Weekly spending and what it would be worth invested instead
The average American spends $579 per year on alcohol at home and significantly more when dining out. Someone spending $50 per week on alcohol — about 5 bar drinks plus a six-pack — spends $2,600 per year directly. Invested at 7% annual return over 20 years that $2,600 per year grows to approximately $136,000.
Alcohol cost calculators show both the direct annual spending on alcohol and the opportunity cost — what that money would be worth if invested instead. Like the smoking cost calculator the numbers are often more striking than people expect before they run them. This tool is for information only and does not constitute health or financial advice.