A Back to School Message from Baby Girl
Posted by Gail | Filed under Students
For those of you who don’t already know, I call Alex, my daughter, Baby Girl. This is her first blog posting and I hope to see more. I suggest since this is targeted at her peer group (university students) that if you have one in your life, you pass this along. Enjoy!
Hey cats! It is back to school time, and with all the excitement about schedules and parties and the big wide future comes something far less pleasant: the bill. While anticipating all the things your new school year will bring, you’ve probably also cringed once or twice when remembering the expense. But do we know exactly what that expense is? Do we know what the biggest post-secondary money guzzler is?
You might think it’s food. You might think it’s textbooks. You might think it’s all the macaroni and caffeine pills that get you through the toughest essays on the roughest nights.
Think again bitches. It’s liquor.
Social drinking is part of the student vernacular. Opt out and its sure to be good for your health, your grades and your pocket book, but many people are unlikely to convince their immediate circle that Thursday night can be fun even if we aren’t drunk. And greasing the wheels a bit will always help hijinks ensue – indulging will, if nothing else, leave you with stories you can’t tell your grandkids.
I know more than a couple of older students who, as they wind down, still cringe at the thought of the debt they incurred in first year from drinking. Avoid financial devastation using a combination of moderation and planning.
Following these tips could save you dollars into the thousands and please trust that I do not exaggerate.
1. A less frequent drunk is a cheaper drunk. We’re talking maybe skip the occasional pub night or drink soda at the next party. Not only are you giving your poor, sad liver a break, a lower alcohol tolerance means fewer dollars to that nice buzz.
2. A little planning goes a long way. Pre-drinks for parties or outings are an extremely valid money saver. Every mixed drink is about four dollars cheaper when you mix it yourself than when you buy it at a bar (it’s also safer, ladies). A flask of liquor in a pocket can fancy up a coke at the campus pub and you won’t be footing the bill for all those long island iced teas. You may feel like a vagrant but you won’t be so poor.
3. Buy cheap booze. Cheap champagne is both delicious and available in servings to suit a growing boy; a big bottle of Bambino or Baby Duck will run you about twelve bucks and more than last you through the night (and the bubbles make you so happy). Buy the lonely beers in the basket – they are homeless and as such usually discounted. If you’re attending with friends, go in together on some boxed wine. Once you’ve gotten over the fact that it’s IN A BOX you realize that it’s no worse and waaaay inexpensive.
If you’re in a science program, here’s an experiment. Get together with some friends and some inexpensive drinks. Mix and taste test them together. It makes for a fun evening and you may even find inexpensive substitutes for your current favourites. Bazinga.
4. Drink smart. Again, it’s not just about your livers, people. Overdrinking means overspending – learn your limits and you’ll be both richer and way less embarrassing. Also, water is cheaper than aspirin, so spare yourself the trouble in the morning and drink a glass of water per glass of booze. You’ll be pissing silly all night anyway. Make it work for you.
5. Double triple check your meal plan. Lots of first years have sort of “outdoor dollars” on their meal plans. This is a portion of your balance that may be spent off campus at participating institutions. However, many schools’ plans cannot be used to purchase alcohol. Check your contract so that you don’t believe you’re going out for a night of pre-paid-for drinking and wind up stuck with a surprise $95 bill on Fishbowl Friday. I SEEN IT HAPPEN.
6. Plan your transport. Don’t drink on the street on your way to and from places. It’s not just about looking like a respectable human – cab fare is ALWAYS cheaper than the fine that you could get for an open container. And when you are out someplace, don’t drink your cab fare.
You may have yet more ways of saving drink money, and you’ll discover more along the way. In any case, pull tight your purse strings, be safe and party on Wayne.
September 10, 2012 at 6:23 am
I don’t drink alcohol, so this was not an additional expense for me in University or College. I never even thought of how much alcohol cost at school. But great tips to the drinkers out there! It would suck to graduate with more liquor debt than tuition debt.
September 10, 2012 at 7:10 am
Great post Alex. Being aware of costs, is very important in all stages of life, but as you point out, can really stack up by surprise at university. Hope to read you again.
September 10, 2012 at 7:45 am
I don’t drink at all, so this has never been an issue for me. However, I did enjoy your writing style, and I hope you write more guest posts in the future.
