Reducing Alcohol Cuts Expenses Too... Saved 540,000 Won in One Month [Alcohol-Free Diary⑤]

Week 7 of Abstinence
Uncontrollable Urges When Drinking... Makes You Pull Out Your Card at the Checkout
Spent Nearly 1.27 Million Won in the Month Before Quitting... Drops to Around 700,000 Won After Stopping
Side Costs Like Taxis, Hangover Drinks, and Hangover Soup Also Decrease

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] "How much did I spend?" The day after drinking, you clutch your pounding head and search for your phone. You have no idea how much you spent yesterday. "OO Pocha 50,000 won," "OO Beer 20,000 won," "OO Sundaeguk 10,000 won"... You regretfully look at the transaction details sent from the credit card company every two hours. When you ask your friends to settle up, they all say, "You said you were buying because you were having fun yesterday, right?"

It is natural to spend more money when drinking. If paying money makes you feel better, people willingly pay for alcohol. However, it is common to spend more than expected. This is because when drinking, the frontal lobe, the part of our brain that suppresses impulsiveness, cannot function properly. Alcohol is known to cloud logical judgment, one of the functions of the frontal lobe. This is why we act recklessly at the checkout when drinking.

So, how much do Koreans spend on alcohol? According to Statistics Korea, alcohol expenditure in the fourth quarter of last year increased by 10.2% compared to the same period the previous year. The total amount of alcohol shipped last year reached 8.7995 trillion won. It is expected to increase further this year as people are heading to bars more after social distancing measures were lifted. According to Shinhan Card Big Data Research Institute in April, card payments at pubs from April 18 to 24 increased by 203% compared to the same period last year after social distancing was lifted.

Spending Decreases When Quitting Drinking... Incidental Costs Naturally Saved Too

Does spending really improve noticeably when you quit drinking? In fact, when I started abstaining from alcohol, the reactions around me were not very favorable. Comments like "People spend as much as they want anyway" and "You’ll just spend on something else instead of alcohol" were common. So, I personally reviewed my spending records for the month before (April 20 to May 19) and the month after (May 20 to June 19) I quit drinking on May 20.

First, the spending status from April 20 to May 19. During this period, I spent nearly 1.27 million won. While meeting many people after social distancing was lifted may have influenced this, I still regretted spending so much money. I spent 401,600 won solely on drinking during this time. This means about 31% of my total expenditure was on alcohol. The average spending per drinking occasion was about 33,467 won. Although I drank only 12 times, including company dinners where I didn’t pay and times I was treated, I estimate the total drinking occasions were close to 20.

Next, the spending status from May 20 to June 19. During this period, I spent 721,690 won, which is 548,292 won less than the previous period. This means I saved nearly 150,000 won more than the 401,600 won I previously spent on alcohol. This is also because incidental costs associated with drinking decreased.

From April 20 to May 19, excluding work-related trips, I took taxis 3 times, spending 36,400 won. I took taxis when I missed the last train, couldn’t take the subway or bus, or impulsively decided to take a taxi. Conversely, from May 20 to June 19, I took a taxi only once, spending just 10,700 won. Although the difference is only 25,700 won, if this amount is extended over a year, it amounts to about 300,000 won, and over 10 years, 3 million won. For hardworking office workers, this is a significant amount.

Additionally, although difficult to quantify, I saved money by not buying convenience store lunch boxes, bread, and milk, which I habitually purchased when drinking. When intoxicated, I tend to crave carbohydrates. Also, I saved money by not buying hangover relief drinks and hangover soups.

That doesn’t mean I avoided people or stayed home during this period. From May 20 to June 19, I went to cafes 11 times, spending a total of 88,100 won. From April 20 to May 19, I went to cafes 7 times and spent only 40,500 won. I often met people at cafes and sometimes bought drinks for others.

Reducing alcohol consumption noticeably reduced my spending. Of course, drinking makes you feel good, but losing health and seeing your empty bank account can be bitter and unsettling. How about regaining your health and filling your empty bank account by cutting back on alcohol?

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.