Dry July motivation: 4 ways giving up booze saved me money

People give up booze for all kinds of reasons, from improving health to saving money. A year ago, I started cutting back on the amount of alcohol I drank – though at the time I didn’t realise I’d actually end up ditching it almost entirely.

I’ll still have a very occasional glass of wine with a nice meal, once a month or less but, other than that, I don’t drink.

But, interestingly, I didn’t notice a drastic difference in my finances – at least, not at first. I’d rather hoped my accidental sobriety would leave me with a jacked bank account. However, my love of non-alcoholic alternatives meant my money was still being spent, just now, on a case of Heaps Normal beers instead of a mixed pack of winter reds.

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Almost a year down the track, however, I can now say I notice a substantial money-saving difference in four areas of my life that weren’t immediately clear.

1. Driving to weddings and events

One of the most significant financial differences came when I first attended a wedding sober. Not having to rely on inflated taxis and Ubers meant I saved more than a hundred bucks by driving myself – and I didn’t have a headache the next day.

Being able to drive where I’d previously taken an Uber has saved me far more cash back for my pocket. Whether it’s a drink after work or a special event, my Uber spend is drastically down.

2. Restaurant bills feel cheaper

I’ve not eaten out a whole lot this year – thanks, cost-of-living crisis – but on the few occasions I have, I’ve noticed how much lower my bill is at the end of the night.

Firstly, the more I’ve become used to not drinking alcohol, the less I’ve needed to rely on non-alcoholic alternatives. They help a lot when you’re first transitioning to an alcohol-free lifestyle but, over time, you rely less on mimicking alcoholic drinks. Often I’ll just have a tonic water or a ginger beer, which is substantially cheaper than two or three glasses of wine.

As a foodie, I sometimes love to order an extra entrée at a restaurant in lieu of my not drinking – but even then, scratching bottles of wine from your bill makes all the difference to your wallet.

3. Far less unplanned spending

One of the less obvious expenses of drinking can be unplanned spending. When I drank, I’d sometimes end up planning to have a quick drink with someone after work, but one would lead to a bottle, which would lead to snacks, and suddenly I’m Ubering home and picking up my car the next day.

These unplanned spends were real budget-guzzlers, and often forced me to tweak my spending for the remainder of the week to compensate. Now, without these unplanned events, I can easily get to the end of the week with discretionary spending left over.

4. Socialising is generally cheaper

Even when you do socialise sober in a more alcohol-based setting, you save money simply by ordering fewer drinks. If you’re having a soft drink, a non-alcoholic alternative or even just one glass of wine, you’re far less likely to order more drinks than you intend to.

My bank account has also benefited from not having to Uber Eats a Mcdonald's to cure my next-day headache. As much as I loved my hungover sausage McMuffin, I now prefer spending the money on something I really value – or, let’s face it, these days it’s just going on groceries.

It’s not lost on me that my tales of sobriety sound a bit, er, boring. And a year ago, I’d have felt the same way. But I’ve really enjoyed my near-sober lifestyle.

If you’ve any curiosity about ditching booze, just try it for a while. You’ll probably use your Uber app less, maybe save a few bucks, and you might sleep better too.

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