First, being single, I was frequently my own designated driver! In high school, I remembered two students from our school being severely mutilated because a drunk driver came over a hill in their lane and crashed into them head on. He walked away with barely scratches; their beautiful faces would never be the same. (This was before seatbelts.) I never wanted to be the cause of something like that.

Second, my ex- drank to excess. I saw what he was like when he drank and didn’t like it. I saw the toll on our limited funds and didn’t like that. I saw how he became all talk and no action and REALLY didn’t like that! When I divorced him, I found myself automatically suspicious of anyone who drank to excess in my company.

And, third, I don’t like the lack of control. I did things when I was young and drank that I’d never do when I was sober. Boy, could I be talked into things easily after a couple of drinks!

When I moved back to the midwest, I had quite a few private chuckles over my mom’s confusion when we’d go out to dinner and I wouldn’t have a cocktail before dinner. She didn’t drink to excess but grew up in an age where that was the norm. I don’t think I ever did explain why I wasn’t into that! LOL

Recently I noticed that I have a significant number of bottles of hard liquor that I’ve now moved twice. I decided that the next time I head back to where I used to live, I’ll be taking them with me and giving them to a friend. That will still leave me with a number of bottles of liqueurs — I was collecting them at one time — which I’ll (about 2-3 times in a winter season) sip a glass of in front of the fire, but I won’t replace them as they empty — which will probably take me the rest of my life! LOL

Saving money was just an added bonus that I discovered along the way.

It’s not the same in this day and age, but, by the end of January, I’ll have quit smoking. Money is one of my reasons and health is another, but, I admit that, if I could hold the smoking to five or less per day, I wouldn’t quit. I don’t like the cost. Not just in terms of the cigarettes themselves, but also the cleaning bills! Curtains and drapes need to be cleaned more frequently and walls repainted more frequently. I actually hate the residual smell, so air freshener costs for things that actually absorb the odor, rather than just mask it, are rather high. I know I can do it ’cause, when I needed the money to pay for the train when I started to grad school, I quit for 3 1/2 years! Won’t be easy, but this time it will be for good!

The average American male gets about 20% of his daily calories via alcohol.

For me: maybe a glass or two of wine per month. I don’t avoid it, but I don’t seek it out as part of my routine.