Loneliness can get expensive

[one lonely guy]

Anyone else noticed this?

I'm on a very limited income. Aside from all the physical and emotional maladies loneliness can cause, I've noticed it has a significant effect on my wallet. I haven't tallied it all up yet, but I'm guessing annually I'm putting out an extra 3-4 grand to mitigate the pain of loneliness.
Having spoken with some other lonely single people, they confirm this.

The fact that sitting at home only aggravates the condition, I (as well as many other lonely people) tend to do some of the following:

- Eat out a lot
Cooking for one can get to be real boring. The short-term cost of restaurant food is financial; the long-term cost can be poor health due to lousy diet and the money that may cost for treatment

- Go out for coffee a lot
There's a potential social component to sitting in a coffee shop versus sitting a home doing it.

- Join a lot of clubs
It's the only way I've been able to get out and socialize and enjoy activities. It costs me almost $500/yr. If I added a tennis/squash club which I can't afford, it would be almost $2000.

- Drive a lot
In addition to getting to all the club activities, many out of town, I often give rides to people without cars (sometimes to win their favor).

- Don't share hotel accommodations on trips
This nearly doubles the cost.

- Need a cellphone
Because I'm out and about, a cell is a necessity. That's another $45/month.

None of this yet accounts for meds that might be needed if loneliness morphs into depression and other ailments.

The alternative is to sit at home, get lonelier and more depressed, and save lots of money (at least in the short run).

olg

 

[Minus]

If social isolation is one the reasons for or effects of the loneliness then there are countless other ways that it costs.

Car is in the shop and the work is completed. Have to pay for a taxi to get get down to pick it up rather then catching a ride with a friend. Many home repair projects require a second pair of hands if for nothing more then to line something up or hold something in place for a minute. Without a second pair of hands that project needs hired out. Countless other costs.

 

[EveWasFramed]

This a a great thread!
lol, let's not forget Retail Therapy! I shop when I'm bored. I did a LOT of shopping while my husband was deployed. I guess I don't have to come right out and say that I didn't NEED everything I bought.

 

[darkwall]

Yeah, I get this a lot too. Particularly when I try and buy myself things to cheer me up (mostly small things like chocolate, or very rarely a movie, but it all adds up).

 

[one lonely guy]

Car is in the shop and the work is completed. Have to pay for a taxi to get get down to pick it up rather then catching a ride with a friend.

Yep, same here.

Then there's moving (which I've done much - bad neighbor syndrome). My very few 'friends' won't help - various reasons/excuses - so it's the moving company at ~$700/move. That's a lot more than pizza and beer

Travel: I have no relatives this side of the continent. They won't visit, some for health reasons, others because they have family and I'm single, so visiting me seems 'odd' to them. That tab's about $700/yr.

Hospital emergency visits: No friends (with cars) available to get me there; so taxi, or (if I can) drive, and pay premium-rate parking; OTOH, my car-less 'friends' call me to get them there when they're in need, so the actual cost is multiples of that.

 

[Minus]

Hospital emergency visits: No friends (with cars) available to get me there; so taxi, or (if I can) drive, and pay premium-rate parking; OTOH, my car-less 'friends' call me to get them there when they're in need, so the actual cost is multiples of that.

Then on some scheduled "procedures" they will not allow you to drive yourself home afterwards. They make sure that you have arraigned for a driver to bring you home. A taxi may work there but i have no idea how you are suppose to do it when that person also has to commit to staying and observing you for 24 hours to make sure there are no problems. Skip the medical attention, pay big bucks for a 24 hour hospital stay that isn't medically required or rent a nanny for a day?

 

[Unacceptance]

Money's gonna get wasted anyway.

 

[SilentThinker]

For me,it is quite opposite.When I go out with friends,money is spent.

Lan gaming $$$
Sports and leisures $$$

Maybe I spent too much on my laptop.xD

 

[Bluey]

- Eat out a lot
Cooking for one can get to be real boring. The short-term cost of restaurant food is financial; the long-term cost can be poor health due to lousy diet and the money that may cost for treatment

This

- Drive a lot
In addition to getting to all the club activities, many out of town, I often give rides to people without cars (sometimes to win their favor).

and this,

Plus the normal household bills. Like it dose not cost anymore gas to heat a home then it dose if there is two ppl there. The standing charges for things are the same whether you have 20 ppl living with you or just yourself. Plus the moor ppl that live in a place the cheaper it is to feed them. Spashley the way the supermarkets do things with all the buy 2 and get a 3ed free crap. FOR GODS SAKE JUST MAKE THE honeysuckle CHEEPER. Well I get really aggravated by them doing this deals.

