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Do you drink above or below your pay grade


cdcdguy
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I'd say I buy roughly at - typically between $25-45 per.  I can count the number of bottles @$60+ on one hand and have a couple fingers left over.  OF Sig and OFitz bib are two well under $25/750 that I buy handles mostly since they're go-to's, although the OFitz bib may have to get carefully rationed now like the bunkered 1792RR 8yr and EC12.

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I'd say at...  I have five bottles that were $100 -$140 out of maybe 100 bottles in my stash, but other than that, my purchases range from $15 to $70 with the average probably around $35 to $40.  I love the top shelf stuff but, if that's all you drink, it loses that 'special pour' feeling.  It's kind of the same as with wine.  I love a great Bordeaux or Napa Cabernet, but not with Monday night meatloaf or pizza. 

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Same here.  At my consumption rate, I can afford anything for sale, and still spend less than my wife spends on appearance.  In fact, the more I consume, the better her appearance.  I should drink more to save us both money. 


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I would say on average, I drink on par with my pay grade when it comes to bourbon. Now, when I’m drinking Scotch, that’s a different story!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Doesn't it kind of depend on what ones pay grade is? I know mine has changed significantly of late for the worse and it has been a challenge to change my buying addiction.

 

But on the plus side I don't have to do anything anymore so I have lots of time to contemplate the question...

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2 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

But on the plus side I don't have to do anything anymore so I have lots of time to contemplate the question...

...AND, to dig into that world renowned bunker while doing the contemplating, eh?  Heee-He!  :lol:

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Some days above and some days below.  Good spirits to enjoy at many price points 

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My everyday drinkers tend to be in the $12-$25'ish range. My occasional sippers are usually $30-$40'ish. I'm in a control state so I've never paid more than MSRP for anything. The most I've paid for a bottle is mid $70 for Forged Oak and High West Campfire. I've also become quite fond of Peat. Laphroaig 10 and Ardbeg 10 for about $55 here, but I make those bottles last as long as possible. 

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I drink above my pay grade and right at my wife's pay grade....I'm lucky that I married a sugar momma.

Edited by ThirstyinOhio
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5 hours ago, ThirstyinOhio said:

I drink at above my pay grade and right at my wife's pay grade....I'm lucky that I married a sugar momma.

Same here, but she insists on drinking wine at her pay grade, so I'm stuck with drinking bourbon at mine...

Edited by BDanner
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I drink what tastes good to me, regardless of price.  However, I have rarely paid more than $50 for a bottle of bourbon or rye.  I don't have to.

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I'm all over the board.  I have a lot of bottles over $100- and if I'm being honest most of them aren't worth the price - but they're still usually damn good.  I like variety and have good enough connections that I can get stuff at or near MSRP.  I've never bought secondary.  I drink more basic stuff too.  My pour tonight was standard Makers Mark.  As for the actual question - probably at my pay grade.  My house is paid off, I've got the kids through college, and I don't really have expensive hobbies, so why not?  Whiskey, food and occasional travel are my indulgences.

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Right at my pay grade I suppose. I have around 80 bottles total, I don’t know how many are open, but it’s a good balance of bottom to upper shelf. Being a welder, there will often be misconceptions that I either make several hundred thousand a year or not much at all, but again the middle is true. I built up all this stock like many others here, based on finding cool stuff at reasonable prices. However, you would win a lot of money if you were to bet on me drinking Wild Turkey any given night. I’ve got a very well stocked cabinet at the moment, yet I just keep reaching for that 101 or Rare Breed. My Turkey collection itself may be above my pay grade with the rarities and dusties I’ve amassed, but still that modern 101 is my favorite.

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Almost always below, continually looking for bottom shelf gems.  It is a hobby.  I do sometime go above but that is usually for single malt scotch and single pot still Irish whiskey. 

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I’ve never bought a bottle I “couldn’t afford”, or which impacted my finances to the least.  I purchase <$10 bottles and have gone $300, and a lot in between.  That said, my internal pucker factor begins tightening with bottles over $40 and certainly over $50.  I do it, but don’t like it, and am pretty selective when I get the pang to get one.   Most purchases are $20 -$35, which is very comfortable for me financially, but particularly so emotionally and psychologically...

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15 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

I’ve never bought a bottle I “couldn’t afford”, or which impacted my finances to the least.  I purchase <$10 bottles and have gone $300, and a lot in between.  That said, my internal pucker factor begins tightening with bottles over $40 and certainly over $50.  I do it, but don’t like it, and am pretty selective when I get the pang to get one.   Most purchases are $20 -$35, which is very comfortable for me financially, but particularly so emotionally and psychologically...

I've been struggling with how to answer this question because I'm a perfectionist and because of that I can't answer until I determine what price equates to my pay grade (which there is no way to determine). I can get hung up on silly particulars that way sometimes. So thank you for answering in a way that basically describes me. The only difference is that my pucker factor goes up to $60 but I only pay that for a select number of known quantities such as ECBP and RRSiB. I won't throw $60 at an unknown NDP product anymore. But, like you, I spend a lot of time in the $20-$45 zone. (Upper end extended to recognize the reality of Seattle prices.)

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Another factor that I think is important with pay grade, is paying what a bottle is actually worth. I just got a lead on 2 bottles of ETL at $120 a piece plus tax, and I just laughed. I could afford them if it was something special, but like the previous 2 posters I recoil at anything over $60ish, depending on how much I’ve spent recently. I will not however pay secondary for anything, and I think that directly is related to the idea of “value” and getting a fair and quality product for your hard earned money. 

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I eat below my pay grade but drink above.   When I eat out,  most of the time it's at the counter in a diner.   But I'm a sucker everytime for the good stuff to sip and listen to music.    

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Like Steve, I'd been trying to figure out how to answer this question until I realized my drinking is  like my pay grade. I work on straight commission so sometimes I'm drinking low $, sometimes $$, sometimes $$$. Every paycheck is different. Yesterday it was GTS, right now it's a PS BT and I'm eyeing that open bottle of VOB 6yr BIB for the next pour. Thankfully they're all good!

 

I'm also enjoying the "pucker factor" that's been mentioned a couple of times. For me it varies depending on the age of the whiskey, but generally speaking, $60 gets me thinking real hard on whether or not to buy.

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