October 9, 2001

8:22 AM

Costly habits.Are you broke again? Don't know where your money is going? Take a look at what you're spending your money on. Chances are, if you're supporting bad habits such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, or using marijuana or other illicit substances, you're spending quite a chunk of change. If you don't believe it, try out this expense calculator and see how much money you could be spending on something else!
posted by twistedonion (26 comments total)

$2300 a year is pretty good going, don't you think...
posted by twistedonion at 8:24 AM on October 9, 2001

Why would I want to spend my money on something else?
posted by ginz at 8:32 AM on October 9, 2001

What I would like to see is a latte calculator. If you buy one of those puppies every morning, you could be spending upwards of 840 bucks a year. And that's not even for a "Venti."
posted by jennyjenny at 8:39 AM on October 9, 2001

why not grow/refine your own?
save hundreds, if not thousands!

i understand crack manufacture is a fairly simple process.
so simple that the police can do it!
posted by asok at 8:44 AM on October 9, 2001

OK OK all the money I spend on American Spirits and Stella Artois I can justify. But I had absolutely no idea that all that blue-flake cocaine was costing me so much.

who knew?
posted by Kafkaesque at 8:48 AM on October 9, 2001

Oh, a simple little calculator.

You know, this works for just about anything.

units/time = frequency
(cost/unit) x frequency = cost rate (i.e., cost/time)

What's important is to have a BUDGET. And people should be free to prioritize their budget items however they want. You know, maybe some people actually have done the calculations and have rationally decided that yes, they can afford a marijuana habit. BFD.
posted by yesster at 8:49 AM on October 9, 2001

Where's the sex calculator? Certainly it is worth seeing where our money went for trying to get some (and the correlation between the success rate and amount spent.)
posted by slipperytoast at 8:51 AM on October 9, 2001

*Rolls eyes*

Oh, neato! A Chide-O-Meter! I need more tools that will allow me to feel crappy about myself!

How about a calculator for D&D figurine collectors? For every pair of shoes over two that one buys? Doritos? Drab lingerie? Big Mouth Billy Bass? Domain names for startlingly stupid websites?

There's an argument to be made about any purchase that isn't food, clothing, or shelter, but that doesn't mean it isn't a stupid, boring, tired argument.
posted by Skot at 8:52 AM on October 9, 2001

come on yesster, you know that's the drugs talking. i have a motorcycle habit. very costly. i try to rationalize it as the price paid for being a badass. but for those of you that know me, you know that it has been money wasted.
posted by mich9139 at 8:59 AM on October 9, 2001

I'm broke because I spend far more money than I should on a significant other that I'm crazy about. Were I merely engaged in cooking rock, I'd be enjoying a far more comfortable financial situation.
posted by aladfar at 9:02 AM on October 9, 2001

Chances are, if you're supporting bad habits such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, or using marijuana or other illicit substances, you're spending quite a chunk of change.

The same could be said about food and clothing and entertainment. All of which we all purchase because we need or it makes us happy.

I buy a drink because I'd like to get drunk. It makes me happy and by purchasing a drink I purchase a glass of happy juice.

How is money being wasted when it's spent on something you want? Quite bullshit.
posted by RoyalJack at 9:07 AM on October 9, 2001

I gave up on my budgeting skills. I turn over my bank statements to my wife like a drunk guy giving up his keys.
posted by Kafkaesque at 9:14 AM on October 9, 2001

This calculator totally fails to take into consideration the money you make back by dealing.
posted by jpoulos at 9:23 AM on October 9, 2001

What would you buy if you has this money? Perhaps these are things you enjoy, and as such, would like to continue to enjoy them.
posted by benjh at 9:25 AM on October 9, 2001

Hmm. I wanna see the going-out-to-eat-because-I'm-too-lazy-to-cook calculator. All the money I must be spending to pay other people to make steaks for me... if I cooked 'em myself instead I could buy loads of top-grade dope, and then I'd be well-fed *and* high as a kite...

Wow! Thanks SAMHSA!
posted by Sapphireblue at 9:42 AM on October 9, 2001

WOW, i just figured out that I CAN afford an extra 8-ball a week! Thanks!!
posted by yesster at 9:43 AM on October 9, 2001

Shit...I came in just under 4k and that's just cigarettes and alcohol. Damn good thing I quit both in the last week. Thank God porn is still free.
posted by ttrendel at 9:50 AM on October 9, 2001

No, no, you should put your money away for your children, and they should keep it for their children......and we should just keep handing the fortunes down the centuries until something important happens.

Did you know you can save on haircuts by simply not cutting your hair? Forget personal hygiene altogether, and you are well on your way to earning your first thousand.
posted by lucien at 10:04 AM on October 9, 2001

Leave me my expensive sins; I will not count the costs of surviving exile on this benighted rock.
posted by Perigee at 11:29 AM on October 9, 2001

Well, that sucks - there are no blanks for the really fun drugs. How am I supposed to get accurate numbers out of this thing?

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 11:33 AM on October 9, 2001

This site isn't hosted by the DEA is it?
posted by chrismc at 11:48 AM on October 9, 2001

Something tells me the people at health.org aren't busy with a crap bought from the sharper image, starbucks, and gym machines you'll never use calculator. Oh course they're legitmate industries and the money spent there is an investment not a waste.

Ab-Roller? You bet, no more diet and real excercise for me, just rolling it away!
posted by skallas at 11:53 AM on October 9, 2001

Wow much less than I thought per year. I wonder if it would be possible to calculate the cost of all the things I might do if I weren't smoking pot.
posted by holycola at 1:14 PM on October 9, 2001

I'd be more concerned about all the people wasting money on high-interest credit card debt, McDonalds and useless consumer goods
posted by charlesv at 6:46 PM on October 9, 2001

health.org is pleased to present the guns or butter argument

Guns: Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797) author of "The Interesting Narrative" turned 3 pence into an 800 pound estate by (among other things) not drinking.

Butter: My friend's mum tells me a person who doesn't drink is someone who really needs a drink.

Somewhere in between: When I walk to work or school and back home instead of taking transit, I save enough to buy a beer.
posted by philfromhavelock at 10:22 PM on October 9, 2001

I spend my hard-earned on beer, cigarettes and dope - the rest I just waste...
posted by garyh at 6:26 AM on October 10, 2001