to ask how much alcohol is 'normal'?

[Squashinthepinkcup]

Just read another thread about drinking, and it got me to thinking. What's an acceptable amount of alcohol in your opinion? Not from an NHS perspective, but in your household. Do you have a glass of wine/a beer after work most days? If it's a nice wine, maybe you have two glasses, or more? Is it unusual to finish a bottle once a week, either in one evening or over the course of a few evenings?

I just got the impression the OP in the other thread was basing her opinion on whats normal for her household, but it's not something often talked about, so how would you know if it was an okay level or something to be concerned about?

So, what's normal for you, and your partner if you have one?

Parents were alcoholics (obviously they denied it 🙄) - the amount they drank steadily increased, from perhaps a shared bottle of wine on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays to near enough two bottles each Wednesday-Sunday.

I used to have an alcohol problem (but because it was less than what my parents drank, it was okay!). Steadily decreased the amount I drank and for the past 10/11 years drink maybe 1-3 glasses on average once or twice a year (some years none at all).

I just can't really be bothered by it now tbh and am so relieved that I just don't think about it any more. (I think a telltale sign you have a problem is when you're consciously thinking about when you're next going to have an alcoholic drink).

This is what saved me from alcohol tbh - I was increasing my running and training for half-marathons and it just wasn't compatible. I found the buzz from running a bigger high than drinking.

Wouldn't you rather have a night of blissful sleep?!

Our two are eight and six and even now when they stay at the in-laws (maybe three times a year), I want nothing more than a long peaceful sleep without being woken up in the morning! Alcohol would just ruin it.

Normal for me is nothing through the week. Weekends too - I don’t usually bother when we’re home. It’s not unusual for me to go a month or more without anything. I might have one or two though if I fancy it.

Teaching put paid to drinking in the week really - I just found I couldn’t do it and perform the next day. Then ttc, fertility treatment and eventually pregnancy meant I reduced it even more (stopped altogether in pregnancy obviously!)

I really dislike drinking around my DD. I grew up with an alcoholic parent and I find it massively triggering. I’ve found that I can tell when DH has had even one drink these days and it makes it really hard for me to relax if he has a drink at home whilst DD is still up/ awake. I absolutely hate it and have to work really hard not to get really controlling about it. He never has more than one or two if she’s around, might have a couple more after she’s gone to bed - and he’s never anything other than perfectly pleasant and just getting on with life, still making dinner or doing bedtime or whatever - so I have to keep a lid on it because he’s doing nothing wrong. But yeah, I still hate it!

If we go out separately or together without DD around I do still enjoy a drink and could drink my weekly units in a night which I realise is not good either! It’s rare though, and the hangovers I get these days are just not worth it. Even after 2 glasses of wine and 1 g+t the other week - I felt perfectly fine going to bed (at 11, not even late!) and considered it a fairly tame night - the next day was hideous and I still had to deal with a 3 year old all day.

Well, I usually have 1 or 2 drinks once a week. Occasionally twice a week.

DH will have about 4 beers, 3 times a week.

I can’t remember the last time either of us was drunk or anything beyond slightly tipsy, and even that’s rare.

I'm quite sensitive to heavy drinking as my dad is a (recovering) alcoholic. It feels too much to me to drink daily, or regularly being drunk.

I think it's awesome so many on this thread are light drinkers. Well done

For me, never spirits or beer, just wine

Previously up to 3 bottles per week. Cut down to 25 units per week. Aiming to cut down further. Try Dry app is helpful, to track your drinking. And it's worth checking alcohol content of wine. Can range from 10.5% to 13%. I never used to check that, but do now

Healthy weight, plenty exercise, good diet. Wine is my only vice. Mid 50s

Sounds like you’re doing really well @NeedToChangeName. I used to drink quite a lot too much when I was younger and started using the Drinkaware app to record what I was drinking. It was an eye opener to see the units racking up. Apps won’t work for everyone I guess but I found it motivating to log into it, put my data in and get a green for good! Appealed to my childish need for a pat on the head I guess 😂

Thanks for your support, appreciate it

Yes, the apps are great for tracking progress, and the accountability works for me. And, I like the yellow fireworks when record that I haven't drunk alcohol today. So yes, I hear you on the "childish need for a pat on the head"!

