Sobriety and Regret
A conversation with my brother made me rethink my attitude.
A Depressing Conversation
Last month, my brother was in town and we had a conversation about investments. He’s always been great with money, making it a priority to max out his retirement accounts every year since he started working. I wish I could say the same about myself.
I didn’t save a dime until my thirties and the main reason is that I was throwing all my money away on my two addictions: drinking and smoking.
I don’t think many non-addicts realize just how extraordinarily expensive an addiction can be. When I first started smoking, I was spending $3 or $4 a day on cigarettes. By the time I quit, I was spending closer to $15.
My drinking habit cost about the same. I don’t have any great records to look back at, but I’d estimate that I was spending around $10 on alcohol, especially in the later years.
I went over all of this with my brother, explaining to him that it was one of my deepest regrets. My addictions lasted more than a decade, and I’m sure I spent tens of thousands on them during that time. I sometimes still think about how different my financial situation if I hadn’t been a drinker and smoker for so many years.
