At the end of every year I analyze all the data I’ve collected the past 12 months to decide if I should make any changes moving forward. I’ve done this with my financial goals, my non-monetary goals and privately I do the same with my consumption of food and alcohol.
At the end of 2018, I was surprised to discover that my alcohol consumption had increased 33% from the previous year. That’s a large percentage and not proceeding in a direction I’m comfortable with. Luckily around the same time that I was analyzing my alcohol consumption, I heard about “Dry January,” which is a UK marketing campaign aimed at helping the UK decrease their alcohol consumption and be more mindful about it. They claim 4 million people signed up to tackle Dry January and I decided to be one of them!
My relationship with alcohol has been a strange one. I drank a little in high school, but not in a way that ever affected my schooling (this nerd had to grab those straight A’s!). In college, drinking was a main activity, but only on the weekends and with friends. When I moved to Manhattan I was surprised to discover that the main past times involve alcohol: “Sunday Funday”, Bottomless Brunch (all the Mimosas or Bloody Marys you can drink) and happy hour after work were the default.
Compounding this new abundance of alcohol related activities was my work in ad agencies. In a few ways, agencies today are similar to the show Mad Men. One way is that alcohol is EVERYWHERE and consuming it is used as a strange rite of passage. To give an example, at my second job, my director actually pressured me into taking a shot of vodka with him and the team before a client meeting (that was over the phone luckily…). It was way before I learned how to say “no” at work, so despite not wanting to and definitely not feeling comfortable entering a client call with a substance in my body, I did it.
Every after work hang out and company party seemed to come with the expectation “We will bond by drinking to excess together.” Every time we took a client out to dinner the alcohol would be flowing for the same reason. Somehow ‘bonding’ and building relationships was interlocked with alcohol in agency culture.
So through a combination of Manhattan drinking culture and agency drinking culture my alcohol consumption increased over the years. Having a drink went from something I did with friends on the weekends to something I did with my partner often after a hard day at work. It became commonplace and as my 2018 consumption analysis showed, increasingly prevalent and I’m not comfortable with that. I don’t want to use or crave any substance to help relieve work stress or anxiety in a crowd.
So I decided to change it. I completed Dry January without a drop of alcohol and I’m extremely proud of that fact. Because of all the reasons above, I can’t remember the last time I went an entire 31 days without any libations. In case this is something you would like to try (in January or otherwise) here are the tips I learned during the month that helped me succeed:
1. Establish A Support System
I attempted to complete a Dry September a few years ago and made it 2 weeks. I suspect part of the reason I gave up before my arbitrary deadline was because I had no support system. I’d sit down to read a book on a Saturday night and my partner was enjoying a whiskey while playing video games. It’s not his fault or his responsibility to do exactly what I do of course, but constantly seeing what I could not have did not help my cause.
Luckily this month my partner agreed to participate with me and it’s made a huge difference. We’re here to support each other not just at home, but also during the parties we went to this month. We’d bring seltzer water to enjoy and hold each other back from sniffing the new coffee porter someone had brought to share 🙂 .
Outside my partner, I’ve also found it very helpful having a support system within the personal finance community. If I ever felt tempted or weak, I’d reach out for some encouragement and a talking down. Having this human support system helped me feel stronger and also kept me accountable because if I gave up early I would be letting more people than just myself down.
2. Gather Supplies
So I’ve never really loved sugar. Every time I say that my Mom clutches her heart because that statement is so unfathomable to her, but it’s true. Or I thought it was true. During Dry January I got the first ‘sugar cravings’ I can ever remember. Perhaps I was getting a bit of a sugar fix through the wine I was drinking?
No idea, but for the first time I had to combat such a feeling, which is difficult since I eat keto. Sweet food that fits into my 20g carb budget are limited, but 85% dark chocolate seemed to do the trick! All this to say: heads up that you might have a sugar craving when you’re not indulging in your favorite tipple so grocery shop accordingly!
Another surprise is that I started craving flavored beverages. Besides alcohol I usually only drink tea (and the occasional coffee if I’m really sleepy). This month we went through tea bags like maniacs! I kept craving a beverage with some flavor and my partner experienced the same thing. So be prepared to stock up on alcohol-free beverages if you find yourself missing a tasty liquid in your life.
