Kick Your Craving

How much do I spend on cigarettes and alcohol?

When I had my temporary lapse at stopping smoking and drinking last weekend, one other thing that dawned on me was how much extra money I had spent compared to the weekend before.

A couple of months ago, in an attempt to start managing my money better, I downloaded the iXpenseIt App for my iPhone. Since then, every time I spend any money, I punch it into my phone and I’m able to download a spreadsheet any time showing me exactly what I am spending my money on.

Yesterday, I took a look at my last two month’s expenses and the results even surprised me.

In the last two months I have spent:

• £677.75 on alcohol
• £308.77 on cigarettes
• £52.96 on nicotine patches

That’s over £1,000 on booze and cigarettes!. One Thousand Pounds. A grand. Two monkeys.

However you say it, that’s a lot of money.

When I consider that I owe a ton of money, could use a holiday and need to buy some new clothes, the thought that I have wasted that sort of sum of money in the last couple of months disappoints me. On a positive note, it’s hugely motivating to think what I am saving by quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol.

Clearly, I’m unlikely to save all of the money I don’t waste on drinking and cigarettes, but I’m sure I’ll put at least some of it to good use.

Photo by a.drian