Don't the classier cruises have open bars? The last one I was a part of did. There were open bars everywhere.
Some are open and some charge you for your drinks, it depends on the cruise package you buy. $800.00 for 7 days is not really that high since one mixed drink can cost you $5.00 or $6.00
For a domestic beer maybe. I just did a Carnival Cruise (never again!) a few months ago and mixed drinks were in the $12-$20 range. They even charged for the "Welcome Aboard" drink (if you opted for one).
So $800 would be 80 drinks over 7 days, or 5 or 6 drinks a day per person for 2 people. For a cruise, that isn't that many. I don't drink a lot, but many people do when on vacation,especially a cruise where driving isn't a problem and frankly, all the activities are surrounded by copious drinking.
As to the need for a "duel" income, if you calculate the cost of the second income (clothes, food, child care, etc.) the real incremental revenue can be pretty thin.
I went on a cruise a couple of summers ago. We brought wine and vodka on board with us. So a little of that, then a glass of wine at dinner and maybe a cocktail in the evening. Vodka goes great with that fruit punch drink they have that's free.
Concerning the OP: My dad left my mom with zero savings. All she had was her monthly income and 401k. She managed to afford to get a divorce. She lives in the same house and has the same car. She was lucky though, my dad had to continue to pay for her car and she didn't have to buy him out of his portion of the house.
She needs to learn that she can cut back on things that are luxuries, like cable tv or internet, or going out to eat, etc.
Sorry, if her husband is really that abusive, then you can always "afford" to get out of it.
Maybe BadCat can enlighten us, but isn't Greenbriar one of the more prolific posters at the DUmp? Perhaps posting there was more of a cause to your divorce than anything else. I'm sure she was nuts to begin with, but posting there is a recipe for divorce.
Yes she is. She's also the one that plagiarized that thread a few months ago.