3. Remember Why You’re Doing This
Before starting this challenge, I made a list of why I wanted to attempt this challenge. If I ever doubted continuing, if contacting my support system and combating sugar cravings didn’t work, I turned to my list to help me remember the ‘why’ behind it all and that always talked me down. I don’t feel comfortable with any substance having pull over my life. I reminded myself that just because it’s ‘normal’ to do something doesn’t mean it needs to be done. I don’t follow the crowd in most aspects of my life and I don’t need to in my alcohol consumption.
Conclusion
So that’s it! 31 days without alcohol and the tips I’ve learned that have helped me be successful. We’ll see what this decrease does to my alcohol spending this year 🙂 . If you’re looking to cut down on booze I hope these suggestions can help you reach your goals!
Have you ever cut down or removed a substance from your life? What tips do you have for others that want to do the same?
Congrats on a dry January! With all the benefits to not drinking, it’s funny (sad?) that so many of us still do it. Although I haven’t made an attempt at a true abstinence period yet, I stopped drinking during the week starting in November. The beer or 2 every night at dinner was taking away from my budget and adding to my waistline. I’ve already seen plenty of health, sleep, and monetary benefits from this relatively small change.
Thank you! And it is interesting that we still do it despite it being basically a poison. Very fascinating. Congratulations on your dry weekdays! That’s impressive. I usually find that the week is when I want a drink because of work stress so kudos to you!! Maybe I’ll try to get brave and take that plunge as well…
i’ll be trying to spend less on wine this year. i just looked up consolidated credit card reports for the past 3 years and it just costs too much and i have expensive tastes. like adam said, it’s the “just sitting at home after work during the week” stuff that adds up the empty calories and costs. i am oddly not too much bothered by the health impacts. the last time i went 2 months was january and february 1986. that was my senior year of high school.
i’m glad you made it that whole month. i do miss that booze culture of some jobs from the past. if i was ever in sales or marketing i would probably be dead by now with those expense accounts from the old days.
Yeah if I had expensive tastes it might make me cut back permanently – keeping my budget in order seems to have more sway than a lot of things with me, which I know is weird. Interesting you’re not bothered by the health impacts – do you know some secret chemistry we need to hear about 😉 ? What made you go 2 months dry back then if you don’t mind me asking? Haha yeah if the booze culture was as wild as it’s portrayed in films and shows I wouldn’t have made it either.
My last post was titled “Maybe it’s time to stop your WINE-ing” and in it, I share my experience being now 5 months off the “sauce”, as Freddy calls it. I managed both FinCon and Chautauqua sober and my observation is that there is a lot of alcohol in the FI community. And I am personally a wine lover from a wine family.
I swear the marketing people have been winning big time when even FIRE people are partying and celebrating with beers while cutting out cable and such. You’re a marketing expert, so this must really hit a nerve for you.
Congratulations on the month free. You make some great points about having a support system and also the way you start wanting sweeters in coffee and such. I’m a keto person too, so I can completely relate. I’d love to hear your take on how it seemed to drink again. I did this once before and found I didn’t like it that much at first, but then quickly started back on the same habit path.
Yes – I read it! Very insightful. If I go to a ‘real’ FI event I was contemplating doing it dry as well. I’m generally just contemplating not drinking when I’m ‘out’ since I enjoy myself anyway – being around friends and exploring the city. The alcohol in those situations doesn’t have a purpose (for me) – it’s just habit.
And haha yeah maybe we should see how much some FIRE people spend on alcohol vs how much ‘normal’ people spend on cable and the other things the community deems unnecessary…It’s also interesting to me that most blogs (that I’ve read) don’t separate out alcohol from food spending – it’s just a lump sum so it’s hard to know how much is discretionary. And I wouldn’t say I’m a marketing ‘expert’ 🙂 , but yes alcohol marketers seem to be winning in this sense. I’ve never personally marketed for a substance, but I hear those that do find it lucrative (obviously).