I'd go with this but 2 bottles not 4 (no judgement). Mid 60s too.

Health aside, alcohol is a money sink assuming posters who say they split a bottle a day with their husband are buying the cheapest bottle of about 5 pound then that's 35 a week or 140 a month. Obviously could easily be more than twice that if you're buying more expensive wine.

Not to sound like a fun sucking Scrooge but you save a lot of money not drinking

I probably drink about 2 or 3 times a week on average and I can drink 2 glasses of wine or about 1½ pints of beer (depending on the beer) at most. I'm not proud of this, I'm not trying to be holier-than-though, I just feel very sleepy and unsociable if I drink any more, and I don't enjoy being constantly asked if I'm OK because I start to tune out whatever's going on socially around me. If anything, I would like to be able to drink a bit more without becoming withdrawn.

I suppose I think it's "normal" for other people to be able to drink up to about 4 glasses of wine or 4 pints, although I have known people who drank more (they did get visibly drunk though).

I do love the taste of certain wines and a couple of cocktails that I drink maybe twice a year. If there were non-alcoholic equivalents that genuinely tasted the same, I'd be all over them.

normal for us changes all the time.

Growing up, my parents started sharing a bottle of wine every night, then having a couple of nightcaps. It was a lot and my sister and I were a bit concerned. But like a lot of people their age it was normal for them. Now my dad doesn’t drink at all, and my mum just wine.

DHs parents never drank other than a couple of beers and a sherry at Christmas.

we levelled out somewhere between them - sharing a bottle of wine most nights but no spirits except at the weekend / special occasions.

We stuck at this level for years. ATM DH is not drinking due to medication and wanting to lose weight. I’m still having a couple of glasses most nights, but nothing more. So that’s normal for us.

If there were non-alcoholic equivalents that genuinely tasted the same, I'd be all over them.

Oh yes @moonshinepoursthroughmywindow whoever really cracks the AF wine market is onto an absolute goldmine. I've tried several. IMHO, fizz better than still, most are too sweet for me, but I do like (1) Kylie's AF sparkling rose https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/312560061?srsltid=AfmBOoojqNFJ_sz0coDY0TKytqmZKvD1q6Td4VG4PTzGidx4C9ois0tv and (2) Freixenet https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/295188435?srsltid=AfmBOooQrkehL0QkyDmf_b7GNXra7P0jaQD66VJP0k3kVVJPNc7fr422

None at all.

Grew up with alcoholics. Neither me or my partner like the taste of alcohol at all. Life's hard enough without all the issues alcohol can cause. I'd rather use the calories on tasty food 😋

Me and DH are both in our 50s. We split a bottle of wine 3 times a week. I try to have 4 alcohol free days each week so if I go out with friends then I would reduce the weekly home wine consumption. I can drink a lot when I’m out with certain friends.

We are Muslim so we don't drink at all.

My drinking (according to my GP) doesn't even register...I'm classed as teetotal.

My husband has a glass of wine or beer each evening at home, sometimes a couple.

From observation of many drinking friends over the years, I'd say it's healthiest to keep to one unit per day max, with more once a week.

Whatever anyone thinks - it's about the health risks, isn't it? There's no other reason to worry about alcohol intake.

I don't drink alone really, unless it's a glass of wine before a first date I'm particularly nervous about.

I drink when I go out, so that's 1-3 nights a week, and usually have 2 drinks.

So that's... 4 or 5 drinks a week on average.

No idea if that's normal!

Don’t drink during the week as I go to the gym early every morning.

Come Saturday night, all bets are off! Bloody love mixing a cocktail or a G&T whilst cooking and then enjoying a decent red with supper. Will often have a nightcap too.

Lovely stuff!