Thinking of giving up the drink for good

worksucks

I am thinking of giving up drink 4ever. I am a fairly confident enthusiastic lively person and don't really feel i need it. I've had a good 10 years of having a great time on the gargle However I am just becoming bit disillusioned with the whole thing hangovers, missing minutes etc.
Just wondering how much everyone spends on drink per month because might put a certain amount away every month and then treat myself every year

ciano6

I gave up drink three years ago this Christmas. I used to go to the pub most nights of the week and have a lash of pints at the weekend (all day Saturday and Sunday:eek:). I only ever really drank pints. Anyway, as soon as I gave up drink, I stopped smoking too.
All in all, I have saved about €800 - €1000 euro per month. Literally saving it in the credit union. I get up at 6 or 7 every morning. I swim, cycle and walk. Work is brilliant and so is my personal life.
The frist few months are a bit difficult and I admit I don't really like going to pubs anymore or staying up late but ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS!!!!
GO FO IT!

ciano6

I too had a good 10 or more years of being a bowzee...
Its a big waste of money and energy. We're not here for a long time and I know now that its only big corporations that want us to believe that standing in a squashed, badly decorated building, with doormen like apes (sometimes) paying over the odds for water and poison. And pubs smell like farts now too since the smoking ban. Think about it..........

sunny2004

You should discuss it over a pint !

GO for it !

Knockoff Nige

I'm definitelty the 'give up the drink' type. I just wish I could take my own advice. Basically, I've tried. I'm not an alco but when I go out and everyone else is talking drunk talk it really bothers me. So, end up having a few beers and even try catching up.

I hate hangovers and have even got to the mature stage of holding off on how many I will drink because I'll have to study the next day or go into town or something. Good way to be but hangovers still have a big affect on me even after 2 pints. I cant see how I will save too much by stopping though as I will still want to go out. Minerals are expensive enough and when you're in a round, its rude not to have your turn. Its not easy to stop but I would say worth it if you can give it a good go.

Aard

Great advice sunny2004 ¬_¬

But you're right about the 'go for it' part; if you feel like your quality of life will be better without the drink, OP, then it might be the best idea to leave it out all together. Doesn't mean you can't go to the pub/club with your mates (or other alcohol-centred activities), just order a coke or something! As for how much money you save, it really depends on how heavily you'd drink.

pclancy

Ive been off it for several months at a time and saved a good bit and lost a good bit of weight each time. To be honest i think i'd stay off it for periods of time rather then give up forever, its to be respected not abused and i spent way too much of my life wondering why i was moody or depressed because of the mammoth session Id had thurs/fri/sat/sun. Now id have a bit of wine when cooking and really enjoy it or a few quiet beers with mates instead of always going out with the sole aim of getting plastered! much more enjoyable and way cheaper.

Have a mate whos off it about 8 months now and hasnt any intention of ever drinking again. He used to have a few cans every night of the week. He doesnt have any bother socially, comes out as much as everyone else. Its very dooable man, go for it !

ttaylor

Yep, I'm also thinking of doing it. I really don't see the big attraction anymore in queuing for hours to get a drink, paying top whack for it, then queuing for hours to use the toilets, being squashed to death in the smoking area, followed by a massive hangover the next day - or sleeping for half of it. I'm not a heavy drinker either but i'm finding as i get older my tolerance is getting lower!

Go for it - giving a yourself a break even for a while - will do no harm. Good Luck

biko

worksucks wrote: »

I am thinking of giving up drink 4ever. I am a fairly confident enthusiastic lively person and don't really feel i need it. I've had a good 10 years of having a great time on the gargle However I am just becoming bit disillusioned with the whole thing hangovers, missing minutes etc.
Just wondering how much everyone spends on drink per month because might put a certain amount away every month and then treat myself every year

Well, start by giving it up until New Year. If that works, then continue giving it up. How much do you yourself spend per month? That's the amount you can put away, not what I spend.

star-pants

Sounds like a plan OP -- I rarely drink, I've been through most things, don't like a lot of stuff, allergic to some. I get really drunk about...3 ish times a year? other than that I may not touch a drop.
As you said you're a lively person - so probably don't 'need' drink to have a good time. I'm the same, drink or no drink - If I'm in the mood for having fun it will be had!
As for being around drunken friends etc... I've done it for so long now I don't notice... I find it funny at times.. Cuz you can recall things that they can't! lol

Nah seriously though -- if you're just as happy without it -- then do it - it's easy enough.
But be prepared for people to say "are you ok?" or "are you on anti-bs?" because some people can't understand why you *wouldn't* want a drink. I recall trying to explain this to a drunken friend lol..

