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Original poster

If you don’t drink

108 replies

Wrinklepicker · 20/03/2022 11:55

What do you do on a Friday night?

I realise how tragic this sounds.

I’ve pretty much decided I’m done with drinking. A few years ago, going through a horrible divorce, my drinking crept up and I was drinking most nights. It wasn’t healthy. I’ve cut right back and now only drink at the weekends, often just one night. I can still put away a fair bit on that night though.

I’d like to stop altogether, apart from the odd ‘champagne at a wedding’ type thing, but the Friday night, end of the week, relax with a glass of wine, is still a strong urge/habit.

I’m just wondering what non-drinkers do to mark the end of the working week and relax into the weekend?

OP posts:
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 20/03/2022 11:56

Go out for meals
Have a takeaway
Watch TV or a movie with DH
Go out with friends

All the normal things, just without the alcohol.

Flowersandhearts · 20/03/2022 11:58

Could you try just replacing the wine with non-alcoholic? There are some nice 0% around now. I binge-eat, which is similarly harmful so don't have any helpful tips!

ChiselandBits · 20/03/2022 11:59

I do drink but when I am trying not too, through the week or dieting, I buy interesting flavoured tonics or soda waters and have those alongside the netflix / board games / puzzle whatever I would have been doing anyway but with wine or gin. There are loads out there now, Fever Tree, Fentimens, London Tonics . Lots of nice ginger ales too.

ChiselandBits · 20/03/2022 11:59

Oh but avoid no alcohol wine - its vile!

Monkeytapper · 20/03/2022 12:00

Watch TV, bed about 10pm….wake up Saturday fresh and go do a parkrun at 9am.

Purplecatshopaholic · 20/03/2022 12:03

I like a wee alcohol free fizz, or an erdinger beer. Don’t drink at all now and feel better for it. It’s really a mind set

MoonBat · 20/03/2022 12:04

I stay up later than I would on a school night, sometimes with nice snacks that I wouldn't have during the week.

I've never really been into alcoholic drinks though so it's not a case of replacing something for me, which may make it more complex for you.

I have heard good things about the Seedlip tonics!

Want2beme · 20/03/2022 12:05

What do you do when you're drinking your wine on a Friday night? Can you continue doing that minus the wine? I wouldn't try to replace drinking with something else. Not drinking is just a way of living. Does that make sense? I used to have a drink on a Saturday night and on other occasions, never much though. Then something major happened in my life and I just stopped drinking. I don't miss it and rarely think about it. You get used to it.

scandihouse · 20/03/2022 12:06

I replaced a glass of wine at the end of the week with a velvetiser hot chocolate! Works for me.

MumYourBabyGrewUpToBeACowboy · 20/03/2022 12:07

I found success by doing a dry month. It was hard at first and hard in some social settings, but once I broke the habit, regular drinking was no longer a thing.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 20/03/2022 12:08

I'm not a big drinker but I'd worried if I had to ask this question and not know how to manage an evening without alcohol

Unless you literally just sit and drink do whatever you normally do but without alcoholic drinks

DirtyDancing · 20/03/2022 12:08

Are you able to have just a glass of wine? So I have had a single beer this weekend on Friday night and it was lovely, enjoyed it very much. But I don't want to drink any more than that these days (I used to be a heavy social drinker). I sometimes buy a mini bottle of Prosecco for example and have one glass and that's it

5thnonblonde · 20/03/2022 12:11

I’ve got a soda stream and I really like a super fuzzy extra chill sparkling water. I usually join DH in one glass of wine but move onto the fizz after that

DepthOfTheAbyss · 20/03/2022 12:11

I don’t do anything to ‘mark’ the end of the working week, it just is and I enjoy doing whatever I want.
We’ll have an easy dinner, maybe watch a film or tv, I try to get as many chores done on Friday as I can like washing uniforms and getting shopping in so we can relax over the weekend.

JimLaheysWhiskeyBottle · 20/03/2022 12:12

I train with my personal trainer every Friday at 6 until 8.
I work full time, get home, set the kids up with snacks, pizza and a film and then go out.

Once I’m home I’ve no interest in alcohol or trashy food as I feel good from the excercise.

It’s done wonders for my weight and my physical and mental health.

The cost every week is the same if I was to get a Friday night takeaway and a nice bottle of wine Smile

Original poster
Wrinklepicker · 20/03/2022 12:13

I always find these kind of comments quite judgemental. I think it’s quite clear from the OP that I recognised an issue and took steps to address it. And for six nights a week I do spend the evenings without an alcoholic drink.

What I was asking is how people who don’t drink at all mark the switch from working week to weekend.

Actually the non-alcoholic drinks are a good shout. I quite enjoyed a tonic water with garnish when I stopped completely for a few months last year. I’d forgotten about that.

In the week I just have a brew and get up early but weekends are still a bit different.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wrinklepicker · 20/03/2022 12:14

Sorry, that was to the ‘I’d be worried if I had to ask’

OP posts:
ValBiro · 20/03/2022 12:15

If you do eventually knock the whole thing in the head, you'll stop thinking about those habits too. It will be a complete non-issue. To begin with I treated myself to lots of nice flavoured fizzy drinks but I think you'll surprise yourself how easy it is to break the habit.

Original poster
Wrinklepicker · 20/03/2022 12:16

@DirtyDancing, sadly I’m not a ‘one glass of wine’ type, which is why I’m thinking of knocking it on the head completely! I’m the same with a packet of biscuits 🤦🏼‍♀️

OP posts:
trancepants · 20/03/2022 12:16

Rollerdisco.

HangingOver · 20/03/2022 12:16

Takeaway or go out to eat. Go to the gym. See a pal. You'll get used to it really quickly.

Justkeepon · 20/03/2022 12:17

Order a massive take away including starters Grin (I eat well all week) while watching a Netflix series

Enjoy a diet coke with crisps and read a thriller book (couldn't focus enough to read when drinking alcohol)

Go out for a meal or to the cinema (no taxis needed since I can drive)

But I live for Saturday mornings now - waking up with no hangover and getting the kids out for the day feeling fresh and anxiety free is worth everything!

EmergencyPoncho · 20/03/2022 12:17

I hardly drink. To answer your question, I probably stay up a bit later, so closer to midnight. And I may watch a film, rather than the dream series I'll have been watching in the week.

Agreed non alcohol wine is disgusting but there are some good options out there, I quite like Seedlip and I don't actually like gin.

Original poster
Wrinklepicker · 20/03/2022 12:18

Velvetiser hot chocolate sounds very fancy - off to research that

OP posts:
TokenGinger · 20/03/2022 12:18

I stay up a bit later on a Friday than usual. I'll watch a movie with DP which I wouldn't on a work night.

I'll have a bottle of cordial, or maybe a can of something fizzy.

I don't know, really. I suppose because alcohol has never been part of my life, I don't really do anything different to replace no alcohol.