I’m only a few days into ‘Wet February’ 😉 , but I am definitely more mindful of what I’m drinking and how much. I bought myself some nice wine for a treat after the month was over, which I enjoyed sipping on but when I tried my usual ‘go to’ budget wine I didn’t enjoy it. Maybe my tastes are shifting in freddy’s direction and I’ll have to cut down on booze all together so it doesn’t mess with my budget 🙂 . So far I’m not drinking as much as before, which is good but I’ll stay alert if it looks like I’m starting to shift that way. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I love that your Dry January worked so well for you and your partner! I definitely noticed, when I gave up alcohol, that I had to come up with a non-alcoholic reward system when everyone else was celebrating with booze, or on Fridays, when I felt like it was time to celebrate. At first, I let myself drink Coke Classic, with all its sugary and caffeine goodness. Now, I usually fix myself a seltzer with some citrus juice and a fun little straw and fruit garnish in a fancy glass. Did you notice a difference in how you felt during the month? That was the biggest difference for me. I slept so much better and didn’t feel so tired at night (alcohol makes me super sleepy!).
Thank you!! That’s interesting that you found ways to ‘reward’ yourself outside of alcohol. I kind of did the opposite and starting focusing on the small pleasures I already had in my life (like tea) and thinking of them as special. I love the seltzer with citris – I haven’t tried that! A fancy straw and garnish sounds amazing!! I surprisingly didn’t notice any positives in my body over the month – I actually slept worse overall (or maybe I was sleeping less if alcohol makes me sleepy too?) So that was weird, but I did find myself more motivated in my personal life (or maybe I was distracting myself? no idea). I never let dishes sit in the sink for a night for example and found myself cooking more and finding myself having more motivation for those types of things.
Going on 6 years dry now. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Wouldn’t change a single day.
As a result, I’m wealthier and healthier.
Wow – that’s a massive accomplishment! Congratulations! Also good to know this is a good idea long term…Something to think about 🙂
Sugar is my “relaxer,” never was alcohol because I grew up with an alcoholic parent and other drug/alcohol addicted family. So I’ve always found it very easy to turn away pressure to drink, or smoke weed, even in work situations.
But sugar? People at work offer me a cookie and I can’t say no, even when I succeed at not buying/making anything myself. I have cut back, but I’m getting ready for elimination, not just because of the health factors, but yes, it costs more and it eats into my budget!
I commend you for realizing that maybe you needed to cut back, and for following through.
Yeah sugar is a hard one. That’s my Mom’s relaxer too. Congratulations on cutting back on sugar and steering clear of alcohol! Let me know what kind of health and budget benefits you see after you eliminate sugar – I’m super curious. And thank you!
GREAT job! I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with alcohol my whole life and was a functional alcoholic in my 20’s and early 30’s. I can go days without a drink now or longer, it’s not like I’m addicted. But when I do get a drink I often wonder why I’m doing it. Ritual? Camaraderie? Because this is what I’ve always done on Sat night?
Thank you! That’s great you identified that about yourself and have control over it. That’s a great question to ask (why) though in the past I’ve found that question leads to me making excuses (e.g. well this bad thing AND this happened so I DESERVE a drink). I might need to edit that question for the future since it seems to be working to talk me into or validate my choices. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
First up MANY congratulations on making it through Dry January. I have to confess that I didn’t realise that this was just a British thing, I thought everyone had it…shows how much of a bubble I’m in!
The social pressure of drinking is something that I totally relate to – that was exactly what my late teens and early twenties were like. Looking back I was one of the people applying the pressure and I’m ashamed of that now.
I’m at the point now where I really don’t drink very much. I only drink socially and not always then. Two main reasons for that. Firstly after around three pints I stop being able to resist. Secondly I have had enough of the self-loathing (and that’s not an exaggeration) that I feel after drinking too much.
To put in in financial terms the social cost-benefit of drinking doesn’t work for me any more!
Thank you!! And haha yeah most of the people I talked to in the US didn’t even know it was a campaign or where the phrase came from 🙂 . It’s great you can look back at your past behavior critically. That seems to be a rare trait (unfortunately). It’s interesting you only drink socially – I’ve actually taken the opposite approach (only drinking at home with my partner). There’s usually so much stimulation when I’m out or at a party that drinking then for me can quickly go into the ‘drinking enough to have a hangover’ category, which I don’t like. I hear you on after 3 it’s hard to resist – I need to pay more attention to see where that line is for me. “To put in in financial terms the social cost-benefit of drinking doesn’t work for me any more!” – that is a GREAT way to look at it. Hmm maybe I should extend my dry behavior…Thank you for stopping by and sharing! It’s really helpful.