BrandonBlock

It's always the people at an extreme end of the scale who think of this, example:

I gave up drink three years ago this Christmas. I used to go to the pub most nights of the week and have a lash of pints at the weekend (all day Saturday and Sunday).

Going to the other extreme end.. not drinking at all. The key here is moderation, I go to the pub once every 2-3 weeks, have about 5 pints. Feel grand the next day , don't spend a huge amount of money maybe €30. So I've no reason to give up altogether and the thoughts of "giving up drink forever" don't even enter my mind. I'm not gonna have huge savings either by doing so + I don't smoke.

The reason I'm saying this is 1) It will be a lot easier to just cut back, than cut it out altogether and 2) Drink is great in moderation.

I really don't see the big attraction anymore in queuing for hours to get a drink,

Ever hear of an off-license? Guess you've never had a quiet few drinks at home, or in a mates gaff?

Fabio

I'm a student and have never started drinking nor do I intend to (I'm intolerant to alcohol medically anyway) and sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to be drunk or just to be a bit merry!

You learn to live without it though and save a small bit of money (though please remember that a pint of Coke is still €4.80 which is more than some beers).

Celtic67

ciano6 wrote: »

I gave up drink three years ago this Christmas. I used to go to the pub most nights of the week and have a lash of pints at the weekend (all day Saturday and Sunday:eek:). I only ever really drank pints. Anyway, as soon as I gave up drink, I stopped smoking too.
All in all, I have saved about €800 - €1000 euro per month. Literally saving it in the credit union. I get up at 6 or 7 every morning. I swim, cycle and walk. Work is brilliant and so is my personal life.
The frist few months are a bit difficult and I admit I don't really like going to pubs anymore or staying up late but ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS!!!!
GO FO IT!

I could really do with doing this also as I am drinking like a lunatic at the weekends and it is having an impact on my work life but is so difficult to do. I intended not to go out his weekend, had my 1st pint on Sat night at approx 11pm was still out at 9pm last night and missed work yesterday.
I reckon I spend about €1,500 per month going out & thats on top of a €1,400 mortgage. I put it down to be single and living alone but thats maybe why I am single & living alone plus I can be a real dick when drunk

McGinty

I reckon I spend about €1,500 per month going out

You could have so much more fun with that money, even a lovely weekly massage (at around 60 euros) or other nice treats, I agree with brandonbrock that little bit in moderation is grand, but to spend hundreds every week on drink just to piss it through or puke it up and to lose a day or two because you feel so rotten, it really isn't worth it. Jeez you could have a weekend away in a city in europe somewhere for that.

Celtic67

Celtic67 wrote: »

I could really do with doing this also as I am drinking like a lunatic at the weekends and it is having an impact on my work life but is so difficult to do. I intended not to go out his weekend, had my 1st pint on Sat night at approx 11pm was still out at 9pm last night and missed work yesterday.
I reckon I spend about €1,500 per month going out & thats on top of a €1,400 mortgage. I put it down to be single and living alone but thats maybe why I am single & living alone plus I can be a real dick when drunk

You could er... go out and drink less/ not drink. I know, crazy idea.
Not drinking doesn't mean you have to sit at home being bored all weekend.

SprostonGreen

worksucks wrote: »

Just wondering how much everyone spends on drink per month because might put a certain amount away every month and then treat myself every year

Not much really, I drink on Friday and/or Saturday and would have only about six bottles of 330ml beer, or about 4 or 5 pints in pub.

I find it difficult to get drunk and I think its unindignified when people are falling all over the place, unable to speak properly, fighting, puking etc.

You could always cut down, but if you are proper ****ed off with it, yeah go ahead give it up.

lizzyvera

Give it up for a while and see how it goes. If you're not having as much fun, going mad, letting your hair down and throwing yourself into the moment without it then don't give it up completely forever.

No point making any moral stance about it- it is, after all, good for your health to drink moderately and statistically drinkers have lower stress levels.

As for the talk about money, you could save a lot of money by giving up any of life's pleasures. It's worth spending money on it if you enjoy it. I spend about €30 a week going out, but it's definitely worth it. Most of that wouldn't be on alcohol because I don't drink very much, although I do love a pint. Really love a nice cold pint. Mmmm.