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On episode 13 of My Boyfriend Sucks with Money, Brian and I discuss the financial impacts of addiction. It’s an interesting topic, and one that I’ve mentioned before in my blog post “The Worst Financial Mistake of my Life“. But Brian has dealt with addiction as well. I don’t think that’s shocking – I think every person on this planet at least knows someone who has been affected by addiction. But our experiences with it are very different.
The Financial Impacts of Addiction on the Enabler
Yep, that’s me. I was an enabler. I had an addict boyfriend and I enabled him to drink for over 5 years. Overall, I think I spent between ten and twenty thousand dollars on this guy. And yes, in the beginning I would even buy him the booze! I know now how messed up that situation was, but when you are in the situation, it’s hard to see how damaging it is (to both of you).
The Financial Impacts of Addiction on the Addict
Brian’s viewpoint comes from that of the addict. He was addicted to an illegal substance for over 10 years. He estimates that he spent between 50 and 100 thousand dollars on just getting a fix. That doesn’t include the lost jobs and lost opportunities due to addiction. We are both extremely thankful that he was able to dig himself out and get clean.
Listen to episode 13 to hear all the juicy details!
Podcast Notes
This was a difficult podcast for me. Talking about my issues with my ex made me relive some of them, and I realized that I’m not entirely healed from that ordeal. But listening to Brian’s take on what the addict really is responsible for helped add some clarity.
We still struggle with not talking over one another, hopefully someday we will get better with that. The animals also continue to be an issue -I can’t wait until we get our studio built so we don’t have to pause every time one of them gets up or wants attention!
Overall, I think it was a great podcast on a very sensitive topic, I hope you enjoy it!
Melanie launched Partners in Fire in 2017 to document her quest for financial independence with a mix of finance, fun, and solving the world’s problems. She’s self educated in personal finance and passionate about fighting systematic problems that prevent others from achieving their own financial goals. She also loves travel, anthropology, gaming and her cats.
please don’t talk about rehab like you’re a professional I’m sorry what you went through but you are ignorant to the fact about addiction and recovery if you work the process for the remainder of your life you will make it , i have done many shows at sober living homes, and rehab centers and you only know the surface of whats going on , its like me commenting on homeland security , i think homeland security is two people playing ping pong in a basement , if you’re going to talk about a important subject as addiction please be prepared
Think about how important it is to have good relationships, finances and health in order to be able to focus on starting and building a business. You cannot have a healthy business if you aren’t healthy! Every business person must be able to invest time, energy and attention into daily operations. You see, there is no such thing as maintenance. Either things are improving or they are deteriorating. You cannot neglect your business and, at the same time, expect to see is prosper.
Addiction is closely linked to poverty, not only because substance abuse is costly, but also because addiction is frequently used as a form of escapism. Many people who live in poverty abuse drugs and alcohol to cope with the major challenges that they may face in their lives. When you’re living paycheck to paycheck and fighting to make ends meet, drugs can bring an instant thrill that you don’t get anywhere else.
This is very true, thanks for your input!