Money in 2008

I just looked at my online credit card statement and realized that if I didn’t go out to bars and to friends houses to partake in what we would call “social” drinking, I would probably be saving $300-400 every month. I would not even consider for an instant that I have a drinking problem or issue, but going out is very expensive. I was at bar in Waltham watching the Final Four games back a bit and saw the Burger on the menu selling for $4.75 with French fries. I took me a minute to think back to the last time I saw a burger that cheap and it was definitely before a time when I was old enough to go out and pay a restaurant tab. In high school, it was possible to get a $5 lunch. And depending on the place, it could include chips and a drink. Now that the $5 expectation has been breached, lunches at regular places approximate the $10 barrier. Perhaps the $5 limit was holding back prices for longer than they should, but all of a sudden, the $10 limit has crept into play. The same goes for the price of a pint at a bar. Because I got my start going to the Avenue where pints of Bud Light were always a dollar, I was spoiled by cheap beers. Pints of light beer for $2-3 were found at other bars, $4.75 was quoted at fancier locations and the stadium beer could be had for $5. That was back in 2001-2002. Now stadium beers are never less than $6 and can go for as high as $9. A beer costs $4.50 in every bar save one…Avenue still serves ‘em up for a buck. They’re probably watered down.