I didn’t do dry January, but my friend did. Like you, she dealt with sugar cravings as a result. I don’t think she fared as well as you did finding a low-dose solution though. She complained that she ate so much sugar that she broke out.
Congrats on making it the full 31 days! It’s quite a feat, especially considering how much it sounds like you were taking in initially.
Good to know the sugar cravings weren’t just me! And oh wow that’s a lot of sugar (to cause a breakout). I hope she’s found a balance since then. And haha – thank you! It was quite a change.
No, the sugar cravings aren’t just you all. Years ago I was a regular at Overeaters Annonymous meetings. There were always a few old guys who were alcoholics who got dry, then started non-stop with the sweets. My Dad was the same way. He never ate sugar much (grew up during the Depression when it wasn’t readily available). Once he quit drinking, he was big on desserts and candy.
That’s super interesting – thank you for sharing. I wonder why that is…especially with people drinking carb-free things like liquor. I guess I need to look into the science of how alcohol is broken down in the body.
Congrats on having a dry month, a great accomplishment and very interesting learnings.
For me, staying dry isn’t a big deal at all as I don’t really drink. I do drink socially but just not usually. So for me staying dry isn’t a big deal. 🙂
Thank you! I wish I started from more your side of things 🙂 the weird combo of Manhattan and advertising has led to alcohol being a strange constant in my life. I’ll try to be more like you going forward 🙂 . Thanks so much for stopping by!
Congrats on a dry month! Looks like you gained perspective and found resources to deal with it. I like this type of “challenges” because they give us self-awareness and the distance to do something about it. (I’m in a cosmetics no-buy and OH BOY have I reflected on it)
I vaguely remember I read that the body processes alcohol as sugar (since alcohol is often fermented/distilled sugar), that might be the reason behind your cravings.
I usually get bloated with more than two drinks and I’m a lightweight so I’m not big on getting drunk, even though I do like the taste and social rituals around it. My friends are used to me ordering water with a lemon twist (I’m not big on sodas/carbonated drinks either) and don’t push me anymore. My parents rarely drink but we always had beers at the fridge (that went ignored) and since I live alone, I usually have a cold beer… that stays there for weeks.
I’ve found that more than a couple drinks on a weekday ruin my sleep so I’m very careful to not get tipsy if I’m working the next day, I’m prone to insomnia and I hate ruining my sleep just for the sake of another beer, so I just limit it. And I’ll take good sleep (and saving money) over a beer any day haha
Thank you!! Good luck with your no-buy challenge! I assume that’s not buying cosmetics? That’s curious about alcohol and sugar. I really need to look into how the body processes it because I only drink no or low carb alcoholic drinks so I was really confused by the cravings. I wish I had your lightweight tendencies 🙂 . Ordering a lemon twist sounds awesome. I think I’ll start doing that. I don’t enjoy ordering drinks out (I prefer the comfort of home) and want to lower my alcohol spending. That’s amazing that your parents barely drink – that’s the case for half of my parents and the other half is obsessed with sugar…not sure which is better. We should be more like y’all.
That’s really interesting about your sleep. I (think) I sleep better because I suck at sleep, but it’s possible I’m getting less REM sleep. I usually don’t feel bad sleeping after drinking though – and I feel normal in the morning (instead of more tired). Maybe I should make a journal of this though to see if that’s all accurate or just what I’m telling myself 🙂 . Thanks so much for stopping by and inspiring me to improve!
Thanks for sharing! I just did a dry January as well. You’re absolutely right that having a support system is crucial. I think my biggest realizations I had were that I only really “missed” drinking when I was in social situations, and how easy it is to rack up a bill quickly even when you’re only having 1 or 2 drinks.
Congratulations on your Dry January! That’s really interesting that you only ‘missed’ drinking in social situations. I’m kind of the opposite 🙂 weirdly. In social situations there’s so much stimulus that I don’t really remember drinking as a thing. It’s sitting at home wanting to unwind with a glass of wine that gets me. And yeah alcohol is crazy expensive. Great margins for the bars though 😉 . Thanks for stopping by!