Around 15% of Americans said they were planning to participate this year in Dry January — a month of abstinence from alcohol — according to a survey by Morning Consult.
Most cite the health benefits from taking a break from the bottle, but it has its financial benefits too. Bloomberg reports that alcohol-tracking app “I Am Sober” found that more than half its users saved more than $15 a day by abandoning drink last year.
But what do you do with those savings? Treat yourself to a new TV? Take a holiday? Or invest the money to keep it growing?
The last time I gave up drinking was during the first U.K. Covid lockdown in spring 2020. I was in denial about my favorite watering hole, The Blue Pig, being closed and stayed alcohol-free for three months. This changed my drinking habits totally.
Before Covid, I could spend anywhere between $75-$120 a week in the pub. Now, I spend only around $50. But during those three sober months in spring 2020, I saved around $1,200, and chose to put this money into a ...