I find this to be an interesting topic because I don’t keep real close track of my funds. I pretty much just get whatever I want to and try not to splurge while trying to save as much as I can. I’ve been working full time for 5 years now so I’ve been able to save some cash but certainly not as much as I should have if it weren’t for the tendencies that I will describe below. I’m not going to bore you with my fixed expenses like rent, my car, and regular intake but give a look into my extra finances.

– Alcohol takes the cake as my #1 money waster. Whether it be a specialty case of Great Lakes or Guinness, 30 packs of Coors Light, a handle of Goose or just blowing cash at the bar, I spend a ton of money on alcohol for the year. I would probably estimate closer to two tons. I’m not the kind of person who is like “lets get a six pack and hang out.” It’s more like “let’s each get a case and see who can finish it first.” If I could somehow get back all the cash I’ve spent on booze throughout my drinking life, I honestly believe I’d have 25,000 more dollars in my wallet.

-Tips will equate to less than the booze but this is another money spender. I’ve wrote about this before but I find myself becoming more and more accustomed to tipping. Today not only did I tip the guy at Dunkin Doughnuts $0.46 cents but I gave the girl at this sandwich store a buck. WHY?!?!? I have no fucking idea, it just seems like the right thing to do and I hope the people who I’m tipping appreciate this small sum of money more than I will. In the grand scheme of things, I’m probably doing the economy a favor because the more money I keep, just goes to money waster #1 above. I guess I think that tipping will make the person who you are tipping look at you as a kind person because it shows that you are thinking of others. I also tip dealers at casinos, valets, cabbies, and people who carry my luggage and golf clubs. I’d guess over a K a year in tips.

-I overspend on food for Breakfast and Lunch. I eat both meals out everyday. Breakfast costs me 4.00 at Dunkin Doughnuts and 5.00 at the place I get a Bacon, Egg and Cheese. Lunch costs me about 10.00 for a sandwich or a burger, bag of chips or fries, and a drink. This amounts to about $75.00 dollars a week or $3,600 dollars a year.

-Clothes probably cost me about 1-2 thousand dollars a year. I will upgrade new Polo’s each year, new pairs of shorts, new socks, new boxers. I’ll also need new work shirts and get a new suit every couple of years. New shoes are about every 6 months and that is only the shoes I wear out. Running shoes are extra. A revolving wardrobe is essential so that the people you hang out with don’t always see you in the same attire. It’s not really a big deal but after people see you in the same thing and then realize they’ve seen you in the same thing, they must ask, “does he ever buy new clothes?”

-Gambling probably costs me about 2k each year. I probably win a bit in poker and lose a bit in sports betting, casinos and at the track. This is a rough estimate and probably varies year to year but I really don’t think that this sum is too outlandish considering the entertainment that is derived from it.

-The extras probably amount to another 1-2 k a year. These include strip clubs, rainbows, new electronics like headphones, mice, monitors, laptops. Vacations get thrown into this category.

So I’ve just gave a rough budget of how I live my life and what I spend my money on and that didn’t even include my rent, car and living which is probably somewhere around 15k. These extras added up to about 15k or so. That’s 30k it takes me each year to live the lifestyle that I’ve grown accustomed to. Meaning I have to make 45k just to maintain. How am I saving money? Another amazing fact is that my parents paid for my college, how on Earth would I be able to pay that back in a reasonable amount of time? If I came out of school with 100k of debt I honestly would insta-chapter 11.

I really don’t feel that I live that extravagantly. Of course there are areas that I could cut back on but then I miss out on this thing called “life” that I’m trying my best to enjoy. I work 5 days a week and I’m just spinning my wheels. I’m in the rat race with no end in sight. This is why people play the lottery, the stock market, or gamble. Most people aren’t ever going to make enough money to do everything they want. Sorry to say but that is the honest to god truth. I think our economy is in bad shape and I expect it to get worse in the future. I’m pulling out all my money and putting it into Sirius radio.