# The one beer policy



## rossco12 (Dec 4, 2013)

If you're like me, and spend a fair bit of time working out of town with a subsistence bonus, chances are you hit the bar/restaurant somewhat frequently. After watching coworkers squander ridiculous amounts of money on restaurant alcohol, I implemented my own one beer policy. It makes me want to cry watching people pay 350% value for alcohol just because it's in a social setting, not to mention when they start buying rounds. 

Let's say you hit your bar once a week for a year. You'd normally have a meal and 4 drinks at $6 a pop. Commit yourself to only having one beer every time and you save about $1000 a year, which for many people is a paycheck.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

I hate buying drinks when out, but I enjoy it too much not to. 

I try and limit drinks when out to 1 beer, or 1 wine, etc. It's hard to stomach what I'm drinking costs a fraction of what I could buy it in the store....


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## none (Jan 15, 2013)

You can say that about anything though - it's always cheaper at home.

When I go out I buy what I want. I'm not going to waste the opportunity to have a good time to save $20 on beer.

For the record, I don't need to drink to have a good time but it sure helps!


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I think(frugal people incl here)some social situations require ''letting'' loose a little and I personally would never implement a one beer policy(you got to have fun sometimes and not do a constant cost analysis(my personal opinion)

This is not going to be popular here(lol)and I am carefully with my money too but nobody likes a cheap skate or being around one in a social circumstance,generally you won't make many friends that way but maybe people don't care(guess it depends how much one goes out though,i would rather pick my spots than go out all the time mind you)


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Taking it up a notch, travelling on business it got to the point where I just no longer cared for those big restaurant meals so at the end of the day it was stop at a grocery store for one of those prepared meals, fruit, whatever for dinner at the hotel ... something to put in the bar fridge for breakfast ... and 3 beers for later ... e.g., sitting out on a balcony in Spain around 11:00 at night, a band playing somewhere, fresh olives ... and 3 beers ... perfect :encouragement: I also found that having that "takeout" back at the hotel gave me a lot more time for wandering around, taking in the sights.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

My advice is the opposite. Buy the beer and cut back on everything else. If you buy enough beer you won't miss the other stuff.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

I tend to only have a pint or maybe two, but that's all I really want to have. I rarely drink to get drunk, and don't really like being even really 'buzzed' in a public place. A party or family gathering is a bit different. 

Doesn't help that I usually have to drive afterwards.


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## Koala (Jan 27, 2012)

I tend to get drinks that take a bit more effort to make than a beer, they aren't something I would drink at home, and often aren't too much more expensive. If it's hot or frozen I can't finish it as quickly.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

rossco12 said:


> If you're like me, and spend a fair bit of time working out of town with a subsistence bonus, chances are you hit the bar/restaurant somewhat frequently. After watching coworkers squander ridiculous amounts of money on restaurant alcohol, I implemented my own one beer policy. It makes me want to cry watching people pay 350% value for alcohol just because it's in a social setting, not to mention when they start buying rounds.
> 
> Let's say you hit your bar once a week for a year. You'd normally have a meal and 4 drinks at $6 a pop. Commit yourself to only having one beer every time and you save about $1000 a year, which for many people is a paycheck.


Or you could drink 12 but only go out every 3 months. This would leave you 4 emergency beers for hot summer days if we ever get any.


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## wendi1 (Oct 2, 2013)

I am usually the DD when we go out, so the "one beer policy" is pretty much de facto. We make up for it, though, by entertaining at home usually, so it probably doesn't actually save any money...


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## Canadian (Sep 19, 2013)

My habits are pretty seasonal. I don't go out much in the winter - too cold and my life is too busy. So my beer or other social alcohol consumption is probably 10% at bars/restaurants and 90% at home or friend's houses. Most of my summers are spent on a patio - eating, drinking, socializing. Mind you I do bbq a lot at home during that season so my "dining out" doesn't actually amount to a whole lot.

I'm like most others here in that I'll have one - maybe 2 - drinks with dinner. Maybe a (shared) pitcher if I'm on a patio :biggrin:


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Same wendi1, hence the one drink rule.

I'd rather have friends and family over for a dozen beers than spend $100 at a bar on drinks. Just me.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

You could look into brewing your own beer and wine. There are wine and beer brewing shops that will help you make your favorite drinks for 1/3 the usual store price.


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## realist (Apr 8, 2011)

Drinks and food "out" need to at least partly be considered entertainment costs vs. pure grocery costs.

As more of my friends buy houses I find we are having more house parties again because they actually have the space to have a large group of people over vs. tiny apartments before. The house parties actually cost more if you think about total cost of living, but less for food and drink.


