Decide which number you want
A purchase record answers "How much money left my account?" It works well with receipts and a household budget. A consumption-cost record answers "What did the drinks I logged cost?" It works well beside serving details in a drink tracker. The dates and totals will differ when you buy in advance or share a bottle.
Pick one method for the main total and name it clearly. You can keep both records, but do not add them together. In AlcoList, adding prices to logged drinks gives spending context for those entries. Keep broader shopping, delivery fees or household purchases in a separate budget if they are part of the question you want to answer.
Allocate a bottle or pack to the serving
For a bottle, divide the purchase cost by its volume, then multiply by the amount consumed. A fictional 750 ml bottle costing $15 has a cost of $0.02 per ml. A 150 ml serving therefore costs $3. If you log two such servings, their cost is $6. Do not also add the full $15 bottle price to that consumption total.
For a pack of identical cans, divide the pack price by the number of cans. A six-pack costing $12 gives $2 per can. A different discount next time means a different price, even if volume and ABV remain unchanged. Check the price default before reusing a saved drink.
| Purchase | Logged serving | Allocated cost |
|---|---|---|
| 750 ml bottle for $15 | 150 ml | $3.00 |
| Six identical cans for $12 | One can | $2.00 |
| Four identical bottles for $10 | Two bottles | $5.00 |
Build one clear weekly example
Imagine a recorded week containing two canned drinks at $2 each and two drinks at a venue at $8 each. The total is $20: $4 plus $16. Four servings at an assumed uniform price of $5 also total $20, but that average hides the difference between the settings. Keep individual prices when you want to understand where the spending comes from.
Separate other costs when practical. A shared restaurant bill, food, tips and transport do not automatically belong to the price of the drink. You may choose a broader "night out" budget, but label it differently. Otherwise changes in meals or travel can look like changes in alcohol spending.
For a shared purchase, record either your actual payment in the purchase budget or the allocated cost of your consumed portion in the drink log. Those are distinct perspectives. Neither needs to be forced into the other.
Estimate a month or year honestly
The spending calculator multiplies servings per week by price per serving. It then uses 52 weeks for a year and divides that annual estimate by 12 for an average month. For four servings at $6, the results are $24 per week, $104 per average month and $1,248 per year.
A four-week period would instead cost $96. That is not an error; four weeks and an average calendar month are different periods. Keep the labels visible when comparing the calculator with a bank statement. A statement for a particular month also reflects the actual number of days and purchases in that month.
The yearly number is a scenario, not a forecast. It assumes the same weekly pattern and price for 52 weeks. Holidays, discounts, shared purchases and changes in your routine can all alter the result. Do not present the difference between two scenarios as guaranteed savings.
Keep currencies and missing prices visible
If you travel, do not add 10 euros and 10 dollars and call the result 20 in either currency. Keep separate totals or convert using a rate and date you record in your own budget. The calculator's currency selector changes the display label; it does not convert exchange rates.
A missing price is also not necessarily zero. Zero can mean a complimentary drink, while a blank may mean you did not record the cost. When reviewing, distinguish known spending from incomplete entries. If only some drinks have prices, call the result recorded spending rather than a complete budget.
Rounding is useful for display, but avoid repeatedly rounding intermediate allocations. For a bottle divided into uneven portions, calculate from price per ml and round the final serving cost. Expect a few cents of difference when separately rounded portions are added.
Use the review to answer a specific question
Compare complete periods and look for a meaningful explanation: venue prices, serving counts, a bulk purchase or a changed default. Spending and alcohol amount should remain separate. A cheaper product can lower the bill without lowering alcohol consumed, while a more expensive venue can do the reverse.
Choose the next practical step from what you find. You might correct a template price, separate purchase and consumption records, or compare a realistic alternative budget. The calculator can help explore the arithmetic; it cannot decide what budget or drinking pattern is right for you.
The short version
Choose a purchase or consumption view, allocate shared packages consistently, and label estimates honestly. Keep spending separate from alcohol amount so both remain useful.
