My 4 year plan, and the benefits

[2long]

For anyone looking for a bit of inspiration, I have successfully reduced my beer intake, beer costs and beer belly. I'm happy and enjoying it, as well as enjoying beer regularly. Read on.

 

In 2018 I challenged myself to have minimum 10 dry days per calendar month. I could choose the days, but getting as many as possible out of the way early in the month was always nice. As a 'reward' I paid myself 1,000B per dry day, putting this money in a pot that I opened on Dec 31st. You can choose your own amount, according to your budget For 2018, the money was a 'reward,' although on many days it hurt a lot to pay so much and not drink! But I managed it.

 

In 2019 I challenged myself to drink no more than 50% of the days in the year, which was 183 dry days minimum. Instead of the 'reward' I 'fined' myself 500B per drinking day. Again the money went into a sealed pot to be opened on New Year's Eve. Actually, I opened around Christmas after hitting the target early.

 

Now for 2020 I have given myself a limit of 150 drinking days, again with the 500B fine. That's 12.5 days per month, and I'm easily ahead of myself (as I'd planned a month in the UK until Covid put a stop to that.

 

So, on average I have on average beer every third day, and due to the reduction over the last two years (plus the time and ability to exercise) my tolerance is a lot lower than before. Thus I feel the beer sooner, can't drink as much, and spend less doing so.

 

Let me know if this helps you.

[daveAustin]

Good on you. You didn't make up for it by blowing the pot on NYE though? 

[Puchaiyank]

I just quit drinking been altogether many years ago.  Still miss it occasionally when some spicey cheese dip is being served????.

 

Drink White Zinfandel wine now periodically...Dr. recommended as good blood thinner and great with many meals...

 

 

[Keyser Soze666]

No, it doesn't help at all, and why are you assuming we might need help??

[2long]

8 hours ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

No, it doesn't help at all, and why are you assuming we might need help??

Sorry.

I assumed that the title of the sub-forum may be an indicator. I guess that I just read too much into things.

[4MyEgo]

16 minutes ago, 2long said:

Sorry.

I assumed that the title of the sub-forum may be an indicator. I guess that I just read too much into things.

You've done well and being proactive in sharing your experience.

 

I also stopped drinking beer when they closed the bars down that I frequented on 20 March.

 

The above said I would only drink light beers, 9-12 a week, no alcohol in the house apart from a couple of bottles of Chang in the fridge if the wife felt like sharing a bottle with me over an evening meal and as we had one bottle in the fridge, I finished it in April, wife didn't want to drink.

 

I have change to drinking Vodka with soda and lemon, one in the evening during TV or one every 2nd evening. The fat around my belly has gone as it has elsewhere, I can't use my treadmill as the motor packed in a month ago and waiting for the guy to come around to replace it when the company opens up again, hopefully on the 18th or shortly thereafter, but still do some light weight resistance training every couple of days.

 

Unfortunately I believe your post won't aspire TVF members that drink because they "enjoy" their 6-10 big bottles of whatever beer they are drinking, change is hard, and one has to want to change to reap the benefits and at their ages and the hold the beer has on them, it's not going to be a game changer for them, but each to their own, as I said, they "enjoy" it.

[Chris747]

2long nothing wrong with your 4 year plan - the result - drinking less - is there. That's all that matters.

 

On a deeper look, you still make the Alcohol such a huge and everpresent thing in your life. You give yourself a reminder every day, looking forward to the next drinking session or rewarding yourself if you kept your limit...

 

Why don't you just quit? You can then reward yourself for the rest of your life, every morning you'd be thankful for not drinking the last night. 

[seancbk]

Well done OP. 

I quit drinking at New Year, originally along with a few mates who said they'd do dry January.  They've all gone back to drinking but I've still not had any alcohol.   I haven't missed it at all. 

[1FinickyOne]

13 hours ago, 2long said:

As a 'reward' I paid myself 1,000B per dry day,

sign me up... I will give you a place to send the money... I don't drink - do I get back pay?

[Keyser Soze666]

1 hour ago, 2long said:

Sorry.

I assumed that the title of the sub-forum may be an indicator. I guess that I just read too much into things.

I have no idea what a sub-forum is, but anyway..

[Chris747]

5 minutes ago, Keyser Soze666 said:

I have no idea what a sub-forum is, but anyway..

 

Keyser, please check top left of your monitor 

 

 

Those are so called breadcrumbs and it indicates, that you are in a forum, where people meet if they like advice on their drinking behaviour

 

hope it helps...

 

[Keyser Soze666]

2 minutes ago, Chris747 said:

 

Keyser, please check top left of your monitor 

 

 

Those are so called breadcrumbs and it indicates, that you are in a forum, where people meet if they like advice on their drinking behaviour

 

hope it helps...

 

Duh!!

[ChrisKC]

Kudos to you for being creative in stifling a habit that could go life-threatening if left unchecked.

 

I haven't drunk too much since I was 20 when I got drunk on a few beers with my mates. I didn't like that feeling so I never did it again in my life.

 

No idea how many in this forum and elsewhere have a drinking "problem" but I hope that if the OP has inspired only one of them, his post was worthwhile.

[how241]

Sounds like you have found a plan that is working for you.  Good for you  and keep it up if you feel it's necessary. 

[bwpage3]

What does that have to do with a 4 year plan?

 

 

[2long]

2 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

What does that have to do with a 4 year plan?

 

 

2018,2019,2020.... and fewer drinking days in 2021.

Sorry for not explaining more clearly from the start.

[impulse]

A few nights ago, sitting in an AA meeting, I calculated how much I saved over the past 31+ years by giving up drinking. 

 

Just over $300,000 USD, not including interest...  Full disclosure...  that includes rounds for my friends, which I tended to buy a lot of when I'd had too much.   That wasn't my 31 year plan.  That's just the way it worked out.

 

If the goal is to keep alcohol from causing problems in your life (ie, a drinking problem), some can do it by cutting back.  Others like me have to give it up completely.  And some lucky people don't even even have to slow down, because it never did cause problems.  If you're one of the lucky ones, enjoy.  I mean it sincerely.

 

If you plan works for you, great.  But for most of us in AA for more than a few months, giving up the booze isn't a hardship for which we'd have to bribe ourselves.  (As if saving $300K isn't an incentive)   The idea of drinking doesn't even appeal to me, and hasn't for over 30 years.   

 

Sadly, AA only works if you want to quit.   But if you do it right, abstinence shouldn't be a hardship at all.