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## Andrew (May 22, 2009)

I am bad at wasting money on nights out at the bar. Trimming back to a one beer policy would be hard for me when everyone else is drinking more than a few.


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## NorthKC (Apr 1, 2013)

Since booze tend to stay in me for a while, I generally don't drink unless I know I will be at the restaurant for at least 2 hours AND will be eating something as I don't drink and drive. I usually go for something that I wouldn't normally have at home such as a cocktail or a high-end drink and enjoy it. That's pretty few and far in between. Otherwise, I'll have a mocktail instead and no one's the wiser!  Ironically, they're often cheaper than pop! :rolleyes2:


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## RBull (Jan 20, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> You could look into brewing your own beer and wine. There are wine and beer brewing shops that will help you make your favorite drinks for 1/3 the usual store price.


This is what we do. 

Buying liquor off the shelf in this province includes very heavy taxes. And buying in a club or restaurant is that much more. We rarely do. 

Now we don't think too much of opening a bottle or 2 of wine or some beers with our homebrew. And it's not hard to make some decent quality stuff nowadays.


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## Ponderling (Mar 1, 2013)

I don't have an on the road allowance, but when I am out of the office for a period of tiem that requires a meal, I try to fold them into the field work.

Often I see a Bulk Barn in the town I am travelling though, and grab some gorp, etc that can be eaten on the go, and combine it with some water brought from the hotel. I will buy a loaf of bread and condiments and other basics to make sandwiches in the room (aren't little room fridges great?), and then combined with inculded make your own breakfast at the hotels I tend to hit, that just leaves a small meal for dinner to fork out cash over, and it might include one alcoholic drink. 

The kicker is to stock up at bulk barn on all the other things that you buy to provision your kitchen at home. No one questions that you turn in $40 for receipts for meals for the whole day. If $25 of this goes towards griceries you would be buying long term and just a bit more stuff to drive home with, that is tops for me.


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## thompsg4416 (Aug 18, 2010)

Someone said it earlier in the thread - when going out with friends its time to let loose. I travel alot for work and when on the road, it's breakfast at the hotel and lunch and dinner are always out. To each thier own but when I go out in a group if drinking is on the agenda then its on the agenda - limiting myself to only one beer isn't in the cards. That said some people drink because they like the taste. I'm not one of those. 

When I go out alone which is most of the time its a non-alcoholic for lunch and dinner. This isn't about money its just about personal taste. I usually try to get all my work out of the way and save the last night of every trip to go out proper


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

The trouble with a policy like "One Beer" is that the policy will change at the end of the beer


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

HaroldCrump said:


> The trouble with a policy like "One Beer" is that the policy will change at the end of the beer


Becomes the "Next One, Beer".


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

rossco12 said:


> It makes me want to cry watching people pay 350% value for alcohol just because it's in a social setting, not to mention when they start buying rounds.


And those same people end up whining because they are not making enough money.

I've heard it all before sitting around the cafeteria table with my co-workers. I'm debt free and telling one of them that leasing a car is a bad deal for most people. Leasing is nothing but monthly car payments for the rest-of-your-life. They'd of course come back with "it must be nice to be rich". Actually, it is nice to be smart and I'd tell them "hell, I make $10K a year less than you, what do you want, a lesson in money management"?

Back on topic. I might have 5 or 6 beers a year in a restaurant. Mind you, I have many more when I am on vacation in Europe where they don't gouge you as much plus they serve real beer.

Yup, and I still have a tube TV and a tube type computer monitor. When they break, I'll try to fix them myself if possible; if not, I'll then buy a new one.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Beer in Europe is cheap, not so much here in Canada. 

I paid $10 for a king can beer at a recent Sens game. It costs about $0.10 to make that beer in that can, and includes the can. One beer policy for sure.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Concessions at sporting events must be one of the biggest rip offs on the planet.
Even beats popcorn and soda at the movies.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Considering soft drinks on sale at the grocery store cost ~ 30 cents a can, I think beer costs at least that much considering beer is harder to make than fizzy sugar water. You have to account for some degree of handling/distribution.


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

My Own Advisor said:


> Beer in Europe is cheap, not so much here in Canada.


To buy, yes. A case of 20 half-liter bottles will range from about 10 Euros to about 18 Euros. Thats about $15 to $27, the latter for top quality beers.

In a restaurant, I paid 3.40 Euros for a half-liter of Stiegl. That is about $5 for a large one. That is on the high side.


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

HaroldCrump said:


> Concessions at sporting events must be one of the biggest rip offs on the planet.


Try an airport if you want a heart attack.


