--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With a…" description: "\"“Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With a little budgeting I can get by till you go off to college.\" \"And then?\" My dad reached for whatever he was drinki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/dale-peck-22041_life_life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-litt_2150747.jpg" --- # Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With a little budgeting I… ![“Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With a little budgeting I can get by till you go off to college." "And then?" My dad reached for whatever he was drinking that day. "There don't always have to be a then." He poured, drank, swallowed, grimaced. Left his hand on the bottleneck. "Hell, there ain't…” quote by Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/dale-peck-22041_life_life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-litt_2150747.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/dale-peck-22041_life_life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-litt_2150747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/dale-peck-22041_life_life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-litt_2150747.jpg) > ““Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With a little budgeting I can get by till you go off to college." "And then?" My dad reached for whatever he was drinking that day. "There don't always have to be a then." He poured, drank, swallowed, grimaced. Left his hand on the bottleneck. "Hell, there ain't really a now, so why should there be a then?”” [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A father expresses nihilistic view that the future is meaningless, urging living without future expectations. **In simple terms:** Life lacks future meaning, so focus on present. Key Takeaway Embrace present moments without obsessing about future plans. Themes nihilism family present focus Mood somber reflective Type philosophical dialogue When to use this quote - family dinner - personal crisis - mental health discussions Key Concepts existentialism determinism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does dismissing the future affect personal growth? - Can present‑focused living be balanced with planning? A Different Perspective This view can foster apathy and neglect of long‑term wellbeing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [College Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-dad-1551306/) [Drank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drank/) [Drank Swallowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drank-swallowed-339874/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Poured Drank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poured-drank-4521142/) [Reached Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reached-drinking-4521143/) ## Related quotes > [“To being the most fearsome and imposing girls the world has ever seen.” Celaena raised her goblet high before she drank. As she swallowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/to-being-the-most-fearsome-and-imposing-girls-the-world-has-ever-seen/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [My senior year of high school, when I was getting recruited for college, my dad goes to me, 'You can become an Olympic champion.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-lochte/my-senior-year-of-high-school-when-i-was-getting-recruited-for/) [Ryan Lochte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-lochte/) > [It came time to go to college. My dad said, go wherever you want. Take whatever you want. He just really believed in getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-liotta/it-came-time-to-go-to-college-my-dad-said-go-wherever-you-want-take/) [Ray Liotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-liotta/) > [My dad's my biggest fan. When I went to college, my dad came into my life in full-on dad mode. I was doing comedy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-koy/my-dad-s-my-biggest-fan-when-i-went-to-college-my-dad-came-into-my/) [Jo Koy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-koy/) > [“He didn't understand that it's all connected, that one subject leads to another and forms a kind of chain that rises its head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/he-didn-t-understand-that-it-s-all-connected-that-one-subject-leads/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [My parents never went to college. My dad started as an hourly worker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/my-parents-never-went-to-college-my-dad-started-as-an-hourly-worker/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [Not at all, I wanted to go into medicine. I took science in college. But my dad was a Producer - Director in Kannada…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soundarya/not-at-all-i-wanted-to-go-into-medicine-i-took-science-in-college-but/) [Soundarya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soundarya/) > [When I went off to college my dad would call and be like, 'hey did you watch RAW?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mccool/when-i-went-off-to-college-my-dad-would-call-and-be-like-hey-did-you/) [Michelle McCool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mccool/) > [I had really bad grades in high school and didn't want to go to college, and my dad said, 'Why don't you move to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-foster/i-had-really-bad-grades-in-high-school-and-didn-t-want-to-go-to/) [Mark Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-foster/) > [I was very smart in school. I had straight As and was going to graduate high school at 16 and start college. My dad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dania-ramirez/i-was-very-smart-in-school-i-had-straight-as-and-was-going-to/) [Dania Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dania-ramirez/) > [My parents subscribed to both Time and Newsweek and in 1978, I remember the covers of both that December were of the bodies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/my-parents-subscribed-to-both-time-and-newsweek-and-in-1978-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Twenty years ago, teenage boys in the United States drank twice as much milk as soda; now they drink twice as much soda as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schlosser/twenty-years-ago-teenage-boys-in-the-united-states-drank-twice-as/) [Eric Schlosser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schlosser/) > [“I climbed the stairway (there was no elevator) and put the key in. The door swung open. Somebody had changed all the furniture around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-climbed-the-stairway-there-was-no-elevator-and-put-the-key-in-the/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Jesus Himself was criticized. He wasn't a glutton and drunkard, but He was accused of being those things. Why? Because He went to parties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/jesus-himself-was-criticized-he-wasn-t-a-glutton-and-drunkard-but-he/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) ## More by Dale Peck > [Your life could be taken from you at any moment. Between AIDS and the violence against gay people that was so prevalent back then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/your-life-could-be-taken-from-you-at-any-moment-between-aids-and-the/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [Losing my virginity was very boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/losing-my-virginity-was-very-boring/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [Who cares what the state thinks about your relationship? They're giving you tax breaks and this and that - it's just nonsense. You want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/who-cares-what-the-state-thinks-about-your-relationship-they-re/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [Because gay people were so much more visible, violence against gays was more common and reported on. But they were definitely related to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/because-gay-people-were-so-much-more-visible-violence-against-gays/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [“You are -" she stopped fanning long enough to push the glasses up her nose - "Sprout Bradford?" I thought it was a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/you-are-she-stopped-fanning-long-enough-to-push-the-glasses-up-her/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [I always hoped that I would settle down with someone. Marriage, I could really give two shits about, as an institution, but it makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/i-always-hoped-that-i-would-settle-down-with-someone-marriage-i-could/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [I