorial country, unsafe drinking water, and beer was cheap. But the damage to his body was done just the same as if it were alcoholism. "
  Going_Live (Going_Live): "&gt; another friend had hips that needed replacing in his 50's due to drinking so much in his 20's\n\nCan you elaborate on how drinking = bad hips?"
  winstonjpenobscot (winstonjpenobscot): "I'm not a doctor, and it might be completely wrong. However, I did find this on alcohol related bone damage: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Osteonecrosis/\n\nAlcohol Use\n\nExcessive alcohol use is another common cause of osteonecrosis. People who drink alcohol in excess can develop fatty substances that may block blood vessels, causing a decreased blood supply to the bones."
  