I thought the law was .08 in every state, but anyone under the age of 21 can be arrested for DUI if they have any alcohol in their system.

I think when people refer to the "cost of a DUI" they probably mean the total cost: fine, court fees, cost of court-ordered programs, maybe a lawyer, and the increase in insurance. Putting a number to it usually helps make it more of a deterrent.

We can't afford it either. You're expected to pay your fine at the time of your plea/conviction. I didn't know what my fine would be, but I knew the range, and knew we didn't have the money. My father wired me the amount of the highest fine possible the night before my court appearance.

Taking cabs and paying for copays to see my pdoc and other MDs so often got very costly and I later hit the Medicare donut hole and had to pay for scripts out-of-pocket using coupons. Thankfully, the appointments have slowed down and my insurance is covering my prescriptions again.

I payed $200 for the initial visit to drunk.org back in March, $450 for the weekend driving class, and more recently paid another $260 for the substance abuse evaluation appointments.

The counseling is just for 6-weeks, but adding an extra $100+ really hurts and I really can't get away with delaying any of the other appointments.

I guess that federal tax refund check will come in handy.