Where is Your Liquor Money?

Liquor money? What do you mean? I mean precisely that—no typographical errors. And no one is excused from the priest to the proprietor of a liquor warehouse. And even those who preach anti-teetotalism should tell us where their liquor money is.

So what exactly is liquor money? I don’t want to risk assuming that all of you understand what liquor is. Liquor is defined as a distilled rather than fermented alcoholic beverage(Merriam-Webster). All spirits go through at least two procedures – fermentation and distillation. Fermentation is where all alcohol is created, distillation is where the alcohol is separated and removed. In order for fermentation to occur, two things are needed: raw material in liquid form that contains sugar, followed by the addition of yeast. Yeast is a living organism that feeds on sugar; the bi-product of this consumption is alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2).

A simple formula for fermentation is:

YEAST + SUGAR = ALCOHOL + CO2
(spiritsEUROPE)

This tells you how strong liquor is. Liquor is the real deal, alcohol at its best stinging concentration.

Who needs alcohol? No one. Alcohol cannot be placed in the same category as bread or other food products. We all need food in order to stay alive, but not alcoholic beverages. Everyone who needs rum to be at ease must have corrupted themselves first, otherwise, liquor shortage would not cause any uproar.

Have you not wondered why the government cannot apply fiscal policy to the sale of liquor to gain more revenue? Fiscal policy is basically the tax and spending policies of the government. In times of scarcity, the government will raise the value-added tax(VAT) for basic commodities like grain and milk. Why not on liquor? I once had a discussion with a friend who blamed the government for increasing the prices of consumables instead of doing the same on liquor. Maybe I would seek your opinion here. Kindly leave a thought on this in the comments section. Between increasing VAT on consumables and alcoholic beverages, which one would you go for if you were the chief publican of your state?

The economics behind treading softly when it comes to applying fiscal policies on the goods of addiction is the costly welfare effects of such decisions. Let’s assume an individual monthly budget includes $50 for liquor and $100 for food. If the government increases the price of liquor from $50 to $70, what will this result in? Because the addicted people cannot do without liquor, they will simply shoulder the additional burden by reducing the food budget. The higher the tax the less will they contribute to food, and this has detrimental effects on the net welfare. An addict will go to work and even steal in order to fund their cravings. In an addict’s hierarchy of wants, Liquor holds the base then other things occupy the remaining spaces subject to the availability of funds. This is the reason why the government is careful how they handle the goods of addiction.

Liquor money, therefore, refers to money spent on things we don’t essentially need, or things whose need requires initial corruption of our taste and preference. A renowned preacher, the late Charles Decatur Brooks, when asked why he dresses in fine suits, he gave an astounding answer, “This is my liquor money”. Where is your Liquor money?

Each one of us has money that is expended on things we don’t need, and good use of that money would lead to a net improvement in welfare. If you would spend your liquor money on apples and kiwi fruit, your health would be revived. If you would spend your liquor money on good books your mind would be fastened with useful tidbits to face life. If you would spend your liquor money to feed some orphans or the poor of the poor, our world would be a better place to live in. What about your tithes, are you faithful?

It is true that a lot of factors bring about scarcity and subject many people to states of want, but the majority are suffering because of careless expenditure. If we could only buy what we need and remain rational consumers in shoes, we would save more and have much to add a little more colour to life. Wastefulness and unwarranted extravagance is praised and lauded by many today, and it doesn’t contribute to satisfaction whatsoever. It only tends to create an insatiable appetite and more room for disappointment.

I want you to do an experiment. Monitor your expenditure in the first two months. Juxtapose them into two categories: things I needed, and things I could do without. Create an account called liquor money, and deposit all the monies that you spent on things you don’t need. This will help you know where your bag is leaking from. It would help you do a little better with what you have at hand.

What about those who are held tightly by an unnatural appetite for liquor or any addictive substance? You could try spending on things you need like a good suit or assorted fruits. Spend your coins on a rehabilitation plan or on a life coach. Monitor your progress for six months then share the net result.

Money is a needed treasure. Do not lavish it upon those who need it not. Someone needs your willing gifts. There are those in the world who are hungry and starving. You may say, I cannot feed them all. But by practising Christ’s lessons of economy, you can feed one. “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” These words were spoken by Him whose power wrought a miracle to supply the needs of a hungry multitude. If you have extravagant habits, cut them away from your life at once. Unless you do this, you will be bankrupt for eternity. Habits of economy, industry, and sobriety, are a better portion for your children than a rich dowry.

—Counsels on Stewardship. P.37

So, where is your liquor money?