Addiction is expensive. A cocaine habit, for example, can easily cost $100 a day. Even the cost of alcohol can add up as your tolerance grows and you drink every day. After getting sober, people are often pleasantly surprised to find they suddenly have extra money in their pockets–sometimes quite a bit of extra money. What can you do with all that extra money?
Pay your debts.
It’s not the funnest way to spend a windfall, but it’s better to get out of debt as soon as possible. If you owe money to unsavoury people, you don’t want them knocking on your door just when everything is going well. Much better to close those accounts then delete those phone numbers. If you owe money to friends and family, paying them back can be part of making amends. They’ll know you’re serious about recovery when you finally pay back that money you borrowed.
Put it in savings.
Again, not the funnest use of extra cash, but it’s nice to have a bit of a cushion in case of hard times. If you’ve been feeding an addiction for a while, your savings can probably use some replenishing. Even if you only save a bit of what you would have spent on drugs or alcohol, it can add up faster than you might think.
Pay it forward.
When you make amends, you will certainly want to pay back any money you borrowed or stole. If you damaged someone’s property, of caused some other loss, you’ll want to cover that too. If for some reason you can’t pay someone back, consider paying someone forward. Maybe you can donate to a relevant charity. Maybe you feel rotten for hitting an ex while drunk, but she won’t even talk to you now, much less accept your apology. Consider donating money to a women’s shelter or a domestic abuse charity. It won’t erase your mistake, but it could help someone else.
Pick up a new hobby.
Most hobbies have some sort of cost associated with them–you need art supplies to paint, you need an instrument to play music, and you need parts to restore cars. It also helps to have a good teacher. Put some of that money toward taking a class or hiring a tutor. It can really speed up your progress when you want to learn new skills.
Join a gym.
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself in recovery. It improves your mood and you willpower. It gives you more energy and helps you focus. You can always exercise at home, of course, but a gym offers several advantages. You can try out new things and sometimes you can take classes like yoga, spin, or kickboxing. You have a place you can go when you need a distraction or you just need to get out of the house. You can meet new people, or just not be alone. And spending a little money on a gym makes you feel a little more obligated to exercise regularly.
Located in downtown Midland, The Springboard Center’s mission is to offer programs and services to treat alcohol and drug addiction treatment using an evidence based curriculum, 12 step programs, diet, nutrition, exercise, emotional, mental and spiritual development for a long recovery. For more information, please call us at 432-620-0255 as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
