If your liver is feeling fragile and your jeans a little tight, join the thousands who are taking a break from booze and attempt a Dry January; not only will you feel more energised, but you will lose weight and save money into the bargain.
But ditching the drink isn’t called a Dryathlon for nothing- it’s tough to stay on the wagon! So here are our tips to surviving Dry January on a budget. Good luck!
Set yourself goals
With 31 days looming ahead with not even a glass of wine to ease the pain it can be easy to get demotivated. So set yourself smaller goals and reward yourself when you meet them, such as 10 days booze free or surviving your first weekend off the sauce.
Rope in a friend
It’s a lonely place on the wagon, and you’re going to need some company. Enlist a buddy to join you on the sober train- ideally the person you live with to keep the house a booze-free zone. Alternatively, rope in someone from work so you can feel smug together.
Switch to non-alcoholic alternatives
If you love the taste of beer and wine you can still get the flavour without the alcohol (and for half the price). Low alcohol wine is available in as little as 0.5%: Ocado’s Torres Natureo Dealcoholised Wine is one of the nicer varieties out there. And beer lovers should try Beck’s Blue- it tastes just like the real thing.
Binge-watch
Get a Netflix 30 day trial absolutely free and enjoy a month of binge-watching boxsets on the sofa (instead of binge drinking in a bar).
Weigh yourself
If you are a little bit podgy after the festive season then there is no better way to shed the pounds then with an alcohol detox. Cancer Research has a great calculator on their Dryathlon page which shows you exactly how many calories you’ll save every week without drink.
Avoid temptation
Staying on the wagon is much easier when you remove yourself from temptation. Go to bed at a reasonable hour and avoid the pub after work. It’ll be boring, but it’ll be cheap.
Chuck the booze
Either giveaway the booze you’ve got at home or lock it away until the month is over. A lovely chilled glass of wine will seem a lot less appealing when you have to face the January weather in order to get it.
Start cooking
Now you’re not going to the pub after work you’ll have more time in the evening to improve your cooking skills and rustle up some healthy grub. Do your first shop online with Ocado voucher codes to get £20 off your first order and free delivery.
Exercise
Alternatively, use that free evening time to do some exercise, or your hangover-free mornings to get to the gym before work. No alcohol means more energy, and with all those endorphins rushing around you’ll be less likely to want to pollute your body with toxins.
Shout about it
There’s no need to suffer in silence! Tell your family and friends what you are doing so they can support you in your goal (and prevent them from spiking your drinks with vodka). You might even get a party out of it when January is over. But don’t tweet about it too much- no one likes a boaster.
Treat yourself
Every time you resist a drink, put the money you would have spent into a savings account. At the end of the month you can treat yourself to something special, or just put the money away for a rainy day.
Detox
If you are quitting booze you might as well go all out with the detoxing; this means hot water and lemon, fresh fruit, green tea and cranberry juice. Check out our post on 2015 superfoods to see what the experts are recommending you eat this year.
How are you getting through Dry January?
