If alcohol has become a force in your life that you are no longer happy with then it is time to quit drinking alcohol on your own. The costs of drinking too much are adding up and you are realizing that it just isn’t worth it any more. There are many ways to go about quitting, but knowing which one fits you best is your decision.
Often people who are drinking a lot of alcohol lose track of how much it costs and how much they are actually drinking. Their world becomes consumed by alcohol. Stripping down your surroundings and looking at your drinking in an honest way will help as you begin your journey to get sober.
One of the first things you should do when you decide to quit drinking is to get rid of alcohol from your home. Find all of your beer stashes, wine bottles and hard liquor and either throw them away, or give them away. It will be difficult, but getting rid of temptation will keep you on the right track.
You also need to get rid of items that are alcohol related. These can be anything from wine bottle openers to special glasses to drink liquor in to beer posters and bar t-shirts. All of these items need to go away. Any reminders of alcohol could bring you to drink again, so getting rid of alcohol and alcohol related items in your home is important.
As the years have gone by and you’ve started drinking more and more, you have probably lost track of how much alcohol is actually costing you. Knowing what you are spending on alcohol and then setting that money aside will help you stay on track.
If you are drinking a bottle of wine per day at $8 per bottle, that is $56 per week and $2912 per year. If you drink a bottle of vodka every three days at $15 per bottle, that is $1825 per year. That is a lot of money being spent on alcohol and the realization will help you quit drinking alcohol on your own.
Instead of spending that money on beer, wine and liquor, set it aside and save it. Make a reward for yourself and spend that money you are saving. Realizing how much money is spent on alcohol will be a wake-up call and will help you to resist drinking more.
If you don’t want to cut out all alcohol right away, an easy way to cut back is to drink alcohol and water in a one-to-one ratio. For every alcoholic beverage you consume, drink a full glass of water. Often we drink alcohol quickly because we are thirsty. However, alcohol will dehydrate you, not quench your thirst.
If you are drinking alcohol because you are thirsty, the alcohol will make you more thirsty, driving you to drink more and more alcohol. Instead alternate every other drink with water. This will help you stay hydrated, keeping you from drinking too much alcohol. When you quit drinking alcohol on your own, it is appropriate to take steps to cut back first with the one-to-one drinking rule.