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

I know the thread is about beer but my wife and I paid about $50 Euros, in total, for wine purchased in the stores and we went through umpteen wine bottles over a 2+ week vacation in Italy a couple of years of ago. The markups, taxes, etc. on beer, wine and liquor in Canada is nuts compared to other countries.

Peroni was inexpensive relative to Canada as well, some restaurants, $1 Euro.


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## bayview (Nov 6, 2011)

My Own Advisor said:


> I know the thread is about beer but my wife and I paid about $50 Euros, in total, for wine purchased in the stores and we went through umpteen wine bottles over a 2+ week vacation in Italy a couple of years of ago. The markups, taxes, etc. on beer, wine and liquor in Canada is nuts compared to other countries.
> 
> Peroni was inexpensive relative to Canada as well, some restaurants, $1 Euro.


Beer is probably cheaper than mineral water in Europe. I'm no expert, but I don't understand why would Ontario wines cost more or on par with those better ones from Europe and elsewhere.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

bayview said:


> I'm no expert, but I don't understand why would Ontario wines cost more or on par with those better ones from Europe and elsewhere.


Simple reason - govt. monopoly and unionization.
On a very recent trip to the US, I bought a couple of bottles of the _exact_ same wines there that I buy at the LCBO here.
Literally, 50% cheaper. No kidding.

One example - Robert Mondavi Chardonnay - $16.86 at the LCBO, $8-something in the US.
Central Coast Pinot Noir - $14 - $18 at the LCBO, $8 - $10 in the US (and not even in California).

The Ontario govt. uses liquor as an income re-distribution program.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

And high liquor taxes. Even if the alcohol market was privatized, prices would continue to be higher in Ontario.


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## SpIcEz (Jan 8, 2013)

In Quebec, cashiers at the SAQ (our liquor store) make up to 24.50$ an hour, have full benefits and crazy retirement plans.

Every sip of alcohol I take in this province is bitter. I can taste the UNION... arghhgkkkk.


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## liquidfinance (Jan 28, 2011)

Price was a huge driver in brewing my own. Now I have the immense satisfaction in knowing that I have not paid 1 cent in tax. 

The taxation is crazy when you consider all the ingredients are tax free!


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

You should have stopped at _taxation is crazy_ :biggrin:


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Or you could say that taxation is rational. No successful society exists without them, so they seem to provide some utility.


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## bayview (Nov 6, 2011)

Nothing is certain but death & TAXES! Grrr...


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## scomac (Aug 22, 2009)

bayview said:


> I'm no expert, but I don't understand why would Ontario wines cost more or on par with those better ones from Europe and elsewhere.


Quite simply because it is more difficult to produce a consistently drinkable wine here in Ontario than in Europe or almost anywhere else for that matter. Yields are lower and problems in production tend to be much more prevalent. This is a high COP area for wine production. When you compare Ontario wines to those produced in South America that sell in the LCBO for $15 or less, you wonder why we even bother to try!


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## scomac (Aug 22, 2009)

My Own Advisor said:


> I know the thread is about beer but my wife and I paid about $50 Euros, in total, for wine purchased in the stores and we went through umpteen wine bottles over a 2+ week vacation in Italy a couple of years of ago. The markups, taxes, etc. on beer, wine and liquor in Canada is nuts compared to other countries.
> 
> Peroni was inexpensive relative to Canada as well, some restaurants, $1 Euro.


Pick your poison. If you don't want egregious mark-ups on beer and wine due to our taxation policies, then you have to be prepared to pay somewhere else. The VAT's in many European countries is well into the 20%+ mark. Income taxes are much higher and fuel taxes are designed to deliberately discourage automobile ownership. This is in juxtaposition to NA taxation policy where our _sin taxes_ have been used to "direct" behavior.


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

bayview said:


> Nothing is certain but death & TAXES! Grrr...


I do not have an issue with taxes.

What I do have an issue with is the gross mismanagement of my tax dollars bordering on banana republic corruption. Yes, even in Canada. I worked for the federal government, so I should know.

Taxes in some countries are far higher than ours, but they also have a higher standard of services.


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## Tightwad (Mar 28, 2014)

scomac said:


> The VAT's in many European countries is well into the 20%+ mark. Income taxes are much higher and fuel taxes are designed to deliberately discourage automobile ownership.


Fuel taxes are high but then they are also stuck back into roads that are in great shape compared to ours.

They also do not pay property tax on their primary residence (at least in Italy).

And when buying a used car, you also do not pay tax on it again (at least in Germany). They asked, why would you pay tax again on a product that taxes were already paid on.


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