Good luck in university!
September 10, 2012 at 7:56 am
Yes, yes and yes. I could not agree more, Alex. I am now, as of today, in my eighth year of university. Yes… eighth. No, I didn’t have to “repeat” anything but am wading through years and years of grad school. I’m now realizing the incredible amount of money I spent on alcohol in my undergrad. I wouldn’t trade my undergrad experience for the world but I would trade my knowledge now for my knowledge then and make smarter decisions. I have a couple more suggestions to add to your list….
- always wait at least 20 minutes – 1/2 hr between drinks to help you decide if you really “need” that extra drink to “catch up” with everyone else. Your previous drinks may not have quite set in yet, and that extra drink could be an absolutely unnecessary expense, not to mention might tip you over the edge from “fun” to embarrassing, sloppy, really sick the next day, etc.
- use a cash budget (or track your spending) and then sometime during the year (maybe not the first few weeks), try going for a week without drinking at all. if you notice a massive change in the amount of money you spend that week which allows you to afford other things, you might reconsider whether booze is where you want to be allocating the majority of your budget. speaking from experience here!
- also speaking from experience… i know undergrad seems really long and lots of people want to get out by the end. in my third year, i thought i would be hightailing it out of there after getting my BA but things change, and look at me now (5 years later). If there’s any chance you want to go to grad school at all, and even if there’s not… try to remember that you’ll need to be footing the bill for several more years of school, not to mention that you will delay yourself from repaying that party debt for the same number of years.
I hope this wasn’t too preachy! I’m still one for a good party but as a fairly recent undergraduate student and a continuing grad student… this would be my advice!
September 10, 2012 at 8:05 am
A great article! Learning to drink responsibly is such a critical Part of adulthood for many people and I appreciate the practical, respectful, positive approach. I follow many if these tips as an adult, so it’s a good habit to get into.
All the best in school, Alex! Can’t wait to hear more from you. I love your writing style and voice!
September 10, 2012 at 8:17 am
Can I add two suggestions?
1. Skip the rounds. Buying rounds for your friends is an easy way to overspend money. Talk to your friends before hand and agree to only buy yourselves drinks.
2. Go on ladies/college night, drink from the well and only bring enough money to cover a couple of drinks, plus tips. I managed to make $30 my grandma gave me last for the majority of a semester at the bar. I went every other week, only on college night (no cover!) and drank the $2 specials. (2 drinks per night).
September 10, 2012 at 8:51 am
Take care, bad things can happen to drunk girls (and boys) spoken from experience
September 10, 2012 at 8:56 am
Please know that the cost of the alcohol is not the only worry.
When young people drink freely in quantities to which they are not accustomed, life=changing events can occur: drinking and driving resulting in police records, accidents or even death; crazy bravado causing accidents; sexual promiscuity;date rapes; unplanned pregnancies; hazing incidents; death from alcohol poisoning.
Sorry to be a wet=blanket….
September 10, 2012 at 9:28 am
This is going to sound totally geeky, but I didn’t always want to drink on Thursday nights in first year, because I had class first thing Friday morning (and had a high grade point average to maintain to keep a major scholarship that paid my tuition) so I would ask the bartender for pop in short glasses (like they make mixed drinks in) and everyone thought I was drinking rum in my coke, so I didn’t harassed to imbibe, and I got off cheap. In retrospect, this is kinda goofy-why didn’t I just tell my floor-mates that I didn’t feel like drinking, but dancing with everyone was fun? Oh well, peer pressure I suppose.
The other thing I’d pass along to the students is that lots of people on my floor failed classes because they made it a point to have a nightly drinking schedule (i.e., Bar A every Monday night, Bar B every Tuesday night, etc. 7 days a week!) and didn’t leave to time to, you know, study. This means that they not only spent a fortune drinking, they have to pay extra tuition to take the class again
Hope all you students have a wonderful year of fun, learning, and staying on budget
September 10, 2012 at 9:47 am
“Think again, Bitches”? No, thank-you. There is no need to swear at people to get your point across.
September 10, 2012 at 10:05 am
“b@itches”? EXCUSE ME!
Learn some respect. I sure stopped reading after that.
I see how Gail taught her daughter.
