When Knowing To Help and When Not To............

I have had a real quandry of the past few days. I have neighbors who I like very much. Thing is they are doing a lot of drinking. Alcohol is costly and they have become increasingly careless about their finances in order to enjoy their pursuit.
They recently went on a vacation and came back in a serious state because they had run up an enormous bar tab. The following day they came here asking for food. I have had my freezer and pantry lower than usual with recent repairs to my air conditioner and replacing my water heater. Still I gave them a few things to tide them over. Another neighbor came here and told me that they had gone out to buy another case of beer before coming here to get food. Now I am thinking that perhaps I am not truly helping these people out. It's a fine line from being helpful to becoming an enabler. Still, I tell myself that they bought the beer BEFORE coming here and had I said no, they still would have had the beer.

I am by nature a helping and sharing person. I do recognize that there are times where people need to face reality. Clearly when you choose to buy beer over food there is a problem. Other neighbors are getting increasingly concerned. I have had vast experience with a friend who became an alcoholic. Only the person themselves can make the determination that they need help. I have decided though that I need to gently tell them I can't afford to help them. I haven't had a vacation in four years. That vacation was a ONE night stay in a cabin in the Poconos. These people have vacationed five times in less time than that. If I ever hope to get away for even a few nights I have to buckle down and stop helping others. At least financially.