Alcohol Cost Calculator
Enter your weekly drinks, average cost per drink, and see what it costs you per year — plus how much you'd save by cutting just a few per week.
10 drinks a week at $8 each costs $4,160/year. Cut 3 and you save $1,248/yr — $17,243 over 10 years invested.
$4,160/yr
Annual spend at 10 drinks/week and $8/drink — $347/month on alcohol
$1,248
Annual saving from cutting just 3 drinks per week at $8 each
$17,243
What $1,248/year grows to in 10 years if invested at 7% return
The real cost of drinking — quantified
Not a lecture. Just the numbers you've never seen.
The true annual cost surprises most people
A couple of pints three nights a week at $8 each adds up to $2,496/year — not counting rounds, tips, or big nights. At 10 drinks/week (a moderate social habit), the annual bill is $4,160. Most people have never seen their number.
The opportunity cost is the real story
Money spent on alcohol can't compound. At 7% annual return, $4,160/year invested grows to $57,476 in 10 years and over $170,000 in 20. You don't have to quit — but you should know the number.
Small cuts have outsized impact
You don't have to quit to benefit. Cutting 3 drinks per week — one fewer round on Friday, one fewer glass at dinner — saves $1,248/year. Invested over 10 years, that's $17,243. Over 20 years: $51,152.
How the Alcohol Cost Calculator Works
Formula
Weekly Spend = Drinks/Week × Cost/Drink
Annual Spend = Weekly Spend × 52
Invested (10yr) = FV of annuity at 7%
Cut Saving / Year = Drinks Cut × Cost/Drink × 52
Cut Invested (10yr)= FV of annuity(Cut Saving, 10, 7%)
Example: 10 drinks/wk at $8, cut 3/wk
Annual = 10 × $8 × 52 = $4,160
Invested = $57,476 in 10 years at 7%
Cut saves = 3 × $8 × 52 = $1,248/yr
Cut invested = $17,243 over 10 yearsEnter drinks per week
All drinks — home pours, bar orders, restaurant wine. Be honest for an accurate number.
Enter average cost per drink
Blend of home ($3–4) and out-of-home ($12–14). $8 is a reasonable blend for many people.
Set how many to cut
Slide the 'what if you cut' to see savings from reducing your weekly count. 0 = just see the current cost.
See the full picture
Annual spend, investment opportunity cost, and the savings (plus invested value) from cutting a few per week.
Most alcohol cost calculators show your annual spend and stop there. This one adds two things: the investment opportunity cost (what the money would grow to at 7% annually), and a 'what if you cut' projection that shows the concrete saving from small reductions — without requiring you to quit.
The tool is deliberately non-judgmental. Cutting 3 drinks from a 10-drink week isn't dramatic — it's one fewer round on Friday, one fewer glass at dinner. But it saves $1,248/year, and invested over 10 years, that's $17,243 in real wealth.
Frequently Asked Questions
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