I am getting close to removing your website site from my bookmarks.
September 10, 2012 at 10:10 am
Some of my most fun times at university were over dinner and a 1.5l bottle of plonk with a bunch of friends at home on a Friday night, chilling out after a rough weekend. Cheap, tasty and we could all keep an eye on each other’s consumption
September 10, 2012 at 10:17 am
Stacia and Marie;
Get a life, that’s how the kids talk to each other — and obviously this post was for THEM to think about alcohol budgeting, now for old fogeys to judge.
I’m 42 with two teens and it didn’t bother me in the slightest — that’s how my GF and I talk to each other.
EYEROLL
September 10, 2012 at 10:17 am
Great post, Alex!! Your article spoke to a specific generation (mine) and I thought the language accurately fit the audience. I can’t wait to see you on here again!
I quit smoking nearly two years ago and barely noticed a difference in my finances. However, I quit drinking just a few months ago and have (shockingly!) put hundreds of additional dollars towards my credit card debts. It really is a huge money-sucker! (More so than cigarettes ever were for me.) It takes a lot of social finagling to – convince yourself and your friends you can – have fun without it. I’ve seen the rewards and pitfalls and wish everyone luck on their journey this year!
September 10, 2012 at 10:36 am
Good post Alex. Speaking in the vernacular was fine by the way. One thing I will say is that I liked that your posting wasn’t ‘don’t drink’ if you want to. While there’s nothing wrong with not drinking, there’s also nothing wrong with having a few pints or going out on the town too in university, that’s where I learned how to have fun (without getting into trouble). g
September 10, 2012 at 10:46 am
Bazinga to you too
September 10, 2012 at 11:17 am
oh my gosh. Good points Alex and PsychSarah! University is really the training ground for life – balance is key! Out of my high school friends – ten of us started and four of us graduated on time. Those that didn’t, I can definitely say it was due to lack of prioritization. Social activities always came first. It’s transended into adulthood unfortunately.
I also want to point out that with liver disease on both sides of my family, the liver is an often abused and misunderstood organ. Trust me, NO ONE wants to undergo a transplant and I don’t even thing that if your liver damage is due to alcohol, that you aren’t a candidate. At least you weren’t in the 90’s when my father was almost sawed in half to have his liver replaced. I did my share of partying in university but really slowed it down after seeing that reality!
September 10, 2012 at 11:32 am
Great post Alex! It sure made me laugh on a dreary Monday morning! Good luck in school!
September 10, 2012 at 11:40 am
“Bitches” has become a popular term of endearment amongst people in their teens and twenties as of late. From the context of the blog, it is clear to me that it is not intended to be derogatory.
September 10, 2012 at 11:44 am
Bluenoser:
“now for old fogeys to judge”?
If you are not going to be respectful with me, I don’t expect you to teach respect either.
You do not know my age!
September 10, 2012 at 11:45 am
I thought of another good suggestion! As long as you are good at balance/prioritizing – getting a job at a bar while you’re in university both increases your income and increases the likelihood that you will be able to get a good deal of free drinks and free admission to special “industry” [read: service industry] events/skip-line privileges at bars. Again, speaking from experience.
September 10, 2012 at 11:55 am
Great article for a Monday! Love the guest post Alex. The language is very in line with the intended audience, so well done. This brought back so many memories for me and my undergrad. I hated spending gobs of money on alcohol so pre-drinking always make a ton of sense. But a much as I like to go out, I made sure that the studies came first. I know lost of people who had to repeat classes and that just seemed crazy silly and expensive to me. Nothing wrong with having fun but just making sure there is a balance. You’re at school to get a degree after all
September 10, 2012 at 12:24 pm
I like the guest post – it does get incredibly expensive to go out, not only the drinks but the snacks and the cab, and the drycleaning and additional unexpected costs ( a friend of mine lost her new i-phone in a cab on the way home after a happy night of celebrating).
For both work and social occasions I don’t bother to try to keep up but like the poster above it isn’t worth it to try to argue my point with someone. I alternate vodka and cranberry juice with just cranberry juice (or often just have the one drink at the beginning). It saves me money and I am getting my vitamin C – a win-win
September 10, 2012 at 12:26 pm
I actually found a much more fun and frugal way to have fun at University. I made friends with the campus club bartender. Mixed drinks and beer on tap for free! I also made friends with the people who organized the bands, I got to see some pretty great entertainment, also for free.
