The Real Cost of Drinking

Nobody quits drinking just to save money.

Let me say that again, because it's important: nobody wakes up one morning, calculates their annual alcohol spend, and decides that's the reason to get sober.

The reasons people quit are usually far more profound than financial. It's about health, relationships, self-respect, clarity, freedom. It's about wanting more from life than a hangover and a vague sense of shame.

But here's the thing - while money isn't why you quit, the financial reality of drinking is still worth examining. Not because I want to shame you about what you spend, but because most people genuinely don't know the actual numbers. And sometimes, seeing those numbers makes the decision to quit a bit easier.

The Weekly Lie We Tell Ourselves

Most of us have a rough sense of what we spend on alcohol weekly. Maybe it's £40, maybe it's £80, maybe it's £150. It feels manageable when you think about it week by week. A couple of bottles of wine. A few pub visits. That nice gin you've earned after a hard week.

Weekly spending doesn't shock us. We've normalised it. It's just what things cost.

But weekly isn't how money actually works in your life, is it? Your rent isn't weekly. Your salary isn't weekly. Your retirement fund (if you have one) isn't growing weekly.

So let's stop thinking about drinking costs weekly.

Time to do the maths...

Quickly use the form above to work out what alcohol is costing you.

You could even multiply that figure by 5. That's what the next five years looks like if nothing changes.

For most people, this is the first time they've actually done this calculation. And for most people, the number is bigger than they thought.

Not because they were lying to themselves, exactly. Just because weekly spending and annual reality are two very different psychological experiences.

But Wait, There's More

And here's what makes this even more interesting - that number you just calculated? That's just the alcohol itself.

It doesn't include:

The takeaway you ordered because you couldn't be bothered to cook after three glasses of wine
The taxi home because you'd had too many to drive
The replacement phone after that regrettable evening
Whatever the hell you bought on Amazon at 1am that seemed like a brilliant idea at the time
The overpriced bar snacks
The rounds you bought for people you barely know
The bottle you brought to the dinner party
The "emergency" wine you grabbed on the way home

I'm not trying to pile on here. I've lived this. I've done all of these things. Multiple times.

But when you're looking at the true cost of drinking, the bottle price is just the beginning. The peripheral spending - the stuff that only happens because you're drinking - that adds up to a substantial amount over time.

The Opportunity Cost

There's another cost that's harder to calculate but perhaps more significant: opportunity cost.

What didn't you do because that money went to alcohol instead?

Maybe it's the course you didn't take. The holiday you didn't book. The retirement contribution you didn't make. The business you didn't start. The therapy you didn't get.

I'm not suggesting alcohol is the only thing standing between you and your dreams. Life is more complicated than that. But money spent is money that can't be spent elsewhere. That's just math.

What Does This Actually Mean?

So you've done the calculation. You've seen the annual number. Maybe it's shocked you, maybe it hasn't.

The question is: what does this information mean for you?

For some people, seeing the numbers is clarifying. It adds weight to a decision they were already considering. It makes the case for sobriety a bit stronger.

For others, the financial argument doesn't move the needle much. They're focused on health, relationships, or personal growth. The money is secondary.

Both responses are valid.

The Sobriety Savings Paradox

Here's something interesting though - the money you save by quitting drinking? It can actually make getting sober easier.

Because let's be honest: getting sober often requires investment. Maybe it's therapy. Maybe it's a coaching programme (yes, like mine). Maybe it's a gym membership or a new hobby to fill the time. Maybe it's just building a completely different social life.

All of that costs something.

But when you're no longer spending hundreds or thousands of pounds a year on alcohol, suddenly those investments become possible. The money that was going to the off-licence or the pub can go toward actually building the sober life you want.

In other words, sobriety can pay for itself. And then keep paying.

Not The Reason, But A Benefit

I don't think everyone should automatically quit drinking primarily for financial reasons.

If you're only quitting to save money, you're probably not going to stay quit. Because the moment life gets hard or stressful or boring, that financial motivation won't be enough to sustain you.

The real reasons to quit are deeper than money. They're about who you want to be, how you want to feel, what you want from your life.

But - and this is important - the financial benefit of sobriety is real and substantial. It's not the reason you quit, but it's definitely one of the perks.

And for some people, seeing those numbers clearly for the first time can be the nudge they need to take sobriety seriously.

What Now?

If you've run the numbers and you're surprised by what you saw, you're not alone. Most people are.

The question isn't whether those numbers are "bad" or whether you "should" quit because of them. The question is: does knowing this change anything for you?

Does it make the case for sobriety more compelling? Does it make trying a program like Phenomenal Sobriety feel more viable? Does it shift how you think about what drinking is actually costing you?

Only you can answer that.

But at least now you know the actual numbers. And sometimes, that's enough to start asking different questions about your relationship with alcohol.

If you're curious about what sobriety might look like for you - financial benefits included - download the Phenomenal Sobriety brochure. It lays out the full methodology, philosophy, and approach.

Or if you'd rather just talk it through, book a free discovery call below.

Either way, the numbers are what they are. What you do with that information is entirely up to you.