came out after safe sex was invented and I always practiced safe sex. Except for when I lost my virginity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/i-came-out-after-safe-sex-was-invented-and-i-always-practiced-safe/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [“Children," Mrs. Oakenfeld sighed. "I do not want you to be good to avoid being punished. I do not want you to be good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/children-mrs-oakenfeld-sighed-i-do-not-want-you-to-be-good-to-avoid/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [I'm a novelist. I think fiction is important or I wouldn't be doing it, but most of it's bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/i-m-a-novelist-i-think-fiction-is-important-or-i-wouldn-t-be-doing-it/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [Sometimes when we think we’re protecting ourselves, we’re really hurting ourselves. And sometimes the people around us too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/sometimes-when-we-think-we-re-protecting-ourselves-we-re-really/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [“Drift House: Susan's response to Queen Octavia's sarcasm in regards to fading memories..."But we pass our memories on," she insisted. "I mean, from one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/drift-house-susan-s-response-to-queen-octavia-s-sarcasm-in-regards-to/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [“People who shop at Barnes and Noble voted Ulysses the best novel of the last century, and who's to tell them different? There was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/people-who-shop-at-barnes-and-noble-voted-ulysses-the-best-novel-of/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [“I hate it when people repeat the last thing that’s been said to them because they’re too afraid to ask what the other person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/i-hate-it-when-people-repeat-the-last-thing-that-s-been-said-to-them/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [“I'm sorry, I don't understand. Could you tell me more about this 'profanity'?" Mrs. Miller nodded at my dictionary. "I'll assume you don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/i-m-sorry-i-don-t-understand-could-you-tell-me-more-about-this/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) > [“I have a secret. And everyone knows it but me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/i-have-a-secret-and-everyone-knows-it-but-me/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) [Explore all 28 Dale Peck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) ## More Drank quotes > [I don't drink much anymore, but when I traveled with Frank Sinatra, God rest his soul, I used to drink like I could do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/i-don-t-drink-much-anymore-but-when-i-traveled-with-frank-sinatra-god/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Jesus Himself was criticized. He wasn't a glutton and drunkard, but He was accused of being those things. Why? Because He went to parties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-alcorn/jesus-himself-was-criticized-he-wasn-t-a-glutton-and-drunkard-but-he/) [Randy Alcorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-alcorn/) > [“I climbed the stairway (there was no elevator) and put the key in. The door swung open. Somebody had changed all the furniture around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-climbed-the-stairway-there-was-no-elevator-and-put-the-key-in-the/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Twenty years ago, teenage boys in the United States drank twice as much milk as soda; now they drink twice as much soda as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schlosser/twenty-years-ago-teenage-boys-in-the-united-states-drank-twice-as/) [Eric Schlosser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schlosser/) > [My parents subscribed to both Time and Newsweek and in 1978, I remember the covers of both that December were of the bodies in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/my-parents-subscribed-to-both-time-and-newsweek-and-in-1978-i/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [Growing up, my dad drank a lot of wine, so I got a taste for, and learned how to enjoy it. He spoke a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-araya/growing-up-my-dad-drank-a-lot-of-wine-so-i-got-a-taste-for-and/) [Tom Araya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-araya/) > [That was cool, getting to work with Ryan Gosling. I knew he was going to be a huge star after I saw him in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/that-was-cool-getting-to-work-with-ryan-gosling-i-knew-he-was-going/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [If your memory was OK you could descend upon on a bookshop – a big enough one so that the staff wouldn’t hassle a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/if-your-memory-was-ok-you-could-descend-upon-on-a-bookshop-a-big/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [“I never drank from the fountain of knowledge, I had mine on the rocks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fargo/i-never-drank-from-the-fountain-of-knowledge-i-had-mine-on-the-rocks/) [Tim Fargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fargo/) > [Jesus drank a cup of wrath without mercy, that we might drink a cup of mercy without wrath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/jesus-drank-a-cup-of-wrath-without-mercy-that-we-might-drink-a-cup-of/) [J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/) > [It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-quincey/it-is-most-absurdly-said-in-popular-language-of-any-man-that-he-is/) [Thomas de Quincey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-quincey/) > [In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it "Christmas" and went to church; the Jews called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-the-old-days-it-was-not-called-the-holiday-season-the-christians/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [“She didn’t drink a lot, but she drank me into wonderland where we spent the time giggling and laughing. However, know this if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-persia/she-didn-t-drink-a-lot-but-she-drank-me-into-wonderland-where-we/) [Joseph Persia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-persia/) > [ \[On living in New York City:\] I'm oblivious to everything. I just don't notice anything. I sat in a coffee shop, drank half a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kightlinger/on-living-in-new-york-city-i-m-oblivious-to-everything-i-just-don-t/) [Laura Kightlinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kightlinger/) > [I drank some boiling water because I wanted to whistle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-drank-some-boiling-water-because-i-wanted-to-whistle/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) [Browse all 535 Drank quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drank/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With a little budgeting I can get by till you go off to college.\" \"And then?\" My dad reached for whatever he was drinking that day. \"There don't always have to be a then.\" He poured, drank, swallowed, grimaced. Left his hand on the bottleneck. \"Hell, there ain't really a now, so why should there be a then?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dale Peck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-little-budgeting-i-can-get-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drank" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-little-budgeting-i-can-get-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/dale-peck-22041_life_life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-litt_2150747.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/dale-peck-22041_life_life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-litt_2150747.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a53/dale-peck-22041_life_life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-litt_2150747.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With a little budgeting I can get by till you go off to college.\" \"And then?\"…” — Dale Peck", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dale Peck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Life's cheap out here, Daniel. With...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-little-budgeting-i-can-get-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/life-s-cheap-out-here-daniel-with-a-little-budgeting-i-can-get-by/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```