Off campus drinking was pretty cheap for me because I usually did the driving so usually somebody paid for my one beer and pop was most likely free.
Now I understand how I finished undergrad debt free! All my friends were jealous.
September 10, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Calling people “Bitches” and “old fogeys” are both disrespectful. If you use those terms with people you know and they don’t mind, maybe it’s okay. But to use them, directed to those you don’t know, is inappropriate.
September 10, 2012 at 12:55 pm
I just did the poll. I was surprised that there was a gaping hole in the time line. We save up and have one mid-range nice dinner out a month (for us, $20 entree per adult and we leave the kids at home), but that wasn’t a option. So…. does that count as 2 -3 dinners out a month or the next option which is less than 6 times a year? I guessed less than 6x because if we were taking the whole family, that’s what it would be.
September 10, 2012 at 1:44 pm
To Alex, There will always be a few negative people who twist your words or try to change the way you relate to your audience to how they would prefer. The use of “bitches” in this article is common slang. Not directed at anyone in particular. I thought that was pretty obvious. No need to take offence to it. It’s how people talk!
Whether you drink or not, your average university student drinks his or her face off at one stage or another while in school. The cost is real, and the tips are awesome! Especially for young adults who are on their own for the first time and may not have considered the impact of drinking on their budget. It’s so tempting to blow through student loan money.
Since drinking is a REALITY for most students (at least in some capacity) I think this post is awesome because it’s not a cost that I have heard discussed when planning for spending while in post secondary! I was there, I saw the mayhem, and this post can help so many students give some thought to how they can save a few bucks and still have a great experience at school!
September 10, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Hahaha… While I generally like the guest post, I think Alex could use someone to give a quick proofread before posting. There’s a couple misplaced commas and some missing apostrophes in there.
Errr… I’m also not sure about Tip #2. Smuggling outside alcohol into a pub or club in order to spike a soft drink you bought there is against liquor laws almost everywhere in the world. A nice bouncer would confiscate it and throw it out. A normal bouncer would throw *you* out on your derriere. A mean bouncer… Well, they can get rough.
September 10, 2012 at 4:44 pm
If you’re offended by Bitches I have no idea how you actually get through life without being offended be everything everyone says.
Great post. My dad always taught me to keep cab fare in a “secret pouch” that’s not with the rest of the money. (separate from the emergency $20) If I didn’t see it in my wallet with the rest of my money I wasn’t tempted to spend it but in the back of my mind I knew it was there and I’d always have a safe way home.
I was lucky though I had a friend who didn’t drink but no car and he worked out of town with no place to crash. So we went out drinking he drove my car home and crashed on my couch. everyone won and had a great time.
I think this was a very timely post and a great reminder of how much it can cost to drink a night away with friends.
September 10, 2012 at 4:44 pm
To the other Marie:
That word is also used by pimps who believes that they own their ‘workers’.
I wish people were more mindful of the reason why people think that a word is shocking. That is a use that is more recent and has HORRIBLE connotations. It is very insulting to those who are not done working at respect towards everyone, including women (regardless of their career).
September 10, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Guys.. get over the language.. its a well written blog with a good message.. If the word choices offended you, then I respectfully understand that you feel you must leave this website. I believe you will be in the minority. But please, enough of the carping and kvetching. In Gails wise words from some of her show… Piss or get off the pot.
have a nice day !
September 10, 2012 at 7:18 pm
Most people are going to party, so might as well be sensible about it.
My only advise: Don’t lose count of your drinks! Lose count, and it is
game over.
Great article. Please disregard the nit pickers who took issue with the language. Hopefully they were able to read the real message here.
September 10, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Great post! For those young college/university readers out there. Listen to these suggestions. I have friends who are paying off debt 10+ years after they have graduated, they are unhappy and regret making some bad choices.
These are suggestions and ideas of ways to save that you have control over.
September 10, 2012 at 9:29 pm
I LOVED “Think again Bitches”… SO funny!
