Don’t go bankrupt when drinking

In a memorable scene from “The Big Bang Theory,” nerdy scientist Sheldon gets uncharacteristically drunk and wakes up in the morning to discover that he called Stephen Hawking repeatedly. The episode ends with a shot of Hawking’s office door as a series of voicemails plays behind it. “Hawkman! It’s your old buddy!” And then: “It’s me again. I gave up string theory. You should give up black holes, and we should totally solve crimes together.” And a few messages later: “Are you mad at me?”

Well, Sheldon isn’t the only one making a costly mistake while inebriated. A survey by Finder. com estimates that Americans are paying the price for decisions made while under the influence — more than $30 billion to be precise — spent on what the researchers call “drunk purchases.”

The survey also reveals that almost 50 percent of Americans who drink regularly (that’s 68 million adults) admit to making purchases while drunk. The most common expenditure is for food, followed by shoes (?!) and clothes.

If you have a problem with alcohol (either as a binger or a steady drinker), seek help from a 12-step program or individual therapy, and get support from friends and family. To help prevent drunk spending ...

If you come home tipsy, stay off your computer. Retailers are offering more sales after 9 p.m. to corner the drunk market. Yes, you’ll be targeted. And remove presaved passwords or credit cards from shopping/food-delivery accounts. You don’t want to wake up “the morning after” and discover a Big Bang to your bank account!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.