Why I No Longer Drink Alcohol

Improving my financial, mental, and physical health

I was by no means an alcoholic. I made the decision to give up alcohol (for the time being) for the financial, mental, and physical health benefits. And it’s been great — I’d recommend everyone try it out.

Financial Benefits

The money I could save from cutting alcohol out of my life was 90% of the reason why I made the decision.

With how the market has been performing the past year, the more money you have in it, the more your net worth will grow. I could buy a 30-pack for $20, or I could save the money, invest it and get a 16% return on it.

As the pandemic progresses I am slowly removing any nonessentials from my life to save money. I can’t remember the last time I ate out or bought new clothes. All the money I’m saving I’m investing in my future.

As I sat around and thought about other ways to cut my spending, an obvious answer appeared — alcohol. If I no longer drink alcohol, I no longer need to buy any. More money that stays in my pockets and more money that I can invest and grow. The opportunity cost of that 12-pack now could be $100 in twenty years (or less than a year if you invested in bitcoin.)

Mental Benefits

Alcohol is magical. It can make you the most confident person in the room or make you lonely enough to text an old flame at 2 am.

With that said, there are many negative mental effects of alcohol. It can make people depressed, anxious, lonely. It can also be a crutch and become “something to do” when you’re bored.

Alcohol is a depressant. It affects our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Our bodies are like machines. If we eat a healthy meal, we will have energy. Eating at McDonald’s on the other hand, can make us sluggish. The same goes for our minds. Putting something into our body that affects our thoughts and feelings, will impact what we do. Too much alcohol and you may lose control of who you really are.

Physical Benefits

Alcohol is poison for your body. Not literally, but as close to it as a legal drink can be. If you drink too much, you’re throwing up. If you drink more than that, you can die from alcohol poison.

Let’s not forget the headache you can get the next day. It’s tough to be productive nursing a massive hangover the next morning. There are some remedies to reduce your hangover, but none as effective as not drinking altogether.

And all those calories. You should have seen my face when I found out a shot was 100 calories. All those beers I passed on because I thought vodka was healthier, was all for nothing — it still baffles my mind. Besides the calories, a normal beer is loaded with carbs. And drinking will likely require you to eat more, throwing more junk in your body late at night.

Final Thoughts

I’m not going sober for the rest of my life. And I’m not preaching for everyone to stop drinking alcohol altogether. I recognize there are some benefits to it.

But I think it is worth reevaluating your alcohol consumption. Reducing how much or how often you drink can save you money, improve your mental health, make you more productive, and keep you in better shape.

This past year has caused many changes. So why not consider changing one more if it can benefit you?