Great post! This is totally appropriate at any stage in life… including my own… parenthood… LOL. Although we aren’t in the bar stage anymore we still think about our alcohol consumption and the costs of it. Dinner out with friends can cost quite a bit if you stick around for “a drink or 2″ so we would opt to go home and have a few there.
September 10, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Could do without the “Bitches” tag line… and even though your savvy drinking advice is practical for those that booze it up at school… isn’t higher education about so much more? No matter how you spin it, it just isn’t classy.
September 10, 2012 at 11:29 pm
I’m 48 years old man, have a Honours BSc in computing science and work in the Information Technology division of a Canadian financial institution. In our office it is common to hear the greeting “What up, IT bitches?” directed at a group of male IT staff. Seriously, the people with the issues with the language need to stop living in the 1950’s and realize there’s much more important battles to be fought.
Alex: I loved the post. The “Think again bitches” line made me laugh out loud. As noted in the above comments, smuggling your own alcohol into pubs and restaurants might be crossing the line to illegal behaviour. I did it when I was attending university but I don’t think I’d recommend it now – the world was a different place 25 years ago when I was in school. Keep up the good work. Good luck with your studies.
September 10, 2012 at 11:36 pm
As a well seasoned university student, I have a couple more pointers for the drinkers out there.
1. If you can’t say “no” learn to make those drinks last. Tall drinks last longer. Singles are cheaper than doubles. Splitting a pitcher with a friend that has the same attitude to drinking as you will save you both. Splitting a bottle for bottle service is a good deal IF everyone that goes in on it actually pays. Drink the drinks on special, but only if they are similar volume to something that would last longer ($2.50 shots are NOT a better deal than a $4 beer).
2. Be the designated driver. Your friends will love you, you get free non-alcoholic bevies, and you save your money. Responsible friends will even pitch in for gas.
3. Weigh the pros and cons of arriving late (fewer drinks) vs. showing up early (no cover).
4. Don’t shut the bar down. Those people are not cool. They’re always broke and lonely. Leave at least a half hour before last call. Most of the drinks are wasted by that point anyways.
5. If you’re a stylish, attractive girl see if the bar you’re going to will give you a free package for ladies night or college nights. You can usually snag a bar tab, a limo to the club, no cover and a limo home if you’re lucky. I’ve even had “reverse cover” to show up early… that’s where THEY pay YOU. Call ahead and make sure you can fill a booth or a limo with your girls. Unfortunately, this isn’t usually available to guys and your party will have to be all single ladies. Added bonus if you get limo home… you have to book the time, so it’ll force you to leave at a responsible pre-planned hour.
6. Lastly… DO NOT DO SHOTS! This will save you every time. Trust me.
September 11, 2012 at 12:18 am
Karen:
Yet another rude statement… and not fitting at all.
I had enough of the offenses.
Good bye to all.
September 11, 2012 at 9:08 am
Some good points in the article, but I never drank in University. I had too many bills to pay to even think about spending money on alcohol. In terms of University peers, there are different age groups in University – I knew a lot of fellow students in their 30s and that age group usually showed a greater interest in achieving good grades than those just out of high school who thought drinking and partying is the only reason to be in higher education. Ah, and the swearing. That is a bit out of place from what I’ve read from Gail’s posts.
September 11, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Oh people please get over the “swearing”! Those who are dwelling on this are missing the entire point of this comment page – which to comment on Alex’s insight of campus life and finances! NOT to be used as a moral sounding board – geeze!
Alex, I personally liked your article…however you choose to express your opinions is YOUR choice, so whether you take these comments to heart or not is irrelevant. Just keep doing what you’re doing and make it your own!
September 11, 2012 at 5:21 pm
great job Alex, i liked reading this, and you are bang on!!! welcome, hope to hear more from you
September 11, 2012 at 8:39 pm
I never was a drinker in college mostly because of the cost. In terms of a ride home check into a van service. My college town had a service you could pay by the pick up or for the school year. You call them on a Friday to Sunday and they will pick you up and take you home so much cheaper than a cab.
September 12, 2012 at 3:19 pm
I’m a little slow posting, but I wanted to say Alex, Well Done! You can’t please everyone no matter what you say or do in life, so Just Be You. I loved the article and will be forwarding it to my 1st year Uni Student. My advice to her was, If you do drink ( I am a realist) for every drink you have, have a glass of water as well. Her thoughts on drinking are that its a waste of money and way too many calories for nothing.