But ye I don't even work so have to make and prepare 3 meals a day for my self then clean up after and it dose get really repetitive doing this every day 3 times a day just for myself. And only one lot of ideas into going into what to cook. So end up with the same old crap that am not really enjoying a lot of the time. So a lot of the time I do end up in the car driving the 6 miles away to the nearest mcdonalds or KFC and seat there in the car park eating takeaway instead.

 

[Bluey]

This a a great thread!
lol, let's not forget Retail Therapy! I shop when I'm bored. I did a LOT of shopping while my husband was deployed. I guess I don't have to come right out and say that I didn't NEED everything I bought.

Sometime I go buy myself something nice when am feeling down and board. But I don't do this all the time so I think its OK. I did get myself a cracking peer of jeans just the other day from river island tho and they feel right sexy lol

 

[Four_in_the_morning]

Yes that is very true, believe it or not, companies pay millions of dollars to sell lifestyles and solutions to us, in depth research is poured into finding out what makes us tick. We all know that loneliness is our weakest link. However I found a solution to my expensive retail therapy.

Read Clive Hamilton's book "Affluenza" it will change your life, save yourself beating around the bush and hopefully be one step closer to true enlightenment.

I'm still not perfect myself and sometimes find a really stupid excuse to buy something, but hey if we are going to waste our money might as well buy something useful and not get suckered into the basic consumerist gimmicks.

 

[Lonesome Crow]

If you had ever lived with a pyscho ***** before...Now, that's really, really expensive.
A fucken 1/2 million dallor later and the ***** still left me for fuken dead.
Mentally and emotionally taxing too.

I think the $20 a fresia and I'm a happyman would had been cheaper all the way around.

 

[Oceanmist23]

Retail therapy indeed, and with the prices in Norway it certainly doesn't do me any favours.
But now I don't even have money for that cos of stupid phone/internet/power bills.
I mostly tend to buy stuff online. Some useful, some useless.
Either way it keeps my mind focused on something else for a while I guess.
I know it's short lived, but meh.. fresia it I like shopping.
That reminds me I need new clothes... like... a whole wardrobe full...

 

[Wishtobemyself]

This is a very good thread. Basically, I don't usually spend a lot of money to blow away my loneliness. Dun't wanna get into the unhealthy buying behavior. Besides, I have some plan for the future, so I'd rather save my money.

 

[ledchick]

Well I dont leave my house very often...say 2-3 times a month, less if I can possibly get by with it. I do have a habit of going to thrift stores when I do leave. I have a terrible time paying full price for anything!! I have too many kids to have extra money for anything, to tell you the truth. My grocery bill alone is close to $700 a month to feed everyone, I usually have atleast one extra mouth to feed around here and all of them are teenagers...so they can ******* eat!! But none of this ever makes me feel less lonely.( I will retract this statement, it does help the lonely!! **** epiphanys)
I am usually ready to kill someone after a day out and about....bad drivers, rude people, bad service, getting overcharged constantly etc etc and I am just ready to be back in my home. But I do try to keep everything I need at home to avoid going anywhere....bought a pool so I dont have to go to a public one...yuck! , buy in bulk so I dont have to leave often, buy enormous amounts of movies, keep my lifeline on..the internet, I even buy the guinea pigs food in bulk! **** I do buy away my loneliness......

 

[ScorpioIris]

I totally understand you. This is a great thread. I shop like crazy sometimes. I have no friends or boyfriend. I like to go to the mall and buy new shoes, clothes, jewelry, sunglasses. It makes me happy and I'm somewhat around people. I leave the mall after spending a good $400-$500 about twice a month. It's a rush.

 

[Maui_Waui]

Loneliness and prostitution , now thats expensive! I´ve spent more than 500 euros on thai bitches. I could have bought a new computer with that money. Or gone to Amsterdam or something. Well it was fun.

 

[Haven]

Ive honestly spent more then $3,000 on my video games and dvds to keep me entertained while I'm lonely. Sad right.

 

[The Lost Runner]

I don't know how much I agree with this thread. Living a solitary lifestyle involves some additional costs that were mentioned above, but also can save money in other areas. It just depends on the individual and his/her spending habits.

 

[Bobby Z]

Never really thought about it in such a way, and my god it is so true to certain degrees (As mentioned before you do save on Some aspects, although to be honest with the position I am in (Very, very very little luck with women i think it would actually be nice to spend money on them knowing that it you are loved/appreciated).
I have spent way to much money on things to keep me entertained in the hope that it will distract me from being alone and the fact that the quality of my life and my happiness is going down hill at a pretty rapid rate.