Spending On Alcohol

Originally published on Youthradio.org, the premier source for youth generated news throughout the globe.

By: Lauren Silverman

They say to start saving when you're young. After my 21st birthday I took this advice and made a commitment to cut down on spending.

Unfortunately, beginning to save and turning 21 seem to mix about as well as Bailey's Irish cream and lime juice. Here I am, back at the University of Michigan wanting nothing more than to experience the bar scene, and yet doing so requires serious cash. According to State University, it is estimated that the average student spends at least $50 per month on beer alone. So if you're trying to pocket more pennies it would make sense to give up beer, right?

For many college students, especially girls, it's possible to give up spending on beer without actually giving up drinking it. You can convince a guy at the bar to treat you to a free drink, or just chug whatever is on tap at the closest kegger. Free alcohol may seem like a miracle, but it's actually become a public health concern. Young educated college students are master deal-finders, but researchers studying the connection between the price of alcohol and intoxication recently concluded that cheap drinks promote high levels of consumption. In other words, 21-year-olds are saving cash, but risking their health.

I have to admit that in the middle of a recession it's pretty hard to say no to a good deal, especially one that allows me to hang out with my friends while drinking a few good beers. The challenge for young people like me is to remember that too much of this kind of deal, can be a really bad thing.

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