September 13, 2012 at 7:52 am
Ok I am perplexed as to why Gail is promoting this “under age” drinking college fun. Yes, I am aware that many are adults or over 19. Still, I have friends whose children just started university and it is disgusting (YES I am aware a reality) how the focus is DRINKING. And here, Gail is giving her daughter carte blanche to brag about how she’s managed to maintain her budget for getting sloshed? Just lost my respect Gail. Wow. A friend last week just cried to me about her daughter being roomed up with a drunk room mate whose primary goal of university is to “get hammered and get laid every night”…she thinks nothing of waking her room mate up at 3 am drunk coming in….lined their room with booze bottles…I am just really put off by any promotion of this at all. And before you post “oh you’re just a prude or non drinker” believe me…I enjoy my drinks. I also was stupid as a youth in doing so. However, I have 3 daughters, and you better believe I am teaching them how these stupid actions turn out. Yes I know they will drink at some point, but I sure as hell wouldn’t let them read this as a how to. How about hey, focus on why you’re IN school and if don’t be stupid enough to blow your wad on booze, when you get kicked out or WORSE?
September 13, 2012 at 4:23 pm
I laughed out loud at “Listen up bitches!”. I read this blog on Google Reader with my phone so I rarely comment or see the comment section, but I opened up my computer to write this one specifically
I’ve never had a drink in my life (just never had the interest) and I have lots of savings… I’m sure they’re at least slightly related.
Re: transport – if you’re taking public transit, make sure you know when it stops for the night, drinking or no, or you might end up stranded!
September 13, 2012 at 5:18 pm
This blog has been bothering me since it was 1st posted. I was going to go through Alex’s points one by one and point out what I perceive to be rather flawed points but I’m not going to.
While I was initially excited to hear Alex’s thoughts on saving money while in school I was soon very disappointed.
It does read to me that this is not so much a blog about saving money while drinking at all. To me it says “how to get ABSOLUTELY PLASTERED while trying to save some money”
Seeing as most students do not have much money at all – hence student debts and the like, this seems very counter intuative to Gail’s teachings. How many times have we watched TDDUP or Princess? How about all the times she asks people to find recreation that doesn’t cost money or for a very little amount?
While I certainly realize that a social drink is fine, a “how to” on encouraging people to spend $ to get drunk is ridiculous and not fit for this forum in MY humble opinion.
If a student only spends $20 a week at a pub night or whatever, how much does that add up to over the course of a year of learning? Enough to buy a couple of text books I would think. Times that by 4 yrs or more? Exactly how much does that add to the cost of getting a higher education. As Alex rightly said, “you’re just pissing (it) away”.
I wonder what Gail would say to students about this message.
September 13, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Sorry – I seem to have accidentally deleted a few words. After ” How many times have we watched TDDUP or Princess” (the following was meant to be added) where Gail tells people that are spending money they don’t have on drinking or smoking to quit?
September 15, 2012 at 6:07 am
Most people drink. That is a fact. I was 18 when I started university and chose not to partake in underage drinking for a variety of legal/health/personal reasons. This allowed me to adjust to the environment and decide how to proceed once I did turn legal.
If you make it clear to people that your not drinking is in no way a judgement on them or meant to lessen their enjoyment they will largely respect your choice. I explained to my friends that my choice had nothing to do with them, I still enjoyed hanging out with them and could party it up until 3 am with them with a coke in my hands and I followed through with that. Once 19, (January of first year,) I had learned a lot from other’s mistakes. I often DD’ed – friends will love you for it! – or was able to go out and enjoy a drink instead of 5. My average continued climbing, very unusual for a 1st year, I had lots of fun social time and never missed a class.
We also had a group rule where we never paid cover. Much harder in other towns but it still left lots of options where I was.
To echo someone else – the only problem I have with these guidelines is the suggestion to sneak in alcohol. Just like it’s not worth it to drink on the street, it’s not worth it to break this law either. Perhaps it is less common knowledge amoung younger people how serious this is? But you are breaking the law and if you sneak alcohol in the bartender cannot do their job monitoring your intake. This is a legal responsibility and they can be held liable for overserving if you become too intoxicated in the bar.