Is Dry January worth it?
You might not be thinking about giving up the alcohol right now, with Christmas around the corner. But after all the parties and late-night tipples, you might feel like a detox is needed.
Dry January happens at the beginning of every year when UK citizens give up alcohol for one month. There are lots of great reasons to take part: physical and mental health, productivity, weight loss and most importantly, to save money! This might be extra tempting after an expensive festive period.
By March 2021, the UK public had already spent £6.7 billion on alcohol, with the average English household spending £17.60 on alcohol every week. That’s £915 per year!
With those statistics, taking part in Dry January could save you £70.40; and if you drink out at the pub, it could be a lot more than that.
Going without alcohol can be a big challenge so here are our top tips for staying on the wagon:
- Don’t miss out on events just because you’re not drinking – go along with a soft drink, you might find you enjoy yourself even more!
- Find something that keeps both your body and your mind active like taking up a new class whether that’s Aqua Aerobics or Geography for beginners
- Don’t go without, replace. Buy some of your favourite soft drinks to drink when you fancy a glass of wine or a beer
- Finally get round to watching that TV series or reading that book
- Join a group, lots of people do Dry January, and doing it together can make it a lot easier
Giving up alcohol doesn’t work for everyone. Why not consider cutting back or even giving something else up for January, sugary snacks, soft drinks, or that morning takeaway coffee – all of these can save you money too!
